The abstract expressionist Mark Rothko made huge paintings so the viewer would have a more intimate experience. One would not expect that would be the result but indeed it is, and this is what I experienced with Celaya’s paintings.
The oil and wax painting on canvas, titled The Guest is 92” x 118” (233cm x 299 cm). I had viewed this painting on line several times before facing it head on at the LA Louvre Gallery this past December. I could not have imagined the impact this powerful painting would have on me.
The Guest, I assume, refers to the small man/child positioned in the center of the painting. He is surrounded by a massive, bleak landscape. He stands on a cut (down) tree as if it were a stage or perhaps a pulpit. Although he appears heroic in his baby blue matador garb his open face is both one of fear and anticipation. One senses he is utterly unprepared for the vast decisions or tasks that surely lay ahead.
A feeling of sadness wells up in me as I ponder this painting. The little matador appears oddly old before his time, yet simultaneously stunted in his growth and maturation. I sense he is underdeveloped... unmade, incomplete. He looks diminished, traumatized.
The Guest is poignantly distressing to view. The small matador clings to his little limp red blanket, alone in the world. He is a matador without a bull. He wears the traditional stylish pink stockings that would reveal his quick foot moves to an audience, if he had one. He poses as a bullfighter a sport which some traditionalists consider to be a culturally important art form, while others view it as a cruel blood sport without morals. The arena has changed. His surroundings are dying, his culture is dying, and his own nature is threatened. His purpose is threatened.
We ourselves are The Guest on planet Earth, participating in a culture masquerading as strong and moral while upholding our traditions at any cost. Our actions have denuded our home and forever changed our arena. The pulpit is now a cut down tree.
note: The above discourse and interpretation of this painting is solely my own. I do not know the intention of the artist. There was no artist statement available at the gallery. Which is just fine by me, as I prefer to have my own experience and make my own judgements. Enrique Martínez Celaya is an artist I deeply respect. In December 2012 I went to LA to specifically see this exhibition.
Denise Carson WIlde Jan. 5-2013