Nocturnal paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol

Nocturnal is a beautifully textured background painting with the color blue being more dominant. The main character not only has four breasts but it also has two penises. What could this artist have been thinking? Eriberto does not try to find meaning in his work; he just gets in his creative zone and allows his characters to emerge.

In his paintings, he seems to be embracing the symbols of ancient civilizations and mythology that have influenced him and his art. Even though breasts and penises seemed to have been a taboo in our society, these symbols are sacred icons of mythology and of goddesses in other cultures, for instance, Japan has a Penis Festival and in Bhutan penises are worship. Click on links for information on the festival in Japan and Bhutan.

Some cultures have made the goddess of women who had more than two breasts. The Hatuibwari dragon of Melanesia had four pendulous breasts, which serve to feed and to nourish all the living. The goddess Meenakshi at the Temple Madurai had three breasts; she symbolized courage and power that challenged sexist notions of the world. The people of India believe she was bold, brave and considered herself equal to men.

 

In this painting, you will see that Eriberto is also using penises not as phallic symbols, but as symbols of power. He believes that the three Calaveras speak more about the violence and death of people caused by the abuse of power. It speaks of human truths, fears, and nightmares of seemly invisible erased souls begging not to be forgotten. He hopes that these powerful characters startle people out of their daily routine and question the sanity of greed and power and appreciate the art of artists in tune with the creative force of the universe.

Text and photo by Angelica Oriol

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War Baby painting in “Dancing with a Madman Series” artist Eriberto Oriol

War Baby, is a painting that depicts the atrocities of the war in a similar way as Francisco Siqueiros painting “The Echo of a Scream;” both paintings talk about the pain and horror of war.  The dark nightmarish colors and hollow eyes of the naked child show the despair and fear of being all alone, vulnerable to abuse and an uncertain future without hope.  It is a common dehumanizing timeless theme of war that speaks of inevitable pain, suffering, and intense sorrow.

 

 

Children are wars greatest victims and this bold painting seems to have captured the horrific grief and misery of war.  For an artist like Eriberto, trying to make sense of war is like the madness of “Dancing with a Mad Man.”  Is it time to make radical changes in our thinking? The implications for humanity are catastrophically alarming.

 

This is a series of paintings with social commentaries that speak of the rage of power and the screams of victims and invisible erased souls begging not to be forgotten.

 

 

“Perros” is one of the social commentary paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol.

In this painting, “Perros” Eriberto is not talking about the furry animals some call best friends nor would he insult these creatures to have the character traits that these dogs symbolized in this painting.
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The human-like faces in this painting seem to be communicating haunting moments of human life with a sort of an apocalyptic flare that is defiant and yet provoking.

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In this painting, the spots just like in the cheetah distract their prey and camouflage them so they can blend or hide; the spots on the dogs in this image seem to represent the mask of camouflage of individuals who try to conceal their dominance and violence over their prey.
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All around the world, brutal violence is occurring because the empire wants the indigenous people’s resources and their land. Maybe this is the viciousness that the “Perros” painting is trying to communicate.

Are we dancing with a Madman? – Perros painting by artist Eriberto Oriol

“Perros” is one of the social commentary paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol.

In this painting, “Perros” Eriberto is not talking about the furry animals some call best friends nor would he insult these creatures to have the character traits that these dogs symbolized in this painting.

Puppies, chicks, and babies in general, are not born knowing how to hate or how to be violent. They are not just operating out of instinct, they are taught to be violent. However, these animals have been used as vicious weapons for mass destruction and brutal cruelty throughout history around the world. “The Dogs of the Conquest” by John Grier Varner and Jeannette Johnson Varner is just one of the stories of the horrific acts of cruelty and violence committed on those who had the resources the empire wanted.

The human-like faces in this painting seem to be communicating haunting moments of human life with a sort of an apocalyptic flare that is defiant and yet provoking.

In this painting, the spots just like in the cheetah distract their prey and camouflage them so they can blend or hide; the spots on the dogs in this image seem to represent the mask of camouflage of individuals who try to conceal their dominance and violence over their prey.

I think when artists discuss these dark moments it is because they see a giant alarm screaming what is blatantly oblivious. However, for some, this violence is invisible. All around the world, brutal violence is occurring because the empire wants the indigenous people’s resources and their land. Maybe this is the viciousness that the “Perros” painting is trying to communicate.

