The 7EVEN guiding principles of my art (part 1)

The number seven is a number that has captured my imagination and deeply resonates in me.  There are so many philosophical systems and religions that have given this number a special place that there must be something sacred about it. Just to give a few examples: SEVEN is found 735 times in the Bible. SEVENFOLD is mentioned 6 times and SEVENTH is found 119 times. In Genesis, in the Seventh day of creation God decided it was time to rest, relating the number with completion and perfection.  There are seven deadly sins, seven virtues and seven liberal arts. Seven were the wonders of the ancient world and seven are the Hermetic principles. Issac Newton identified 7 colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Seven are the notes of the western musical scale and there are seven chakras or energy centers in the human body. The recurrence of this number goes on and on across ages and cultures and areas of study. 

 

 The seven Chakras with their corresponding colors located in the human body.

In 2007 I remember painting my first series of saints. They were seven in total. That year I got legally married on July 27 and then by the Church on August 17. My wife and I did not choose these dates, they were the dates available for us to get married. Mysterious number 7 seemed to be following me.

 In 2008 I decided to explore the different relationships of the number starting with the seven days of the week named after the gods and seven astral bodies known to the ancient world. Since my paintings always relate and react to our times and being our time defined by this phenomenon called “Globalization”, I decided to address seven global issues that I thought were of key importance (Energy sources, The Environment, Wars, Migration, Corporate power, Media and Consumerism). I related these with seven archetypal figures that are a syncretism between classical mythology and Christian iconography. This is how the work “Syncretisms” was born.

 Drawing and painting  inspired in the figure of the Virgin Mary and part of the work Syncretisms

  Today my ideas keep evolving but I’m still deeply inspired by the mystery of the number seven and how to make this ancient mystery more relevant to my art studio practice. After studying and reconciling different religious and philosophical traditions that dealt with the septenary system, I started to think of my work in seven terms. Not only have I identified certain qualities that describe the work, I’ve also identified these with seven stages of the creative process. So I came up with an ordered sequence of seven principles that apply to my own art practice experience. Even though related, these in no way are modeled after the systems studied. These are rather redefined according to how my own art studio practice and the way it has worked for me almost every time, freeing it from any constraining theory. These are my first three guiding principles in art:

1. The principle of Thought 

“Mens agitat molem” The mind moves the matter - Virgil

Often in popular culture cartoons and comics an idea is depicted by a light bulb above a characters head. It is not difficult then to connect ideas with light. It is the inner Sun light that we all carry within our minds

I like to think of my creative work starting not as a line or brushstroke on a surface but in the mind as an abstract idea. Art is primarily an idea before becoming matter. For this reason a healthy creative mind must be nourished with vital intellectual pursuits such as reading, writing and drawing.  Keeping an art journal, brainstorming regularly and jotting down ideas either as drawings or writings keeps the mind busy and productive.  An art journal is the womb where great works of art gestate. 

 My art journal

 Most of my ideas come from studying history and contemporary culture. I often quote both historical and present day figures in my work. Someone like Leonardo Da Vinci would perfectly exemplify the practice of keeping an art journal. I would suggest drawing and writing every day to keep the ideas in constant flux. I am reminded of Pliny the elder's aphorism “Nulla Dies Sine Linea” (Do not let a day go by without a line).

 Detail of "Alternative Energy Sources under the Sign of the Sun" Work by Patrick McGrath Muñiz 

 2. The Principle of Form

“As above, so below”  - Hermes Trimegistus

 In a drawing form is composed by lines and governed by both the mind and hand. A line is an idea taking on a physical dimension on paper or any other surface and becoming a word or a drawing. A line can be described as point A connecting with a point B, therefore we can understand it as a means to connecting. 

In this second stage I start finding interesting correspondence between my idea and the way I represent it formally. I build up and organize a composition, conceptually as well as formally. At this point I also study the relation between the negative and the positive forms in my composition. 

Disneyfied saints, graphite on paper by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

 These first two principles occur in the journal and separate preliminary sketches. The first is a thought. The second is thought becoming matter and finding new ways to relate with each other. 

