BESTIARUM VOCABULUM
The study of monsters is something that never occurred to me before being on the ocean for several weeks. Looking at the ocean with a fresh eye, I realized that the concept of monsters, particularly those who inhabit the seas, is common to almost all civilizations in the history of human beings. From China to the Mapuche Indians in Chile monsters are present within the imaginary of all of us, me included. In my search, I realized that historically monsters are a shortcut to explain the inexplicable, the bizarre, the unregulated and the untamed. But in my search of unexpected creatures I understood that I had to look within my own beasts, my own fears and hopes to discover and create my very own bestiary. So here I am presenting my beasts, my nightmares, and my search for discovering today's monsters that live with us. This is my Bestiarum Vocabulum.
A bestiary or Bestiarum Vocabulum is a collection of beasts that come from the mind of an author or an artist. In the 15th Century bestiaries were created by a combination of story telling and illustrations, better known as illuminations. Most of those studies of monsters served the purpose of teaching non-readers to understand basic ideas or concepts such as good and evil. The beasts depicted usually included dragons and other sea monsters. The tradition of creating bestiaries have been preserved throughout history not only by visual artists as famous as Mexican Francisco Toledo but also by famous writers, such as the Argentinean writer Jorge Luís Borges with his "Book of Imaginary Beings" published for the first time in 1978 in Buenos Aires.
Following the tradition of creating and illustrating beasts here I am presenting my own Bestiarum Vocabulum, as series of works that represent issues related to politics, migration, the environment, religion and so forth.
The process of creating this body of work was totally opposite to my usual way of working, where I decide to work on a particular social issue, such as migration and I build a set of ideas and images interconnected to the suggested problem, i.e. my recent installation Migration Letters in Spanglish, (which has been shown in a number of venues and recently was published on the cover of an academic journal). Surprisingly my Bestiarum Vocabulum started at the sea during a long journey from Columbia to San Francisco, California and then all the way south of the Americas to Valparaiso, Chile in Autumn 2009. As usual, I was planning to do some drawings during the long trip, that is true, I actually did a bit of research on names of the places that I would be visiting, however in my immense naïveté, I never anticipated seeing so many sea creatures during my time on the water: sea lions, whales, dolphins, rays and sharks were just part of my everyday at the water or at the ports of call, so I started drawing them for long hours on the ship.
The study of monsters is something that never occurred to me before being on the ocean for several weeks. Looking at the ocean with a fresh eye, I realized that the concept of monsters, particularly those who inhabit the seas, is common to almost all civilizations in the history of human beings. From China to the Mapuche Indians in Chile monsters are present within the imaginary of all of us, me included. In my search, I realized that historically monsters are a shortcut to explain the inexplicable, the bizarre, the unregulated and the untamed. But in my search of unexpected creatures I understood that I had to look within my own beasts, my own fears and hopes to discover and create my very own bestiary. So here I am presenting my beasts, my nightmares, and my search for discovering today's monsters that live with us. This is my Bestiarum Vocabulum.
A bestiary or Bestiarum Vocabulum is a collection of beasts that come from the mind of an author or an artist. In the 15th Century bestiaries were created by a combination of story telling and illustrations, better known as illuminations. Most of those studies of monsters served the purpose of teaching non-readers to understand basic ideas or concepts such as good and evil. The beasts depicted usually included dragons and other sea monsters. The tradition of creating bestiaries have been preserved throughout history not only by visual artists as famous as Mexican Francisco Toledo but also by famous writers, such as the Argentinean writer Jorge Luís Borges with his "Book of Imaginary Beings" published for the first time in 1978 in Buenos Aires.
Following the tradition of creating and illustrating beasts here I am presenting my own Bestiarum Vocabulum, as series of works that represent issues related to politics, migration, the environment, religion and so forth.
The process of creating this body of work was totally opposite to my usual way of working, where I decide to work on a particular social issue, such as migration and I build a set of ideas and images interconnected to the suggested problem, i.e. my recent installation Migration Letters in Spanglish, (which has been shown in a number of venues and recently was published on the cover of an academic journal). Surprisingly my Bestiarum Vocabulum started at the sea during a long journey from Columbia to San Francisco, California and then all the way south of the Americas to Valparaiso, Chile in Autumn 2009. As usual, I was planning to do some drawings during the long trip, that is true, I actually did a bit of research on names of the places that I would be visiting, however in my immense naïveté, I never anticipated seeing so many sea creatures during my time on the water: sea lions, whales, dolphins, rays and sharks were just part of my everyday at the water or at the ports of call, so I started drawing them for long hours on the ship.
