The black Blonde: The erotic art of Gerardo Gomez Navarro
Alvin Starkman, MA, LL.B.
Artist Gerardo Gomez Navarro lives in a green, quiet and delightfully simple with his mother and three sisters. You could not wait to meet art, ranging from the parties slightly erotic to test the sensitivity of most of us liberals. But yes, paintings accompany the images and scenes that express religious carefree children, are those of any other subject, carefully hidden from view.
Women in the textile industry of the Gomez family Navarro belt plain weave cotton back in their offices, while Gerard was busy painting all sorts of contorted body parts spitting blood of humanity. On this day they have all, including the matriarch, laughing and joking a bit in response to this writer has done and probably embarrassing questions, scaling the whole. No place subject is taboo, no cause for embarrassment. Perhaps the Edenic environment is the key to harmony between these seemingly disparate forms of creativity in a family. Gerardo, single, lives in the world and very Catholic Rural de Santo Tomás Jalieza, distribution of daily tasks and work space with three unmarried sisters and his mother.
Jalieza St. Thomas is a small town about 35 minutes drive from the city of south-central Mexico to Oaxaca. Oaxaca is located in a series of valleys in the central state the same name, surrounded by the Sierra Madre del Sur. The area is a popular destination for travelers seeking a cultural holiday – rich pre-Hispanic ruins, stunning churches Dominican dating from the 1500s, and the museums and galleries. The region is also known for its rich cuisine, with probably the best food from all over Mexico – and of course the great diversity of craft villages, including St. Thomas Jalieza.
St. Thomas resident has been weaving cotton cloth for generations, more recently, mainly for the tourism industry – bed and table covers, table runners, tablecloths, towels, bags, leather belts, coins, cases for glasses, shirts embroidered, and much more. In the case of Navarro Gomez family, the domain of this cottage industry dates back only one or two generations, parents do not go to the city Gerardo for marriage. Then become a priority to learn to knit, and with the help of parents in the village, to teach their children.
Thanks to rearing and agriculture to the people of St. Thomas are still largely self-sufficient, based not in the case of sheep, goats or cows, then certainly the chicks – and of course, subsistence crops such as corn and beans supplemented with cabbage. The vagaries Tourism in Oaxaca in need.
Navarro grew rejected formal education, either by design or circumstance, "I did not finish public school. I do not think I was learning something, and actually spent about four years languishing in the first year. Finally, when I was 14 I packed forever. "
But there was a teacher, Maestra Lupita, which have an impact on their future: "She was the only one, I now realize, he saw something in me that was different from the rest. She gave me some crayons and a coloring book, and left me at work. I never asked her why she was focused on me and has never given an explanation. Just leave me alone at the time, to draw. "
Navarro after school care for the goats of his father, though sometimes a bit of leather, and regularly scribble their thoughts, even to make soon. Twice the Government sent instructors in town, first to teach work with animal skins, then show people how to combine textiles and leather handbags and belts. Gary became an expert in making leather belts decorated with narrow strips of cotton produced by his sisters and his mother about his job.
But once again, rejected the deal: "No I want to do this work. I always felt under pressure and as I was not actually create anything. I had no freedom. For someone to say: "I need 20 belts like that in two weeks, "only reinforces that had to do something else and I retired from the lives of those around me."
While Navarro enjoyed the freedom to take care of the herd – even his father bought two cows when I was 21 years – became very ill and was hospitalized. When he finally recovered he found he could no longer take care of livestock. defenses your body has never returned to their previous level of functioning, and therefore had no energy and value necessary for reproduction.
In January 1994, he moved to California, the intention to start a new life: "I wanted leave behind all of my past, so I even burned my writings bit of those afternoons in the field. "He came back in May, finding the lifestyle of Los Angeles Worse, people were always running around and seemed to be under too much pressure.
Within three months Navarro's return, his life had changed dramatically.
Over the years, women – mothers and daughters Agnes and Crispina Mariana Margarita – Developed a reputation for the manufacture of cotton fabrics of high quality, wholesale them apart from most others in the city. Crispina found a particular niche for itself, the fine wire mesh more complex models. His fame spread to the point that he began to receive praise from fans ships, even outside of Mexico. She was accompanied by four presidents of Mexico, recently visited the former President Vicente Fox at his ranch.
The family had come to welcome the dignitaries to his modest but large and intact Homestead. Often the artists who attend his house to buy crafts, and just chat and have a couple of hours in the family. And who does not point to the family, residing in one of the most welcoming environments imaginable.
Oaxaca acclaimed artist Juan Alcazar and his wife Justina Fuentes, a talented painter in her own right, was a pair of these. Of course, I knew nothing Maestro Navarro Alcázar at the time, except that it was a city man who appreciated the quality of fabrics. One day in early August 1994, a visitor from Germany, Helmut Kohl, was the art Crispina clay. Navarro noted fine leather, and suggested that it might want to consider taking art classes with a friend, Juan Alcázar. Of course, it was John himself had known Alcázar Navarro for 15 years, unaware that Alcazar has been a reciprocal master of contemporary Mexican art. In the days Oaxaca Navarro will meet Alcazar, 15 months began to be framed in the Alcazar and Sources
Over the next four years and a half years day after day, from nine to six, Navarro Alcazar / Sources of the workshop, Taller de Grafica Oaxaca Libre, working first with pencil, ink then and possibly watercolors. While others were in the following groups of courses and also learn to be artists, Gerardo is in a corner, his back to them, work out independently.