 Preliminary sketch for "Magna Regina" (Great Queen) work by the artist

 In my work I frequently bring together icons from different times and cultures.  To bring together and reconcile past and present times, cultures and beliefs into a harmonious unity is one of my aims in art. Two is the number that eloquently expresses this creative approach.

The Moon seems to embody this second principle as it may be seen as both a thin curved line and then as a fully formed circle. It is the principle of line becoming form.  We are able to see  the Moon  thanks to the reflected light of the Sun. In the same way the principle of thought defines the principle of form.

3. The principle of Anatomy (the study of the parts)

"The kingly crowned head, the vigilant eye, the counsellor heart, the arm our soldier, our steed the leg, the tongue our trumpeter." - Shakespeare

  Anatomical charcoal study for "Insula Ignominiae" work by the artist

 

On this third stage of the process I then proceed to take notes of the anatomy for my models. Being the human figure the main protagonist in my paintings I find it very important to dedicate myself to the study of their parts, from bones to muscles to clothing.  When I refer to anatomy I do not limit the term to just human anatomy but I go beyond the human body to also study animals, trees and what humans wear. 

 Study of camera man and coin symbols for Magna Regina work by the artist

There are basically three types of drawings: contour, gesture and modeled drawings, that is with light and shade.  These are the three types of approaches I take with my anatomical studies.  By doing so, I learn how to represent my characters accurately endowing them life. My primary interest here is to focus on how the line expresses personality and vitality.  

Portrait charcoal study for "Insula Ignominiae" work by the artist

 While drawing or painting from photographs I regularly refer back to classical models, nature as it appears and my mental image of how things should look like. These three sources inform my work. While the first principle was about the creative thought and the second about the thought becoming form in a whole composition, the third principle guides me through the specific parts of the composition. By focusing on specifics I also make sure there is diversity in forms and ideas within  the whole of my composition.

 Sanguine study for "Exodus Exvoto Profugus" work by the artist

This concludes my first part dealing with the guiding principles of my art. These first three principles can be applied to drawing as well as paintings but most of the time they are reflected in sketches and writings contained in my art journal. They serve as the basis for all of my work. On the next four guiding principles I will talk more about issues that concern finished work and completing paintings.

All text on this blog is  copyrighted material© by the artist and author Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Drive- thru salvation and other marketing strategies

Yesterday On my way out of the local market I encountered an interesting sight. Several young girls wearing shorts on the side of the street holding big signs that read: “ Cristo Salva, oramos por ti, Servi- Carro” (Christ saves, we pray for you, drive-thru.) I found it curious how this church has borrowed an idea that is common practice for fast food chains. After a brief Google search I found out that even the Catholic Church and other churches in the United States have “Drive-in” prayer locations.  Someone might say it is quite acceptable to have this sort of thing in a car culture society and he or she is probably right. But if Christianity adopts the strategies of the corporate world then it should be of no controversy that I may have in my work a dialogue between Christianity and Consumerism. Living in an island with so many car dealers right next to other commercial lots rented or bought by churches brought me to the conclusion that marketing strategies can work for almost every institution today. 

 Church in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico that looks more like a store. The sign reads: “Blessed Church invested with power”

I’ve noticed that many of these new churches spread out across the country are almost undistinguishable from other type of businesses just by looking at their front window. After all, many of these churches offer “service” as they call it to their parishioners, a different type of consumers, religious consumers.  I also understand how some people may feel offended by this that I’m saying because they see religious practice as a sacred realm that should be vertically above everything else in society. This might have been true when the church was built in the center of a Latin American colonial city like Antigua, Guatemala. The Medieval gothic cathedral in many European towns is still the tallest building in town.  Architecture and Urban planning often reveal the priorities of a society. 

 Main Cathedral in Antigua Guatemala

Now compare both of these pictures above. We may be aware that there is a huge difference between Catholicism and other protestant denominations. But what happened with the way many Christian churches are built in a consumerist age? They had to compete so they got their own TV channels, logos and brands, relocated in malls and commercial lots and now they also offer fast food drive-thru salvation. They became another consumer commodity. Faith has been reduced to a mass produced merchandise displayed on multiple horizontal shelves to be compared with one another, bought and consumed. Of course it is sad to see how a consumerist society has reshaped religion to its own image.  

