Starting the year with new work at Art Palm Beach 2013

Hello there!

Hope you all had a good start with this new year that's full of creative possibilities. I See much potential in the year ahead and as a matter of fact started drawing  a whole lot on my new journal and getting ready for all the exciting art projects I have ahead for this year. Next weekend (Jan 25-27) I'll be at Art Palm Beach, Fl, with Jane Sauer Gallery showing some of my most recent work.  

 

The Divine Wheel of the New World Order 

(2012)

 Oil and metal leaf on panel 41" x 30" 

By Patrick McGrath Muñiz

One of the pieces I will be showing at the art fair is titled "The Divine Wheel of the New World Order. This is a a mobile piece consisting of three painted discs depicting Colonial Latin American Religious Icons along with contemporary objects and symbols that stand for different Neo-Colonial issues. On the pinnacle we encounter a representation of a divine figure derived from colonial representations of the Holy Trinity. A three faced male deity holds a triangular diagram that illustrates the nature of this New World Order.  This is modeled after the traditional Christian symbol of the “Shield of the Trinity” or Scutum Fidei” Diagram. In this occasion, instead of containing the titles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in Latin, these have been replaced by the titles in Latin that stand for “Government” “Corporation” and “Bank”, the worldly rulers of the globalized economy.   

  The Divine Wheel of the New World Order (detail)

 

On the central disk there is a Madonna and Child holding the Earth and with the inscriptions of the Great Seal of the United States that read “Annuit Coeptis” (He favors our undertakings) and “Novus Ordo Seclorum” (New World Order).  The female figures on the four corners of the composition represent the Mass Media with TV viewers, Radio listeners, Web Users and printed press readers. By rotating the disks one can combine and match different icons with each other creating distinct archetypal correspondences between astrological angels, Catholic saints and their contemporary symbols. 

The Divine Wheel of the New World Order (detail)

The following is a legend to understand the meaning behind each character depicted:

