Ramiro Paz
Artist’s statement
The Journey
I see art, like my life, as a recorrido perenne- -a perennial journey- -a continuous stream of stages through which one passes on the way to a final destination. At a given time, the stage seems to be an isolated event as with the art that I find myself producing. As with the progression of days one to the next, movement from one stage to another in my art goes unnoticed until I pause to look back and seek the patterns. What I see represents the progression of my art as subtle as my very existence.
As I step back to reflect on the stages of my journey, I can connect the changes in my art with the changes in my life. I see meaningful expression of my being. I can define myself through my art. I can tell my life story with my pottery, painting, and sculptures.
Almost four decades ago my perennial journey commenced. It has evolved into a conglomerate of experiences. The last two decades have found me artistically tracing the metamorphosis of my life through ceramics and painting. The pottery that I began to create, as a student, reflects the emergence of a passion for art. My concentration in ceramics echoes my desire to perfect a form of art and acquire expertise. Throwing, coiling, pinching, varnishing, glazing, and firing allowed me to connect with my culture. My art took the shape of masks, “trompos”, tequila bottles and other vessels that represent my Mexican heritage. Painting bestowed me a new experience as did life during the latter stage. My life evolved into the new endeavor of teaching, both, representing novel ideas for me and my students.
As time finds me at the present, I realize that the first two decades of my journey went without artistic representation. Hence, the tale of my childhood emerges through my sculptures and ceramics.
No comments:
Post a Comment