For artists like Eriberto, they do not set out to paint these images, nor try to find meaning in the symbolism of the images or choice of colors, yet they seem to hold powerful meanings.
He feels it is a privilege to have the unique distinction of being an artist that allows him to see a world that is not always obvious and hopes that “Dancing with a Madman” series help others to detect their own gleam of light.
The Zebra Man Drawing by Eriberto Oriol
Text by Angelica Oriol
The GENIUS OF AN ARTIST is when they allow themselves to get into their creative zone and tap into the world of the creative unconsciousness. It is an omniscient world. A world that holds: world history, philosophy, mythology, and the mysteries of the unknown.
The Zebra Man is one of Eriberto’s art pieces in the series, “Dancing with a Madman.” When you look at the Zebra man, he seems to be incarcerated physically. However, he is spiritually jailed as well. It is the zebras’ illusion of the blending of instinct and intuition that makes him a powerful animal that has survived against many odds. The zebra may be a powerful metaphor reminding us of the importance of encouraging and supporting each other. You see, the zebra can only sleep when another member of the herd next to it is awake and on guard. They must work together to protect and guide the herd to the safety and resources they require.
For artists like Eriberto, he does not set out to paint these images, nor try to find meaning in the symbolism of the images or choice of colors, yet they seem to hold powerful meanings. He feels it is a privilege to have the unique distinction of being an artist that allows him to see a world that is not always obvious. He knows that art is not what you see but what it makes you think and hopes that “Dancing with a Madman” series help others to detect their own gleam of light.
GO TO: ForbiddenArtLA.com to view full “Dancing with a Madman” body of artwork.
One of Eriberto Oriol’s favorite photo of Chris-Trouble Delfosse in DTLA. LOVE the graf background. Eriberto OrioI, LOS.
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America’s Most Wanted by Eriberto Oriol
Drago’s Publishing Rome Italty
Heartfelt Human Interest Stories of Courage, Hope, and Tenacity. Eriberto Oriol and Angelica Gonzalez-Oriol‘s Stories through Media Coverage and Videos
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Eriberto is a Los Angeles based painter he creates work with a Latin world ethos. A confluence of European and Indigenous Indian cultures.
The term “Cosmic Race”, is brought to mind in this work, coined by Jose Vasconcelos a Mexican philosopher. Vasconcelos believed that nationality and race is transcended by Latin Americans with their Asian-descended native Americans, European and African heritage. You can see in Oriol’s work the same kind of merging of cultures.
Dante’s Inferno painting by Eriberto Oriol
Oriol provides us a reflection of the indigenous dream like state. The dreams that brought wisdom and guidance to the tribe were achieved with the ceremonial use of alkaloids such as Peyote or Ayahuasca. The skillful interpretation that Mr. Oriol achieves in his work reflects the forces of the universe as it affects our collective journey into the unconscious. At the same time the colors the painting techniques emphasize European influences.
The work is not easy. Like Picasso’s Guernica that shows the tragedy of war. The internal struggle is what is emphasized in Mr. Oriol’s work. We feel the power we have within ourselves with this work.
Many of the works are clearly phallic. Just prior to the sexual revolution in the 60’s and 70’s American art was overly affected by Christian values of the Puritans. The phallus was usually hidden not exposed as in Mr. Oriol’s paintings. The sexual revolution allowed the phallus to show up in sculptures and other contemporary art. Look at work by Louise Bourgeois and Andy Warhol. Surely, this affected Mr. Oriol a product of that time.
But let’s go back even further to pre-Columbian times where we see references to the phallus as an important cultural icon to the indigenous populations all over the world. The influences of pre-Columbian art cannot be denied in this work. The paintings are not always pleasant. They are; however, wondrous and terrifying and beautiful portraying dream likes states of mind.
As was the intention of the Indigenous their dreams were meant to help the community at large. It is the same with Mr. Oriol’s work. He may want us to see the hidden power of our animal nature. As witnesses to our hidden power in the paintings, will we be overcome the angst, the sometimes powerlessness we feel in our daily lives. The power of the phallus is in our DNA, we cannot separate ourselves from our animal nature. Contemplation is key to our understanding of our place here in the world. Mr. Oriol’s paintings help us see an inner world.
Julie Rico is an artmuse and has had her own galleries representing many artists including: Jean Jacques Bastarache, Salomon Huerta, Treiops, Ed Big Daddy Roth, Stanley Mouse, Bill Plympton, Lama Lhanang, Mark Bryan, Dennis Larkins, Craig Stecyk, Robert Williams, Patssi Valdez, Diane Gamboa, Timothy Leary, Michael McMillan, Kai Bob Cheng, Ray Zone, Von Dutch, Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Brian Tortora and about 100 or more artists.
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.
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
EribertoOriol.com 