Dreams, Divinities and the Attention to Detail.

 

Recently I attended the opening of Dreams & Divinities, an international travelling group show now showing at LuminArte Gallery in Dallas, Texas and which I am proud to be participating in with one of my pieces. The show has travelled from Toledo, Spain to San Cristobal de las Casas to Monterey, Mexico with its finale in Dallas, Texas. It has been presented during four equinoxes which happens to give the project the conceptual framework from where it springs forth. Curated by Liba Waring Stambollion and presented by Matt Anzak at Luminarte, the show features visionary, magic realism and surrealist artists from around the globe. As soon as you enter the gallery you'll be in for a treat for the mind and soul.

Partial view of the exhibition

For the highly skeptical viewer, the works may at first seem to be flighty colorful renditions of New Age doctrines, an escapist attempt, oblivious to the current state of affairs of our world and perhaps of the 'art world' as well . On a closer inspection the works reveal a profound sense of being and understanding of how the world operates at an subconscious level. Not only subject matter is represented from an unconventional holistic approach, which makes the work so interesting, it also unpacks a whole load of visual information that responds to our own age. In a high speed internet age, these silent images allure us to slow down a bit and take our time to look closer, to comtemplate and experience that which cannot be expressed with words.

Work by Miguel Tio

Work by Android Jones

What I found fascinating about the show was not only the intricate complexity and individual language of each piece but also the incredible unity and level of cohesion of the whole. The mastery and imaginative use of color in the works of Cody Seekins, Roku Sasaki, Zeljko Djurovic and Android Jones are spectacular. The attention to fine drawing details in the work Joe MacGown, Carrie Ann Baade, Miguel Tio and Raul Casillas is mind blowing. From dots, stars, little leaves, microcosmic strange looking creatures, to myterious signs, symbols and fiery dragons, the pieces in this exhibition not only speak eloquently of the unseen, they are also well grounded in a solid tradition of representational techniques in painting and sculpture.

 

Work by Patrick Mcgrath Muñiz

Perhaps what's most interesting about this exhibition is the fact that it gathers highly talented artists from a wide range of backgrounds and cultural upbringings. We may all speak different languages but it all interestingly comes together in our shared vision and the creative process. From the ethereal portraits of A. Andrew Gonzalez to the focused attention to detail of the painted objects in Erich J. Mofitt's work, every piece in this exhibition invites us into the surrealist realm of dreams and divinities but without losing a keen eye for the small, overlooked things from our Earthbound world.

Works by Joe MacGown

 

Artists: Patrick McGrath Muñiz, Andrew Gonzalez and Joe McGown

 

I'm well aware that I haven't mentioned every artist participating in this exhibition and I only had the chance to meet two of the artists in person, Joe MacGown and Andrew Gonzalez, both extraordinarily talented.  But there is so much to grasp in this exhibition it would take a whole book to cover it and there would still be more left out to talk about. As a matter of fact as Liba mentions, this is how the Dreams and Divinities project got started in the first place, with a book. If you are interested in learning more about all the artists participating, and of the Dreams and Divinities current and future projects and publications visit:

Dreams and Divinities

The exhibition will be up until May 2nd, 2015 and I highly recommend seeing it in person. Believe me, cameras do not capture as much as the real experience of being in front of many of these works of art. For more information on LuminArte gallery hours and location visit:

LuminArte Fine Art Gallery

Detail of Raul Casillas work

Nulla Dies Sine Linea & the Importance of Drawing

19 years ago I started a project and new year's resolution in which I drew every day in a drawing journal. The idea came from a phrase I read from Apelles of Kos a Greek painter of the 4th century BC. "Nulla Dies Sine Linea" (Do not spend a day without a line) is a famous quote attributed to the artist. Drawing is fundamental to all art, from painting to architecture, so why not strengthen this skill to its maximum, I thought. The way to do this was by first of all adopting the phrase from Apelles as maxim & principle to guide my art. 