The works and stories behind these monsters, by Alejandro García-Lemos
In general, I do not enjoy talking about the details of my work. To me, explaining the whys and whats of a piece seems cumbersome, awkward and somehow it feels like it takes away from the work. However, after Britt suggested that I write a paragraph about it, I decided to include a short paragraph for each of the monsters and turn it into dada poetry. Please, notice that most of the images include a horizon line of water, because to me the water is the beginning and the end.
The last thing that I want to say is please enjoy my beasts and either embrace them or fight them.
Bestiarum Vocabulum started at the sea during a long journey from California to Chile in Autumn 2009
The Seven headed monster losing its multiple hat • Gouache on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 9 x 9 inches • 2010 • N/A - Brazil
In the bible the book of revelations talks about a seven-headed monster that comes out of the waters to devour those who are not Christian or live in sin. The heads of my monster are cardinals of the Catholic Church reflecting on the fact of all the perversion that exists within the institution of the church, he is losing his caps, because all the atrocities that they have either committed or covered up are coming to light.
Don Quixote riding the Spermwhale • Gouache on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 9 x 9 inches • 2010 • N/A
This is a very personal work, the spermwhale is probably my favorite animal and Don Quixote is that quintessential literature figure that encompasses madness and dreams. Spermwhales are one of the most endangered species being heavily hunted, and also because it represents one of the most famous sea monsters in American literature in Moby Dick.
Chinese Dragon drowning and dropping the ball • Acrylic on recovered canvas • 42 x 60 inches • 2010 • N/A
The Dragon has a very positive meaning for the Chinese. This dragon symbolizes the monster of products Made in China as well as the effects in the global environment and its consequences for American industry. This red dragon is drowning in a semi-green ocean and it dropping a golden ball that represents the wealth generated by multiple industries.
Águila Bicéfala • Gouache on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 9 x 9 inches • 2010 • $300.00
The two-headed eagle is a reflection on the American-Mexican border, this migration monster shares the same animal, the eagle both present in the Mexican and American symbolism. The Mexican eagle is holding a serpent while standing on a cactus, and the American eagle holds arrows and an olive branch that symbolizes peace. I think in the future we will see this Águila Bicéfala more often.
Montezuma finally killing the monster • Gouache on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 15 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $550.00
Most Americans know the meaning of Montezuma's revenge, but not many question why there should be one. This image borrows from the well-known religious symbolism of Saint George killing the monster. However, in the Eurocentric tradition, Saint George is always a European cavalier killing a terrible monster that represents evil. In this image the knight has been replaced by a nude native American on a horse (brought to the Americas by Europeans) and finally killing the imported religious traditions brought from Europe too. Notice that the image occurs at a peaceful seashore, which represents the return to the mother nature and the environment.
Melusina Mulata • Acrylic on canvas
• 30 x 24 inches
• 2010
• $500.00
Melusina is simply a different name given to Mermaids or Sirens, the sirens where named as such because they enchanted sailors with their chanting (siren) to drown them in the waters. I really don´t think they have seen gorgeous white mermaids, sirens or melusinas but rather sharks or dolphins, and even better they were probably enchanted by beautiful natives during their long and lonely journeys trough the waters and islands. Mermaids have been painted but many artists, in Melusina Mulata I tried to confuse the viewer by combining the image of a beautiful rather black or mulata female laying in the water being close to a fin, or is it simply a siren. I based my image in the images created by Modigliani.
Mutant One • Gouache on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 8 x 8 inches • 2010 • N/A
This is one of those undefined monsters, half an artist half a fairy. It has a lot of color and it needs a lot of attention. This monster coexists in most art galleries, bank hallways and conservative homes with similar monsters. These mutant monsters do not want to offend anyone, just look beautiful next to the sofa. It is harmless but highly prolific, but be careful it is contagious. I only included one of them because they are all very similar.
Self-portrait after the symbiotic process • Acrylic on recovered canvas • NFS
Home Underwater • Acrylic on canvas • 30 x 24 inches • 2010 • $600.00
This painting is basically a reflection on the monster of the mortgage crisis and how many of us live in houses that are so called underwater. Maybe I am missing the monster of the unregulated banks?