1. Mother Mary and Child Jesus stand for our own relationship to the world.

2. Cupid with bow and arrow, with the astrological signs of Aries and Mars, the masculine principle

3. An angel with hand in heart, holding a bird and with the signs of Taurus and Venus, the feminine principle

4. The twin musician angels (Gemini/Mercury) the principle of communication.

5. The caretaker angel protecting a small rabbit (Cancer/Moon) the principle of home and nurturing.

6. The inspired Apollonian Angel  (Leo/Sun) the principle of inspiration, art and creativity

7. An angel holding a single shaft of wheat (Virgo/Ceres) the principles of food, health and service

8. An angel holding scales and bearing a sword (Libra/Juno) the principles of justice, balance and harmony

9. A Satyr showing a bunch of grapes (Scorpio/Pluto) the principles of lust, pleasures and instincts

10. A travelling angel holding a palm branch (Sagittarius/Jupiter)  the principles of migration and education

11. The kneeling angel with hourglass ( Capricorn/Saturn) the principles of power, patience and hard work

12. A water carrier angel bearing a torch (Acuarius/Uranus) the principles of hope, liberty and change

13. An angel holding a starfish (Piscis/Neptune) the principle of peace, meditation and spiritual bliss

14. Saint James the Apostle with M-16 and gas tank (Militarization) “Conquistamos” (We conquer)

15. San Isidro Labrador with gas mask and pest control spray (Agricultural production) “Cultivamos” (We Cultivate)

16. Santo Niño de Atocha with Satellite Dish and Smart phone (Communications) “Comunicamos” (We Communicate)

17. Saint Martin de Porres with broom and dustpan (House maintenance)  “Mantenemos” (We Maintain)

18. San Juan Diego with Mickey Image and paint brush (Image creation and Disneyfication) “ Recreamos” (We recreate)

19. San Roque with apple tree branch and fast food meal (Food and services) “Servimos” ( We Serve)

20. Saint Michael with camera and light set (Idealism and Hollywoodization) “Idealizamos” (We Idealize)

21. Saint Francis of Assisi  with credit card and piggy bank (Economy and Ecology) “ Economizamos” (We economize)

22. Saint Christopher with transit sign and car keys (Migration and transportation) “Migramos” (We Migrate)

23. Saint Sebastian blindfolded and tied to flagpole ( Blind Patriotism and sacrifice) “ Sacrificamos” (We sacrifice)

24. Saint Barbara with loudspeaker and Occupy sign (Social activism) “Liberamos” (We Liberate)

25. Saint Lucy with gallon of water and water tap ( Privatization of Resources) “ Privatizamos” (We privatize)

26. Allegory to the Web surfer searching the web & Inscription that reads: “Creo lo que encuentro” (I Believe what I find)

27. Allegory to the TV Audience changing channels with inscription that reads: “ Creo lo que veo” (I believe what I watch)

28. Allegory to the printed press reader with inscription that reads: “Creo lo que leo” (I believe what I read)

29. Allegory to the radio Audience with inscription that reads “Creo lo que oigo” ( I believe what I listen to)

30. The Neo-Colonial godhead trinity (Government, Corporation and Holy Bank)

This and other of my recent pieces will be on display at Art Palm Beach from Friday January 24th to Monday January 28th 2013. The fair hours are from 12 PM to 7 PM.  Art Palm Beach is held at the Palm Beach Convention Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. West Palm Beach, Florida, 33401. Im currently represented by Jane Sauer Gallery, which will be in Booth 417. Click here for map. For more information on the gallery and to see more of my work and  from other artists represented by Jane Sauer visit the gallery's website.

I hope to be at the fair in person on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th. If you happen to be in the area try not to miss this event. Have a wonderful weekend and see you soon :-)

La Reconquista: from Church to Corporations

Hello Everyone! Hope you are all doing well as you read these lines. I wanted to share with you, one of my latest works which I intend to present at Red Dot Miami. I am currently working on a project titled "Devocionales: Neo-Colonial Retablos from an archetypal perspective". This has taken most of my time these days and they are looking good. But I shall not reveal any more images from this project, at least not for the moment. Instead, I wish to share on this blog some other works that I have been working on and that perfectly fit into the same themes that have informed all of my work.  I also consider it best to keep the next blogs as short as possible but with more images of the work and the process. Please feel free to comment on this or any other issue you would like to read about. I am more than open to your suggestions.

La Reconquista (2012) Oil on wood triptych 18" x 24" by Patrick McGrath Muñiz
Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

One of my most recent retablo painitings is titled La Reconquista. It was painted with oils on a wood triptych I designed and had carved in Antigua, Guatemala. The fact that it is painted on this format reinforces the message. As in most of my work, the idea is to bring to mind the Spanish colonial art and iconography as we encounter a Neo-Colonial narrative. Neo-Colonialism can be defined as a new form of colonization which is done by socio-economic and cultural means. Even though my main interest lies with the Americas (from Canada to Tierra del Fuego) we can see numerous cases of Neo-Colonialism all around the globalized world. Big banks and transnational corporations are now the new conquistadors who project themselves as the new saints and saviours of the "free world".

Detail of La Reconquista (2012) Oil on wood triptych 18" x 24" by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

On La Reconquista the image of Santiago Matamoros (Saint James the Moor-Slayer) acquires new meaning as he is confronted with new adversaries. Traditionally this saint was depicted killing moors and indigenous peoples. The image of Saint James was one of the first to be brought to the Americas in order to subdue and convert the native population to the will of the conquistadors. To this day he is recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church and is Spain’s patron saint.

