Third Act: Crazy Wisdom Heroes |
If we compare the rules of the Virtues to the rules of how to make a successful painting or how to produce a good work of Art we will see that for certain artists there is no need to follow these or any other rules, since they either more likely have already mastered them or because they have a sensitivity or a type of creativity which goes beyond the scope of the skills needed.
In religious or spiritual terms this could be the path of the few that denied any ethical code and transgressed the rules of society. We could say that these talented spiritual practitioners did not need anything from the world in order to experience ultimate bliss. They are the hermits and saints who used to live in the mountains, considered either fools or wise by many. The ones which would constantly challenge established rules and follow their calling in order to live a life without attachment. In Christian Theology these were the mystics, the desert fathers and the tantric masters or Immortals in the East. These larger paintings are inspired by these Crazy Wisdom Heroes with the different attributes of these mystics depicted in a symbolic manner. The sources come from personal dreams, Tarot of Marseille, Medieval illustrations, Ancient Greek and Asian sculpture or Chinese and Spanish painting masters such as Ba Da Shang Ren, Goya or Greco. These paintings follow a very instinctive approach and in some ways aim to be transgressive in the usage of colour, materials and methods. Elements from sculpture such as resins or rubbers are used with the intention to break the flatness of the painted surface with three dimensional objects challenging the format of the painting. The series of imaginary portraits titled “When Pathos comes Around” refers to the moments when we are being carried away by deep emotions, moments of frustration, desire, sadness and unsettling mood swings. Heroes with Crazy Wisdom do not run away from their emotions nor suppress them, rather, they embrace them fully and use their energy to deepen their awareness and perception. The bright colours and shaky thin lines are an attempt to capture an channel “Pathos” in the very act of painting. |
Coming to terms with Crazy Wisdom, oil and resin on canvas, 162x130x4cm, 2021
La Fuerza (Strength), Oil, resin, plaster, hair and marble on canvas, 229x184cm, 2021
Flirting with Infinity, Oil on canvas, 229x184x5cm, 2021
Yue Fei vs Medusa, Oil and resin on canvas, 229x184x5cm, 2022
Transmission, Oil, resin and gold leaf on canvas, 259x194x5cm, 2022
When Pathos Comes Around 1& 2, Oil on canvas, 72x60cm, 2022
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When Pathos Comes Around 3 & 4, Oil on canvas, 72x60cm, 2022
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When Pathos Comes Around 5 & 6, Oil on canvas, 72x60cm, 2022
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Drum Player or Attis as the Mistaken Hero of Modern Man, Oil, resin, acetate, brush hair and acetate on canvas, 162x130x4cm, 2022
Supernova 1, Oil and resin on canvas, 184x229x5cm, 2022