The Gadsden Monster drowning in tea • Acrylic on recovered canvas • 42 x 60 inches • 2010 • $1,500.00
In 1776 Benjamin Franklin used a rattlesnake to represent the idea that Americans should send such native reptiles to England in response to the kind of people that the Kingdom was sending to this country--mostly thieves, inmates and crooks. In 1775, Christopher Gadsden appropriated the snake symbol to create the well-know Gadsden flag which now is politically used by the so-called tea-party activists. The original drawing included the words join, or die, which represented the colonies at the time. In the Gadsden monster I decided to join the pieces of this monstrous snake together and drown it on a choppy sea of tea.
My Botanical Expedition in America
This series of monsters are all painted on recycled paper from the Botanical Expedition between 18—and 18--. The expedition was lead by Alexander Von Humbolt and José Celestino Mutis a Spanish-Colombian artist and scientist. It was a German expedition sent to the Americas to study the new flora and fauna found in these lands
Disclaimer: These drawings are intended to become paintings, unfortunately at this point in time, this artist does not have the support and the mental balance to finish them. These will become paintings by request only. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Big Brother • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $150.00
Big Brother is the first monster I heard about when I moved to this country, This one-eyed monster can see everything with his huge eye. He has access to everything and it follows yáll everywhere you go. It is tamed but sketchy.
Maxillaria Alieninums Spredaria • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $150.00 • N/A
This image shows the growth of the so-called aliens in America. This monster has roots with eyes and branches with eyes too. It is a actually a native plant from the continent and not really an alien.
Monster devouring a pink mermaid @ the Pacific • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $150.00
This is a badass monster. He does not like the idea of people believing in fairy tales, mermaids and such. He rejoices by devouring fantasy before it gets to the people minds. He likes to censor art shows like this. He does not like being questioned. He likes power and does everything possible to maintain the Status Quo, especially with new ideas and concepts. He usually roams around the rich and famous.
Government in Movement trying to kill the agent of Change • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • N/A
This a multitalented beast. It hates change with all his heart. It usually dresses in a suit to disguise the proudly uneducated voter. It is weird because it can be fast as a cheetah when it works on his favor, but it can be amazingly slow as a snail when they mention any kind of change.
Monster in Love • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $150.00
This is a very simple beast. He just wants some good love and sex. It does not want to think about its weight, shape or form. It is all over the place, however, most people do not see it. It is mostly invisible to the superfluous, the famous, and the fatuous.
The Forest Bull of America • Acrylic and ink sketch on recycled paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2010 • $150.00
Sea Monsters Book (Seven finished drawings and paper sleeve) • NFS
This collection of creatures is a simple set of illustrations of the reality actually seen at the oceans. They do not intend any harm.
Monster #1: The Gossip Monster • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
Beast with many eyes and a huge mouth always under water.
Monster #2: The Fashion Victim • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
It is a colored animal that buys new clothes every month.
Monster #3: The Critic • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
It is a dangerous dragon, powerful, ugly and extremely poisonous.
Monster #4: The Androgynous Politician • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
Half unicorn half mermaid dying to be a big time in politics.
Monster #5: The Red Bait • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
It´s basically a red fish with a bait that uses to attract her victims and then eat them.
Monster #6: The Androgynous Politician • • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
This octopus is the inspiration and goal of many corporations.
Monster underwater • Acrylic and ink sketch on watercolor paper • 14 x 21.5 inches • 2009 • $250.00
At least one beast that we have never seen but we will, especially if we do not vote.
Chicora to Tahuantinsuyo (book and six illustrations) • on Fabriano Artistico Paper (HP) • 9 x 9 inches • 2010 • NFS
Chicora is how the Native American called the midlands region before the conquest of the Europeans. Tahuantinsuyo is how the Incas called the Southern part of South America before being defeated by the Spaniards, who killed thousands of Indians to obtain their riches and lands. This book retells the story of the trip that we did, where this series of works started. Each of the illustrations, including the cover page, where made on board with inks on Sumi-e paper. During this long trip I though quite often about the burdens and challenges that former immigrants had to face to reach their happiness. I also though about how they perceived the existence of all sea animals before all the information that we enjoy nowadays. When leaving Lima, Perú a inevitable but real monster actually visited our boat, the death.
Sea Monster (interior final of Chicora to Tehuantinsuyo) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • N/A
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS
Sea Monster (draft) • NFS