Mexican Painting
EL POETA
Javier Lopez Pastrana
Technique
Mixed on Canvas
Year
2022
Size
110cmx90cm
Author Collection
Painting Inspiration and Concept
"EL POETA" is a Mexican painting by Javier Lopez Pastrana, which is currently part of the artist's collection. Created in 2022, this artwork is composed using mixed media on canvas and features a vertical composition.
The painting portrays a central figure known as "THE POET," who embodies the essence of a poet with his madness reflected in his genius. Through his poetry, the poet invites viewers to reflect on the mysteries of life itself. Accompanying the poet is a Mesoamerican Xoloitzcuintle dog, symbolizing loyalty and friendship, while a monarch butterfly perched on his finger represents the metamorphosis of life and the hope for new beginnings.
The painting also incorporates various symbolic elements. From the poet, a flow of vocal breath materializes with the representation of the planet earth and the moon, emphasizing the inseparable relationship and interdependence between humans and the environment. However, juxtaposed above them is a destructive bomb, symbolizing the dangers of self-destruction that humans face in the modern world.
A hummingbird whispers divine messages into the poet's ear, drawing inspiration from Mayan legends that suggest the bird's connection to spirituality and cultural roots. On the right side of the painting, a luminous street lamp illuminates a worker bee flying in helicoids. This symbolizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration in improving nature, as the bee carries pollen to fertilize flowers and enhance the flora's fruits.
Overall, "EL POETA" is a profound and layered artwork that combines pictorial skill with a philosophical message and a strong sense of Mexican nationalism and mestizo identity. Its composition, rooted in NeoCrotalic art, echoes the influences of Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Mayan culture, instilling a sense of pride in our cultural origins.
Through its rich symbolism and thought-provoking imagery, the painting invites viewers to contemplate the mysteries of life, reflect on the value of our cultural heritage, and serves as a warning about the dangers faced by society. It celebrates our mestizo roots and calls for a deeper understanding of our connection to the natural world and the importance of collective effort in nurturing and improving our environment.
The artwork exemplifies the artist's skill in blending visual aesthetics with profound philosophical themes, offering viewers a unique and introspective experience.
Artist Quote
"The painting itself is a true work of art that combines pictorial skill within a discourse with a philosophical message and a strong nationalist and mestizo feeling. The main figure "THE POET" whose madness is reflected in his genius, makes us reflect on the mysteries of life itself through his poetry. His faithful and inseparable friend, a Mesoamerican Xoloitzcuintle dog, accompanies him in his philosophical reflection, while a monarch butterfly perched on the finger of his right hand symbolizes the metamorphosis of life and the hope of a new beginning.
From the poet comes a flow of vocal breath that materializes with the planet earth and the moon, within an inseparable relationship and codependent one from the other and that reminds us of the need to care for and protect our planet, however, in contrast it appears above them a destructive bomb as a result of human folly with the dangers of self-destruction that humans seek in today's world.
A hummingbird murmurs divine messages into the left side of the poet's ear, which according to Mayan legends visit us to explore our own spirituality and connect with our origins and cultural roots.
On the wall on the right side of the painting there is a luminous street lamp where a worker bee flies in helicoids, which in its short life is in charge of distributing the male pollen of some flowers to take it to the female pistils of other flowers. to be fertilized and thus be able to improve the fruits of the flora and demonstrating the work and need to work together as a team to improve nature itself.
In short, the painting is an affirmation of our mestizo cultural roots and a call for the viewer to reflect on the mysteries of life and a warning about the dangers we face as a society.
The composition of the painting based on NeoCrotálico art invites us to discover the echoes of reminiscences of Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Mayan culture that make us feel proud of our origins full of Mexicanness."