Keep calm and scary on! Halloween is coming… To celebrate the spooky season we’ve put together a series of articles about art that gives you the creeps and expands your imagination.
The first artist we want to introduce to you is Marcelo Suaznabar. He was born in the city of Oruro, in the midwestern part of Bolivia, known for its carnival, which has even been declared as Oral and Intangible Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.
From childhood Marcelo absorbed the mystical energy of his surroundings. The folkloric traditions of his city, as well as the magical Bolivian altiplano landscapes are reflected in his works, and have produced in his imagination many bizarre, surreal creatures.
My path to being an artist started when I was 16 years old. I travelled to the colonial city Potosi, with my father and brother. There, I discovered the colonial art of Bolivia in the museums and chapels. This sparked my attention to become an artist. Coming back from the trip, I started using oils for the first time, and I started my creation based on. My interpretations of the religious artwork that I saw in Potosi.
The development of my aesthetic occurred over time, as it is not something pre-established or intentionally directed. This is due to gradually incorporating new characters. I avoid sudden or forced changes, so that my work maintains certain elements that are repeated over many years.
These beings have originated very spontaneously for me, as I explored and transformed animals to have human features or vice versa, in very unreal circumstances. My imagination during the thought process plays an important role in free action. I like to explore fantastical and unreal worlds – all of my characters are a product of my flowing creativity.
A special piece that I made is called “Últimos Minutos”, ( Last minutes) which is made of 8 paintings joined together. I created this piece in 1999 for the II Bienal de Porto Alegre in Brazil. This piece was challenging because of its dimension and its complicated composition – every panel was 120×90 centimetres. I painted one by one and I haven’t seen the finished product with all 8 panels joined together, until it was exhibited in the National Museum of Art in La Paz, Bolivia.
Art is a pure and genuine expression in any of its disciplines involving the sensibility of the human being and the perception of the created things. For me, art is a connection with an unreal world in which I can find a way to execute my ideas and present themes.6. At the age of 16, you had already begun exhibiting your work without a formal art education. But later you still completed an art course at the Catholic University in Santiago. Do you believe it’s important for an artist to have the basic studies in art? Or can the artistic skill be self-taught?
Yes, I started painting and exhibiting my work very early in my life. I believe that a basic or academic education is important, but personally I decided to opt out in taking more art courses. In my experience, I felt that artistic ability can be self-taught because it allows you to explore your own imagination without limits, as well as give you confidence in your expression of creativity.
Yes definitely, I believe there are forces beyond the material world. There are many forces and mysteries that will never be solved.
There are many, but to mention a few, Mark Ryden, Jonas Burgert, Odd Nerdrum, and the medieval master Pieter Brueguel, and Hieronymus Bosch, Jan VanEyck, etc.
I have some projects on the way, exhibiting next year in VOLTA New York, South Korea and in Taiwan, as well as an individual exhibition in 2023, in Canada, where I intend to work with ceramics, bronze and wood for my sculptures. It will be a very interesting challenge for me.
