Los Angeles Underground Metro

Eriberto Oriol gets cover Spring issue
THESE STREETS Magazine

For photographer Eriberto Oriol, being down in the bowels of the city was an incredible experience. Damp and dim except where the rays of light were able to pass through a passage above here and there, might be like to enter Dante’s 9 circles of hell.
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He almost got decapitated when the cable pulling the drilling caterpillar machine snapped and whizzed by a couple of inches away from his head.

He is amazed at the ingenuity it took to build the whole underground Metro system and pleased that “These Streets” magazine selected his Los Angeles Underground Metro series for the cover and some of the photos to be featured in the Spring 2020 issue.
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Eriberto feels great to be in the company of talented artists featured in the magazine including his son Estevan Oriol.

Promo and photo by Angelica Oriol

 

SPRING ISSUE COVER FOR THESE STREETS MAGAZINE

Get your copy at These Streets Magazine

ForbiddenArtLA.com – Los Angeles Underground Metro Series link

 

Crazy Sauce / Salsa Loca series of new works by artist Eriberto Oriol

Text by Angelica Oriol

“What is Going on?” is part of the Crazy Sauce / Salsa Loca is a series of new works by artist Eriberto Oriol. He sees being an artist as a privilege to be able to express the magic of his imagination through his work.

The beauty of this series is the spontaneity and freedom he expresses in his stokes and color pallet. The characters seem to reflect the bewilderment of the incoherent madness of events that are part of our contemporary life in a world of politics, economics and environmental crisis.

Crazy Sauce / Salsa Loca is a series of new works by artist Eriberto Oriol.

The dream is to be able, to tell the TRUTH, and allow the use of our creativity and imagination to take us beyond and forge a new pathway for the world that is about human kindness, caring, sharing and creating a world that never was before.

 

ForbiddenArtLA.com

 

 

Are we Dancing with a Madman?

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.

 

Chris-Trouble Delfosse in DTLA by Eriberto Oriol

 

One of Eriberto Oriol’s favorite photo of Chris-Trouble Delfosse in DTLA. LOVE the graf background. Eriberto OrioI, LOS.

Julie Rico Art Review on artist Eriberto Oriol

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.

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“They’re There for The Taking” painting by Eriberto Oriol

“They’re There for The Taking” is one of the social commentaries paintings in “Are We Dancing with A Madman?” series by artist Eriberto Oriol.

While women have much to contribute, for the most part, global societies have assigned restrictive roles that limit their potential. In this metaphorical painting, the artist is being brutally honest in questioning the predator/prey type relationship.

The furry body emphasizes how women are viewed as an animal and are subject to the hunt whether they like it or not.

The insect-like image symbolizes the pest that means to destroy or harm. Is this a hopelessness human behavior of a patriarchal world? Can we get over the repugnance correlation of women like animals in the food chain?

Artist Edgar Degas once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” If this painting facilitates a discussion that acknowledges this behavior, maybe we can empower ourselves and make plans to stand differently in this world.

Save these DATES:

June 14 and June 28, 2019

“Cruzando LA Fontera/Crossing the Border” by artist Eriberto Oriol

“Cruzando LA Fontera/Crossing the Border” is one of the social commentaries paintings in “Are we dancing with a Madman?” series by artist Eriberto Oriol.

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For most people, crossing the border may be as simple as walking or driving across, however for an undocumented woman with little or no resources, it can be a treacherous journey.

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In this painting, the woman’s body has no arms or feet that maybe speak to the vulnerability and mutilation women around the world face in overcoming barriers not just in crossing borders. The textured body shows cuts and scratches that seem to emphasize the strenuous violent efforts she faces in this most difficult situation.

The image of a nopal/cactus with nails protruding on her crouch offers an interesting dichotomy. On one hand, the cactus represents strength, however in the same way as the cactus has thorns to protect the plant, maybe this type of armor could protect a woman from being raped. The roots from the cactus magnify how women are often uprooted by war, poverty, and violence.

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For Eriberto, the red-earth color face represents fertility and women’s bond with the earth. The woman’s beautiful stylized braids may also symbolize the rich cultures that these women usually represent. The stepladder is not only helping her to get over the barrier but it may also communicate a cry for help? The stark white background makes the issue very clear.

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Eriberto does not set out to paint these images or themes; he just gets in his creative zone and allows his characters to emerge. He realizes that by tapping into his creativity zone, it deepens the mystery and the magic in his art.

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Text by Angelica Oriol

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.

 

 

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