Living

Published: Sunday, Nov. 01, 2009

El Dia de los Muertos - or The Day of the Dead - subject of new ARTS Obispo show

A new exhibit at ARTS Space Obispo celebrates the joyous, colorful traditions of this Latin American holiday

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As holidays go, El Día de los Muertos—known in English as “The Day of the Dead” — is far from bleak.

“In that tradition, there are all these expressions of artistic energy,” said Santa Maria painter John E. Garcia y Robertson, such as sugar skulls, skeletons and papel pic-ado — brightly colored tissue paper cut in delicate patterns.

The Latin American holiday is the subject of a new show sponsored by ARTS Obispo, also known as the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. It runs today through Nov. 13 at ARTS Space Obispo in San Luis Obispo.

The show features paintings by Garcia and Mark Bryan, and a traditional-style altar by Gina Rodriguez.

Oaxacan weaver Felipe Hernandez Vicente joins the show for one day only. At an artist’s talk at 3 p.m. today, he’ll display his hand-woven wool rugs and discuss the ancient art form still practiced in southern Mexico.

“We really like to have a diversity of traditions and types of artwork in our space,” explained Marta Peluso, ARTS Obispo director. “We are trying to represent people in the county.”

According to Atascadero artist Melinda Forbes, ARTS Obispo has been holding Day of the Dead events for the past decade or so.

The holiday takes its cues from both Aztec rituals dedicated to Mictlantechutil, the god of the dead, and the Catholic practice of All Saints and All Souls Day.

In Mexico and much of Latin America, Nov. 1, or All Saints Day, is dedicated to the souls of departed children known as “los angelitos.” Adults are the focus of Nov. 2, All Souls Day.

“It seems a bit macabre until you are there and experience the joy that people have in welcoming their loved ones back,” said Forbes, who spent two years in Guatemala in high school and studied international agriculture in Costa Rica.

Forbes, the ARTS Space Obispo committee chair, has also visited Oaxaca, Mexico, several times.

During one such visit, she helped Hernandez Vicente and his family prepare tamales for El Día de los Muertos.

As a nearby church bell began tolling 3 p.m., “Everybody started really scrambling,” she said, opening bottles of beer and readying tamales and hot chocolate. “They wanted everything ready.”

“When the bell rang, I felt this rush of energy come into the room,” Forbes recalled. “It was so remarkable. I understood that this tradition was very much alive.”

Garcia agreed, noting that the holiday acknowledges the impermanence of human existence while embracing its pleasures.

“Life and death are two faces of one harmonious existence,” he said.

Playful, irreverent art

The artworks currently on display at ARTS Space Obispo demonstrate both aspects.

Santa Maria artist Gina Rodriguez created a traditional-style “ofrenda,” or altar.

According to Forbes, such altars typically feature the deceased’s favorite foods and beverages as well as candles, flowers, personal snapshots and religious mementos. Skeleton figurines, sugar skulls and “pan de muerto” — literally “bread of the dead” — recall death in a playful way.

Garcia’s inspiration stems from “la lotería” — a popular Mexican game of chance similar to bingo. Each of the 54 cards features the image and name of a common object or person, plus a number.

Garcia’s bold, colorful paintings depict everything from masks to magpies. He’s painted about 25 over the past five years.

“El Sombrero,” which depicts a man peeking out from under the brim of an enormous straw hat, was inspired by a scene from the 1948 Mexican film “Maclovia.”

Other images recall childhood nostalgia— a thatch-bottomed baby chair in “La Silla,” a clunky-looking Boeing P-26, or “Peashooter,” in “La Avion.”

“The lettering is the biggest chore,” the artist said with a laugh. “I can do it for about five minutes and then I have to get up and walk around.”

A full-time physician who loves primary colors and strong, uncluttered compositions, Garcia acknowledges the influence of comic strips such as “Prince Valiant” and Jack Kirby’s superhero comic books on his work. He also draws inspiration from political posters and advertisements from the 1920s and ’30s.

As a child, “I used to do big, elaborate scenes of the Fall of Troy” using Magic Marker, he said. Now he tells stories using the iconography of Mexico.

Arroyo Grande painter Bryan brings an irreverent edge to his portion of “El Día de los Muertos.”

Known for his playful and politically charged approach to painting, Bryan often populates his lush landscapes with robots, winged monkeys and bunnies.

Another of his favorite subjects? Skeletons.

“Everybody likes them, and I like them too,” Bryan said. “There’s something inherently humorous about them. They’re always smiling.”

“The Wink,” a veiled jab at former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, depicts a bone-thin beauty concealing her identity with a smiling mask. In “Juggling,” a laughing skeleton juggles skulls.

Bryan’s main contribution, “The Reincarnation Game,” is a pachinko-style pinball machine in which players nudge their balls toward Nirvana. If they fail, they’re “reincarnated” as an ever-rotating array of political figures.

Bryan counts two Mexican artists—muralist Diego Rivera and engraver Jose Posada—among his influences. He appreciates the colorful, celebratory side of El Día de los Muertos.

“It’s a time to think about your ancestors and connect with them and show your respect,” he said.