On the significance of the Tarot in art today

In recent years I've had a renewed interest in Tarot, Astrology and Alchemy and from what I can see I'm not the only artist finding deeper meaning and significance in these ancient mystical teachings when applied to art. As a figurative artist I am fascinated by archetypes and always see them come to life in film, literature and art. Each time I identify traits and qualities of any given character in film or painting and analyze his/her root archetype, I seem to get a better understanding of the overall narrative and how all the pieces fit together. The Tarot is an encyclopedia of archetypes and archetypes are like the abc's of story telling. They are the ingredients of what makes a particular story interesting.This is why I think Tarot is very significant for any visual artist involved in representational art and especially for those interested in symbolism and narratives in art.

22 Arcana Major from Tarot of Marseilles

The Tarot is a a pack of playing cards consisting of 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana (78 cards in total) used at least since the 15th century in Europe as a game, divination tool and educational device. In the 22 Major Arcana or trumps there are a series of images that represent different characters and situations that people from the Renaissance were very familiar with, such as "The Last Judgement" or "The Magician" or "the Fool". Today we can re-interpret these in many ways, from a humanistic, cultural, historic or esoteric point of view.  I find the archetypal approach to be the most useful. Archetypes are very open, dynamic transcending time and cultures. Even though they might mean slightly different things for any given culture or period their meaning in the end becomes universal. Take for example the card with no name, Arcana 13, also known as Death. The images in these cards could work as keys or guides to understanding almost about any narrative we could imagine in art today.

Arcana 13 from Della Rocca Tarot

As with alchemy, Tarot follows a process and sequence, starting with "The Fool" (materia prima) and ending with "The world" (The Philosopher's stone). As with astrology, each archetype can be both dark and light in meaning so they are double sided and ambiguous at the same time. For example "Death" is not neccesarily evil if we see it as an end of old things and a new beginning.  This potencial for multiples meanings makes the Tarot so contemporary. Archetypes are natural energies that follow the laws of the Universe and always have an important lesson to teach us.

Study of archetypes in Classical Mythology from one of my journals

In the following weeks I will be posting more on this topic as I am doing some research on it for my new project that involves Latin American Colonial Iconography in painting, Contemporary Global Issues and the 22 Major Arcana or 22  Major Archetypes found in the Tarot. So stay tuned... This will really get interesting as I explore each archetype and share my insights on my blog.

Starting a new project for 2012-13

This year has been a busy one so far. After having two solo shows one in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Santa Fe, New Mexico, travelling to Guatemala and El Salvador and coming back to my studio and completing two commissions I now feel ready to embark on a  new adventure. There has been a project occupying my mind for some years already. Since my thesis project and exhibition Iconsumer I have been sporadically inserting narratives related to the Tarot in my work.  The more I studied the archetypes present in the Tarot cards, the more captivated I've been by this elusive and mysterious imagery. I have been researching the hidden meaning behind these cards and even started my own collection of decks.  After working with Christian iconography, historical and mythological figures, which lead me to the study of archetypal astrology, it makes perfect sense to carefully study and see how I can incorporate the archetypes present in the Tarot into my work. It seems like the right time to concentrate completely and inmerse myself in this universe of archetypes while keeping the neo-colonial narratives very present in the work. By adding this extra layer of meaning I intend to enrich and expand the original discourse on how colonialism is still very active in our global age. I shall document my creative process not only in my personal journal but also in this blog. I hope to cover techniques, concepts and philosophy behind the images I will be working on. I have already made  sketches of all the cards and pinned these right in front of my work desk to serve as a map for my journey.  Everytime An idea comes to mind I write it down on one of the 22 sketches depending on with what card I think the idea would fit in or correspond. Each card will have a Christian Icon related in some way to the colonial iconography in Latin America and the original achetype used in the Tarot. I already started with  this preparatory drawing for my  first card of the Tarot: "The fool".

San Roque Illegal Alien

Saints, Heroes and Corporations

Saints Heroes and Corporations is the title for my upcoming solo show at Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe New Mexico. In this exhibition I will be presenting 18 pieces most of them created in 2012. As the title suggests the work is about "larger than life" historical and contemporary figures including Corporations that under the U.S. fourteenth amendment enjoy special "personhood" rights.

"Disneyfication of a hero" (2010) Oil on canvas 38" x 52"

There is a modern "mythos" that pervades the concept of corporate personhood. It is not uncommon to hear politicians today refer to corporations as "job-creators" as if they were heavenly savior figures that should be cherished and revered by all. They are the untouchables, above the rest of us, enjoying special privileges in the globalized economic arena and the shady political pantheon. In my view one can rightfully argue that a corporation projects itself as a sacred icon of the global economy, above and beyond  mere "personhood", much like a saint or hero. 

"Spraying Global Occupation" (2011) Oil and goldleaf on carved wood triptych 18" x 25"

In these recent retablo triptych paintings and canvasses I have recreated narratives where modern-day corporations spread their neo-colonial myths and doctrines across the globe. In this consumer/mass-media based world, mythic heroes, saints, Madonnas and monsters thrive and respond to our current global dilemmas. Since my thesis project Iconsumer, I have gradually added more icons and symbolic layers to my paintings, from saints, to historical figures to pagan deities, to astrological and Tarot imagery but always focused on the prevalent archetypal figures present from colonial to Neo-colonial times.

"Prometheus, the awakener returns" (2012) Oil on Canvas 36" x 57"

Saints, Heroes and Corporations will be held at Jane Sauer Gallery from May 25 to June 19 2012. The opening reception will be Friday, May 25 from 5 to 7 pm. I will be present at the opening and if you happen to be in Santa Fe, New Mexico I hope to see you there. For more information on the show and Jane Sauer Gallery visit  the Jane Sauer Gallery website. All the images of the work at the exhibition will be available at the gallery website on May 25.