"Even looking at art books until I painted for ten years," advice Alcazar no matter, since Navarro had not cracked a book, and never intended to do. In fact, to date, Navarro argues that it never was in an art book, or read about the theory or technique, and is insensitive to the art of Chagall and Picasso – besides the fact that some of his clients have compared his work to that of the great masters.
Navarro has not taken an art class, and even if Alcazar Fuentes appropriations and development work and success, not actually "teach" in the sense word is usually "I've never been able to tolerate a classroom environment, and indeed have never studied or worked in a group. I think that probably goes back my years in the field. My father always put cautioned against socializing with other people, watching their flocks, so I would not go crazy. Of course, I received the advice of John and Justina but there were no classes. "
Navarro had his first exhibition in 1995 after Kohl had said I wanted to show his work at a gallery in Ajijic. Gary had no idea what to expect. When accompanied the framing Kohl eve of the opening of the exhibition, was surprised how different their work is then examined. But Kohl was to land: "If you sell a piece, you'll be lucky, with two sales is considered a master, and never expects to sell three. "He has learned a gold star next to a piece meant sold. In 18 hours the first night of the show, 15 of the 16 pieces were gold stars.
None of these early works offered for sale was erotic, but Navarro's departure has been creating art with sexual content. He has always feared exposing these parts, even in his own studio: "I still have erotic material from the rest of my work, in a separate plastic sleeve, mouth below. I'm not going to show that if people want to see and also sometimes kids come to our house, so I must be careful. Even my works are on the ground inside. "This shows a large piece Framed hidden behind the other.
Narvarro painting is the most erotic art in recent years. But never just decide "I'll be eroticism from today." In fact, begins with an idea especially when you start work, the erotic or current. So I brush where to go, "My mind seems to flow like a river, and then I follow, and if you continue working after you finish one piece, then a sequence of songs will emerge. "
Many parts include Navarro prose or poetry in the image. Sometimes words come to him when he starts a piece, what inspires the content, and sometimes writes occur about once a work has been completed. He recognized the rare " I know because I am not educated, there are always errors in spelling and grammar. "These works are reminiscent of the style of Mexican votive painting, or ex – voting tradition.
A black light Blonde The Navarre (2006), the message is clearly conveyed without the use of prose: the lover discomfort and a tear boyfriend to reject terror in their understanding that this is not a natural blonde. double meaning of the title alone is enough to rhyme poetic imagery of the work is family to dispense with the need for more explicit eroticism.
In 1996, Fuentes Navarro, said it was time to try to work with oils. It gave him a canvas and frame, and said to buy some paint tubes. After selling his first oil came out and spent 1000 pesos as many tubes of paint that the money could buy. Everyone Everyone laughs, never heard of someone who spent all his money on the paint so much. But he was full of emotion and ambition, so that in the next four months he had created 18 oils, expose for the first time in 1997. The oils are among the eroticism in his study of ground facing the wall.
"You never know what people's reaction will be, or how they will be receptive to this type of art. Not some time a woman from the city bought one of my erotic, a siren to have oral sex with a mortal. She and her husband's house allowed him to not hang in your home. So they got together and exchanged it for a painting of a couple making love with a crucifix on the wall above, and an angel passes over the eyes of Jesus. "
- Someone approached me and said, "You 're the devil. "My response was simple: at night, we all have to lie and spread our legs, what's wrong with this type of representation in my art."
For his oils and watercolors Navarro works in the brightest colors. And with his ink drawings, using sepia tones. Curiously, it is more his plays in shades of black and brown where it seems strange metaphors release and allow sex to dominate.
"I" I do not want to put my work in other countries, " Navarro said easily, and then explain their reasoning: "People come from afar to see me, and not just my art. So what if I here? No is only for those who admire what I do, if they come by or contact me to make sure that I'll be around, and I'm gone. "
The sisters echo the same sentiment. Only traveled abroad presented twice. And when it comes to holidays and other family obligations or Santo Tomás de Oaxaca, usually a family member at home at any time. Be available for those who appreciate his art is a priority.
Great Part of the erotic Gerardo Navarro talks about his personal philosophy about monogamy and marriage. It has not been in a long term relationship since the beginning of his career as an artist for a year fifteen. He sees marriage as a compromise, it is not prepared to do. "Marriage is like a grave," he argues, then continues: "It kills love. In the world I know, men are not around all that much. They left the United States under the pretext income for their families, with women and Children left at home to fend for themselves. What do women? Silence follows, which leads to imagine what really happened behind closed doors in Santo Thomas Jalieza. Gerardo Gomez Navarro returns to the painting of one of his favorite themes – the apple in the Book of Genesis, with Eve under control.
About the Author
Alvin Starkman received his Masters in Social Anthropology in 1978. After teaching for a few years he attended Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, thereafter embarking upon a career as a litigator until 2004. Alvin now resides in Oaxaca, where he writes, leads small group tours to the villages, markets, ruins and other sites, is a consultant to film production companies, and operates Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. ( http://www.oaxacadream.com ) .
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