給自己的棺材完成粉飾的畫家和狂野不羈的騎士，這可能都不是你心目中阿根廷人的形象。但正是他們與優雅的探戈舞和粗放的足球一起，成就了阿根廷多彩的混合文化。
Argentina is the eighth largest country in the world， covering more than one million square miles.
Tango has been a lifelong inspiration for artist Martiniano Arce， the premiere “1)Fileteador” of Buenos Aires. Martiniano and his wife live in the artist neighborhood of San Telmo. Tango and 2)Carlos Gardel are the two greatest influences on his work， another unique expression of Argentine culture called “Filete.” Martiniano began painting in the style of the Filete at the age of 13. The Fileteador uses elaborate 3)curlicues and line drawings called “Filetes” that replicate ornate architecture of the early 20th century. While the art form can be traced to Sicily， Filete is as Argentine as the tango and Gardel. Described once as a “painted tango，” the Filete evokes the 4)sentimentality of the 5)Poteñ；o and the role tango has played in popular culture.
Martiniano： (via translator) The tango reflects a little bit of what an Argentine is. The Argentine is a little 6)melancholy， a little bit serious， and a little bit 7)introverted. However the Poteñ；o is someone 8)extroverted， someone that appears to be more than what he really is.
Martiniano holds the prestigious Great Argentine Master Award from the country’s National Art Council. In his home， the style of the Filete can be found everywhere， the accumulation of nearly half a century of painting. And he knows precisely when he would stop painting. To be ready， he’s decorated coffins for himself and his wife. He’ll be 107 years old and he plans to leave this life the way he lived it.