Surreal Visions

And With What Body Do They Come:

El Marinero (The Sailor)

ARTIST NOTES:

This series employs combined myths to illustrate the journey to salvation and enlightenment. The title alludes to a poem by Emily Dickinson which in turn refers to the Resurrection.

The Sailor, who has lived a life seeking material and carnal pleasures, is now on his path to salvation and enlightenment. The mother snake devours the sailor and spits him out whereupon he is reunited with God, his father the Jaguar.

TEXT & SYMBOLS:

A devilish mermaid overlooks the scene. The sea symbolizes the return to the calming waters of the womb. Snapping eels and fish  surround the tableau. A boat filled with lost souls traverses the sky on it’s way to purgatory.

MATERIAL NOTES:

The metal used as the substrate for the painting and the attached elements (clouds, eels, red grass, the God figure) was cut from old newspaper press sheets (typically aluminum).

Dimensions: 27in x 23in

Media: Mixed media on metal (acrylic and oil paint, tissue paper), metal sculptures adhered to frame.

Year: 1991