Humanity has been bestowed with the greatest gift of all time, imagination, for it has the power to change the world. For Eriberto, the dream is that the skies would get bluer, birds would start to sing again, and the glaciers would stop melting. In Spanish we say, “El Sueno del artista, es que el cielo se vuelva mas azul, los pajaros comienzen a cantar de nuevo, y los glaciares dejen de derretirese.

Text by Angelica Oriol

Are we dancing with a Madman? “Immortal” panting by artist Eriberto Oriol

“Immortal” is one of the social commentary paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol.

They say that every picture has a story; this is definitely true for Eriberto’s work. For him, mythology has become a way to help make sense of his world. Breasts and penises are common themes in mythology and also in Eriberto’s artwork, but he does not use them as phallic symbols. In this painting, he is using the penises as symbols of power. In a society where many seek to immortalize themselves through physical monuments, it is perhaps why some skyscrapers broadly resemble and represent the penis, so do rockets, bullets, missiles, and memorialized monuments.

For artists, the journey to find oneself and to be true to their art is often a lonely one. It is a journey that at times is not by choice, however, it is sometimes necessary for an artist. Eriberto often finds that his characters, although not always obvious, often seem to reflect haunting moments of human life that resonate with the fears and emotions most people experience. Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “To create one’s own world in any of the arts takes courage.”

It has been said that art is not what you see but what it makes you see. An artist’s journey can be bewildering; they do not often know its origin or meaning. However, as in this painting, when artists use their imagination as a source of genius, it deepens the mystery and the magic in art.

Eriberto knows that to become truly immortal, one must face their basic fears, imagine the unimaginable and in that way, they will live forever through believing in their own genius and in the magic of imagination.

Text by Angelica Oriol

Are we dancing with a Madman? “Immortal” painting

“Immortal” is one of the social commentary paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol.

They say that every picture has a story; this is definitely true for Eriberto’s work.

For him, mythology has become a way to help make sense of his world. Breasts and penises are common themes in mythology and also in Eriberto’s artwork, but he does not use them as phallic symbols. In this painting, he is using the penises as symbols of power.  In a society where many seek to immortalize themselves through physical monuments, it is perhaps why some skyscrapers broadly resemble and represent the penis, so do rockets, bullets, missiles, and memorialized monuments.

 

 

For artists, the journey to find oneself and to be true to their art is often a lonely one. It is a journey that at times is not by choice, however, it is sometimes necessary for an artist.  Eriberto often finds that his characters, although not always obvious, often seem to reflect haunting moments of human life that resonate with the fears and emotions most people experience.  Georgia O’Keeffe once said, “To create one’s own world in any of the arts takes courage.”

It has been said that art is not what you see but what it makes you see.   An artist’s journey can be bewildering; they do not often know its origin or meaning.  However, as in this painting, when artists use their imagination as a source of genius, it deepens the mystery and the magic in art.

Eriberto knows that to become truly immortal, one must face their basic fears, imagine the unimaginable and in that way, they will live forever through believing in their own genius and in the magic of imagination.

Text by Angelica Oriol

 

 

Are we dancing with a Madman?

This is a series of paintings with social commentaries that speak of the rage of power, the screams of the victim and invisible erased souls begging not to be forgotten. “The Rage of Power” is one of the social commentaries paintings in the series “Dancing with a Madman” by artist Eriberto Oriol.
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When I first saw this painting it made me think of the main character’s rage and how women have been more vulnerable in war, politics, and power just because they have a pussy, at least this is my interpretation.

Of course, this is not what this artist set out to paint; his images come from his creative zone that he allows to take charge and he just paints. In this powerful painting, the image speaks of the rage of power with an abrasive grab that symbolizes dominance and violence.
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He uses the color pink to tease the viewer into arousal and maybe to emphasize the power that these images represent. Eriberto knows that since the beginning of time, people with power and money have had a significant impact on society when they have allowed their greed and insecurity to get the best of them.
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Through his paintings, Eriberto is helping us see what others at times do not see. He allows the creativity of his imagination to be seen in his work. Historically that is what artists have done.
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Artists such as Francisco Goya’s etchings “Los Caprichos” and Pablo Picasso’s with “Guernica” documented some of the cruel and inhuman events of the war, greed, and power. Some felt that these bizarre paintings were a sign of madness, completely off the wall because they were different from everyone else’s. I would argue that these artists were really in tune with the creative force of the universe.
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SAVE THIS DATE: June 14, 2019
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Photos and text by Angelica Oriol