The first drawings made in my diary were by ballpoint pen and very loose. Many of these were disastrous but some showed to have potential and I slowly began to realize that what's really important behind drawing was in the process and not necessarily the result. The vigor and looseness were gradually being reflected in any other artistic medium I worked with. For many years I drew religiously every day in my diaries that kept accumulating. These drawings served as sketches for my paintings but they also served as a learning tool, escape valve and  an appropriate channel for creative energy. This had a tremendously positive impact on paintings I created in subsequent years. 

After passing through some phases and art periods high and low, I decided to re-take this daily practice of drawing from this year onwards and through this blog to share some of the results. After all this blog is titled "Artist journal", so I better make some justice with this title. 

When I taught drawing and painting, one of my advices to my students was to never stop drawing and to create a habit and discipline of drawing as many often as they could. At first it may be difficult and it is because we do not have the time or easily feel discouraged by not seeing immediate results but the key is keeping at it with persistence in the process and to simply enjoy the humble act of drawing. 

One way of looking at it is to think about the drawings as the basic vitamins in art. In this metaphor, an artist who does not draw is a malnourished artist. Again I throw this advice to all who read this blog. No matter the medium or support but always keep this in mind and practice "Nulla Dies Sine Linea".

The Power of Satire

 

El Santo Rey.

Oil and gold leaf on Wood tondo. 8" x 8" by Patrick McGrath Muñiz. Private Collection

 

 

Anyone doubting the power and impact  of satire and humor in a work of art should be seriously rethinking their arguments by now.  In the past few months, we've witnessed two perfect examples of provocative art that have stirred people, governments and other groups at  a global scale. Now, one can argue about how good or bad these art forms may be but they are without any doubt they are to be considered satirical art, and it has delivered a big punch at a global scale. Seth Rogen and James Franco's The Interview stirred so much controversy, it brought a transnational corporation (Sony) face to face with an oppressive state (N. Korea) In the end, the movie makers and the power of online streaming came out victorious. More recently the French magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamic extremists and this unfortunate killing of satirical cartoonists brought the world together to voice out their support for democracy and free speech.

 

 

Here we have two oppressive ideological systems obsessed with censorship and raging against any kind of parody or satire, one is political, the other religious but they share the same repressive values that undermine and attack any form of dissent and free expression. Charlie Hebdo and The Interview are just two reactionary expressions to these systems.. These power structures understand that satire is a seriously dangerous weapon to  deal with because it opens people's minds to the possibility that nothing is really sacred, allowing them to not take any doctrine political or religious too seriously and question their assumed authority.

 

As a satirical artist myself, I cannot remain immune and was moved by both events with its multiple ramifications which has brought me to the following conclusion: Satirical movies, cartoons, and every other work of art that satirizes any form of religion or political establishment is a powerful seed of dissent that can ultimately create a huge impact, bringing people together to protest and perhaps even topple long established regimes. (just look back at the cartoons from the French Revolution at the end of the eighteen century). Monarchies, religious groups, governments and corporations may come and go but the Promethean rebellious and irreverent spirit that creates satire will always remain a useful tool to question the value and purpose of any dictatorial socio-cultural construct.

 

 

Roman mosaic depicting a Greek comedy.

 

Since the Old comedies of Aristophanes to the Colbert Report, satire keeps aiding us against religious and political fanaticism. And this did not start with the Greeks making fun of their gods and rulers with masks and plays. We can go back to ancient Egypt in fact and find frescos making use of satire. Satire may be as ancient as religion itself and it will remain a great creative conductor of dissent freeing minds from the shackles of fundamentalism. The world needs more satirical art because the world needs to question all of its inherited  patriarchal assumptions, the old moral and authoritative dogma that has led to our current globalized state, from cultural stupidity to social inequality to environmental catastrophes.  For this and for the fun of it, let's make more satirical art!

 

 

Ancient Egyptian Ostracon depicting pharaonic Cat being served by rat.