Artist Statement
The mission of art is to propitiate a state of mind which enables both viewer and artist, to achieve richer stages of spirituality, thought and action. By the same token, art possesses a form of straightforward, unidirectional energy, which, like an arrow, penetrates the viewer’s soul. Artistic impulse has been described by some philosophers, as a form of contemplative energy, and by others, as a more active strength, a sexual force. Why contemplative and why sexual? On the one hand, contemplative energy should be a form of receptive energy. It literally goes through your eyes toward your mind. It reaches both the viewer's as well as the artist's minds. On the other hand, the act of creating a work of art, involves an input, that is, an extraordinary effort on the part of the artist. Because the artist, through his work, not only opens up a window toward his inner most world, but he also opens up the viewers’ innumerable windows to their own inner selves. Needless to say, the worlds reached through art are vast and unknown. Likewise they are nurturing and filled with vitality. Therefore, making art involves a unidirectional, penetrating type of energy only comparable to sexual energy. This passive/active dualism is continually evolving as both viewer and artist grow and develop in their understanding.
As an artist I try to keep these ideas in mind when creating a work of art. I am committed to the exploration of figurative art. First of all because I believe that this kind of art looks for, and, in fact, finds genuine and rich forms of communication. Furthermore, I am interested in studying the world of color and texture openly, without constraints.
I fill in empty, sleepy spaces, awakening the porous surface of the canvas with the gentle caresses of brushstrokes. Over the soft, taut fabric, the sliding brush leaves behind itself a moment of color, a stain, a trace, or perhaps the vibration of multiple and minuscule lines or veils of tone and luminescence.
I started to paint as an adolescent when my parents gave me a three legged-easel, a box of tiny tubes of oil, a set of brushes and a wooden, oval palette. My first canvases were seascapes painted in light, soft blue with large saturations of pink and green. These scenes were populated by dozens of gulls flying freely in bright skies. I still paint seascapes, but the current ones rarely have birds. At most, one solitary sea-bird glides toward the viewer, as if trying to escape the limits imposed by the canvas. My new seascapes focus on the relationship of water, sky and the horizon as a divisory line.
I also paint other kinds of birds, namely eagles. These eagles are so huge that they practically occupy the whole space of the canvas. They seem to be eternally flying. Transfixed by motion and action, they don't necessarily represent freedom or strength, but rather a dream of flying. Red or white, my eagles levitate, only stopping to rest on spaces where the flatness of color and texture generate a deep silence.
Self-portraits are of quintessential importance to me. The very act of painting them is an exercise in introspection and self-knowledge, in a word, self-care. Here is where my personal search truly takes place, not only in an effort to know myself, but better yet, in order to build up a more genuine, stronger self.
I paint leaves, animals, water and sometimes clouds, as a way of being in harmony with nature. Lately I have started to work on a series of monumental drawings which comment and criticize the brutality of war and other forms of violence. These drawings represent a desire to express my sadness in relation to these atrocities. In terms of technique, I usually paint oil on canvas but I have also explored etching. Mainly because I like the beauty and delicacy of this ancient technique which allows for intricate compositions and textures. Last, I would like to mention that I am also interested in the study of the aesthetics of the human form, as a way of recovering its stature, as one of the chief subjects of art.
Self Portrait as Medusa
As an artist I try to keep these ideas in mind when creating a work of art. I am committed to the exploration of figurative art. First of all because I believe that this kind of art looks for, and, in fact, finds genuine and rich forms of communication. Furthermore, I am interested in studying the world of color and texture openly, without constraints.
I fill in empty, sleepy spaces, awakening the porous surface of the canvas with the gentle caresses of brushstrokes. Over the soft, taut fabric, the sliding brush leaves behind itself a moment of color, a stain, a trace, or perhaps the vibration of multiple and minuscule lines or veils of tone and luminescence.
I started to paint as an adolescent when my parents gave me a three legged-easel, a box of tiny tubes of oil, a set of brushes and a wooden, oval palette. My first canvases were seascapes painted in light, soft blue with large saturations of pink and green. These scenes were populated by dozens of gulls flying freely in bright skies. I still paint seascapes, but the current ones rarely have birds. At most, one solitary sea-bird glides toward the viewer, as if trying to escape the limits imposed by the canvas. My new seascapes focus on the relationship of water, sky and the horizon as a divisory line.
I also paint other kinds of birds, namely eagles. These eagles are so huge that they practically occupy the whole space of the canvas. They seem to be eternally flying. Transfixed by motion and action, they don't necessarily represent freedom or strength, but rather a dream of flying. Red or white, my eagles levitate, only stopping to rest on spaces where the flatness of color and texture generate a deep silence.
Self-portraits are of quintessential importance to me. The very act of painting them is an exercise in introspection and self-knowledge, in a word, self-care. Here is where my personal search truly takes place, not only in an effort to know myself, but better yet, in order to build up a more genuine, stronger self.
I paint leaves, animals, water and sometimes clouds, as a way of being in harmony with nature. Lately I have started to work on a series of monumental drawings which comment and criticize the brutality of war and other forms of violence. These drawings represent a desire to express my sadness in relation to these atrocities. In terms of technique, I usually paint oil on canvas but I have also explored etching. Mainly because I like the beauty and delicacy of this ancient technique which allows for intricate compositions and textures. Last, I would like to mention that I am also interested in the study of the aesthetics of the human form, as a way of recovering its stature, as one of the chief subjects of art.
Self Portrait as Medusa
posted by Maricruz Huerta-Edinger at
4:31 PM
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