Panis Beatus (Holy bread) 15” x 23” Oil on wood (2006) by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

The same marketing and consumer rules apply to everything even politics. This was self evident with the political campaign lead by our now present Barack Obama with his very effective use of the web. The emblematic circle with the sun rising from the horizon logo that reads “Hope” or “Change” was another strategy borrowed from the corporate realm. Politics has also been branded , repackaged and sold in the same way as religion.

      

Obama political campaign imagery remitted to old revolutionary “Che” propaganda. Both icons have been massively appropriated for t-shirts and other consumer items ultimately transforming the meaning of the figure. This kind of straightfoward bold image has proved to have a special appeal iwith the masses

Now, what about history and mythology? I recently went to see the movie “Clash of the Titans” a remake of Desmond Davis 1981 classic film. Rebranded, repackaged and sold once more but as a total disaster of the titans. If you thought the old version was far removed from the original narrative, this latest version didn’t even look like classical mythology at all. It was deprived of real content, humanism or any transcendental message or lesson present in the original myth. The film is made for the senses, all about cool special effects to capture the eye not our mind. 

Poster image for the 2010 remake film "Clash of the Titans"

The reason for this may well be the same reason why today logos and brands are even more important that the product itself. In Naomi Klein’s book “No Logo”, the author illustrates successfully how corporations have become increasingly more involved in marketing their logos and brands than even more than their products.  Production has gone to the side and now goods are manufactured in sweat shops in China, Indonesia or El Salvador. It is irrelevant how it’s made and under what conditions. What matters is the “cool” aspect of it, the label and the brand.  We have become more and more seduced by the appearance of things than by its content. This must be perhaps the golden age for graphic designers as advertisement has outgrown what it sells. In the same way this affects the arts, literature and film. It is not important how true you are to the story or how good the story is as long as it has a “sex appeal” and it sells. In order to sell have an eye catching cover or poster and a sexy subject and you are a star, an artist. Content is disposable, make it seem nice, sexy and appealing to the masses. This is why a colorful corny movie like Scooby Doo has better success at the box office than a lesser known brilliant film like Amenabar’s Agora. After all, most people go to movie theaters to have fun, not to think or learn to think.

Magna Regina (Great Queen) 24” x 25” Oil and gold leaf on wood (2007) by Patrick McGrath Muniz

Real history and Mythology are irrelevant to the masses today and this is quite convenient for established religious and political institutions to maintain their power. If people don’t know their history they will not question the status quo the wonder and why history repeats itself again and again. If people don’t learn about mythology they will never know that their religions derive in great part from mythology. Also what we often call mythology today used to be religion yesterday. In the same way religion today will someday in the future become mythology. When one learns from the past, one becomes aware of what really happens today and others can’t see. One can see hidden connections that most will oversee or refuse to see. As the world becomes more globalized we will see more fast food religions pop up, more consumer goods, more distractions, and more “fast” “sexy” “fun” “Have it your way” products everywhere to make us all happy. The perfect drug for an amnesic society that rarely sees what we are doing to the planet rarely sees the consequences of their actions and that just cares about the moment.

 The Visit 36" x 36" Oil on canvas (2008) by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

It might be a good idea then to establish a drive-in with consciousness. Prayers are good but they seem worthless without proper action. Instead of prayer, send a message quoting history and about our future and what we should do to start changing old patterns and become better citizens of the world.  Good art can do this! Great masterpieces from the past transcend because of this quality.  They can be understood in different ways by different generations. By reading the classics and being exposed to great paintings, we start seeing ourselves and the world around us in a different light.  This would be crucial in order to start making changes in the way we live and consume. But then again a transcendental message in art takes time to read and be understood and no one has time for it in a “fast” “sexy” “fun” car culture society.  Instead why don’t we  drive-thru at  well known fast food place, “have it your way!” and order some blessings with some prayers on the side?

All text on this blog is  copyrighted material© by the artist and author Patrick McGrath Muñiz