Detail of La Reconquista (2012) Oil on wood triptych 18" x 24" by Patrick McGrath Muñiz

Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

On this triptych he carries a banner in defense of powerful corporations and is accompanied by Saint “King” and Saint “Ronald”. The enemies in this occasion are all of those who oppose the “Free Market” policies of the Corporatocracy. The upper escutcheon crowning this piece contains the logos of the World Bank, The International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization, three powerful financial institutions that control and determine the rules of the current Global economy. The inscription below reads: “Santiago Apostol, defensor de la Conquista, Protege nuestras corporaciones de indigenistas, comunistas, ecologistas y terroristas” (Saint James the Apostle, defender of the Conquest, Protect our corporations of Pro-Indigenous, Communists, Ecologists and Terrorists).  By presenting these new and old saints together in a triptych painting that recalls Latin American Colonial Iconography I am able to respond to our current Neo-Colonial paradigm.

 Side wing of La Reconquista depicting Saint Ronald with fat child holding holy milkshake and burger

Side wing of La Reconquista depicting Saint King holding a banner that reads : "Always, low prices".

This retablo painting as well as other works will be on display at Jane Sauer Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jane Sauer will be presenting these works and the work of other artists at Red Dot Miami Art Fair Dec 4-9, 2012. I plan to be present from the 7th to the 9th to share and talk about my work. Hope you can be there and Happy Holidays to you all!

The Chosen People: A Transoceanic Voyage for our Blessed Corporations

Greetings to all and welcome once again to my blog. Recently I've been working on new retablo paintings that besides responding to our times they are based directly on the iconography of Latin American colonial paintings. The reason I do this is simple. In these times it seems as if we are living under a new form of colonialism, an economic colonialism dominated by big banks and transnational corporations. The world is in turmoil as a consequence of this failed neo-liberal economic model. Uprisings in European countries, the Arab spring and the Occupy movement are clear signs of inconformity to the status quo. Artists should not me immune to the world they live in. We are agents of change and can make a difference with our art. 

 Protest and reactions amid the Greek Economic Crisis 2012

The Spanish American Philosopher George Santayana (1863-1952) once said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. We should pay close attention to the implications of his words for we are seeing history repeat itself right as renewed economic challenges unfold in front of us.  Basically the same colonial doctrines from the past are being appropriated and implemented today by powerful economic institutions that rule unquestioned. 

                       Theodore De Bry Illustration for Bartolome de las Casas:  
                                        A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Since the time of Santayana, corporations have gained significant constitutional rights and legal privileges. From the 14^th amendment in 1868 to the CitizensUnited ruling of 2010, corporations have expanded their influence and redefined their identity. Today besides enjoying the status of “personhood”, but with far more rights that ordinary citizens, they are also called “The Makers” or “The Job Creators” as if we were talking of venerable figures that deserve great gratitude and respect. This gradual upgrading of their status and total unaccountability moved me to re-think my work in terms of how to represent corporations not just as “people” but as “new saints” in a Neo-Colonial pantheon preaching the holy gospel of the free market enterprise.  

 The Chosen People (2012) Oil and metal leaf on wood panel 24" x 47" By Patrick McGrath Muñiz Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

The Chosen People one of my largest retablo paintings is inspired in Latin American Colonial Art. As the title suggests, the painting depicts a group of people in a ship who believe to be chosen by God to fulfill his purpose. The use of the ship as a metaphor or allegory can be traced back to Plato’s “Ship of State”. There are a number of paintings in art history where the allegorical ship is used to describe human society, the church or one’s own soul, from the “Ship of fools” to “The Ark of Salvation”.

 Ship of Fools (1490-1500) Oil on Wood 22.8" x 13" By Hieronymus Bosch

 For this painting I studied “Ship of Patience” also known as the “Ship of Christianity” a 17^th century engraving by Gerhard Altzenbach that was imported, widely disseminated and copied throughout the Spanish colonies from Mexico to Peru. 

 Navis Patientiae engraving by Gerhard Altzenbach (1607-1672)

In Altzenbach’s original engraving we are presented with a ship crewed by the Virgin Mary, Saints and a Crucified Christ on a Cross that is also a mast. The composition is loaded with Christian symbolism and was thought by the clergy to be easier for an indigenous audience to understand. 

Ship of Patience 18th century Oil on canvas, unknown workshop, Cuzco, Peru

 Center piece detail of The Chosen People (2012)  Oil and metal leaf on wood panel 24" x 47"

 By Patrick McGrath Muñiz Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

 In this contemporary version of the “Ship of Patience” I have chosen other “people” to replace the colonial saints. Since corporations are considered people, why not assume their mascots and iconic characters are as real as anyone else? In this new Odyssey, they encounter some economic perils. In the upper right part of the dark sky a small communist demon blows fire at them.  On the upper left side a corporate angel blows wind to counter attack this effect.  A displeased Christ and Virgin remain on board as they seem to be taken as primary inspiration by the new crew. After all, the Church may be considered as a corporate pioneer by spreading its trademark and products around the globe since colonial times. 

  

 Detail of The Chosen People (2012)

Colonial Baroque paintings are often loaded with symbols and icons that may seem quite literal and illustrative at first but also have a hidden esoteric side not easily read just like our current world economy. Although I appropriate imagery from Christian iconography, it is imbued with new meaning relevant to our globalized economy

.

  Upper section of The Chosen People (2012)

Allegories like this can serve as devices in order to creatively explain more abstract and difficult matters such as the world economy, the same way Catholic missionaries used paintings to explain the Christian mysteries to the native population of the Americas.   

   

Lower section of The Chosen People (2012)

Overall, the characters may have changed but the strategies are still the same. Below I have included a legend describing some of the most noteworthy characters and elements in this painting.

1.       A corporate angel blows while a Latin inscription below reads: “Offshoring Dei Gratia”

2.      A red flag with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund logos along with some dice standing for a speculative world economy.

3.       A crucified Christ serving as a mast  with a sign above that reads “INC” (Incorporated)

4.     A demon with uniform blows fire while an inscription above reads “ “El diablo rojo acecha” (The red devil on the lookout)

5.       On the horizon Spanish caravels signify past colonization.

6.       An offshore oil platform and melting ice in the sea stand for current colonization.

7.       The common people and illegal immigrants or “Takers” as Fox News calls them.

8.       Ronald McDonald one of the “Makers” is praying.

9.       Mickey Mouse showing a “Disneyfied” image of Pocahontas

10.   Don Juan Valdez from The National Coffee Growers of Colombia having a cup of coffee

11.   A Wal-Mart employee wearing a Columbus cap and rowing

12.   Sun Maid from California Raisins holds her basket of grapes which happens to be a symbol of the blood of Christ.

13.   Mario Bros. from Nintendo is also rowing

14.   La Dolorosa or Virgin of sorrows with a sword through her heart

15.   Chiquita formerly known as the United Fruit Company presents the scene

16.   On the side of a sail an inscription reads “Esperanza de la remuneración eterna” (Hope of eternal payment) this line is an unaltered quote from the original piece by Altzenbach.

17.   The Quaker man from the Quaker Oats Company appears to be rowing.

18.   Mr. Clean inspired and rowing.

19.   Tony the tiger shows us his new cereal “Chimpeoos”

20.   Santa Claus holding a bottle of Coca Cola.

21.   On the other side of the sail another inscription reads “God Bless American Corporations”

22.   The Coke Polar bear indifferent to the melting of his own home.

23.   Popeye holds the anchor.

24.   A drowning Big Bird stands for public education and funding

25.    A polluted skeleton with gas mask about to shoot his deadly arrow at the ship.

26.   A Pelican, victim of an oil spill flees from a mutant sea monster.

Detail of The Chosen People (2012) Oil and metal leaf on wood panel 24" x 47" 

By Patrick McGrath Muñiz Available at Jane Sauer Gallery

By appropriating the visual vocabulary of colonial art from Latin America and aided by sarcasms and parody I respond to our prevalent economic neo-colonial dilemma. The “Job Creators” ability to outsource and escape economic collapse is a suggested interpretation for this depiction of a transoceanic epic voyage.

This piece will be available at Jane Sauer Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico but  will be exhibited for the first time at RedDot Miami Dec 4-9, 2012 along with other new pieces that have not been seen by the public yet.