MONTERREY.- Located in ‘Barrio Antiguo’, which is the heart of the artistic district in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and just a few blocks from the Museo de Arte Contemporario and Museo del Noreste, the art gallery Armario 916 possesses within itself an exquisite personalization of it’s own architecture and interior with its unique blend of Mexico’s old ‘barrio’ and new industrial architecture styles under just one roof.
The artwork within the current exhibition,"The Rise of the Observed", hanging on their walls reflects artist dan guz man's very personal view of his paintings.
Considered to be of international renowned ever since guz man ( manguzdan) was recognized by the Chinese 2019 Modern Art World Exhibition, he now represents Mexico’s talent as a Modern artist.
Below is the fourth part of a conversation ArtDaily correspondent Liz Marie Gangemi recently had with the artist.
Sister Margaret Likes to Burn Pontiacs on Saturday Evenings, 2020. Acrylic on canvas, .80 x .80 m.
Liz Marie Gangemi: Okay. What is the name of this painting?
dan guzman: This painting is named Sister Margaret likes to Burn Pontiacs on Saturday Evenings.
LG: That's a very interesting name
dg: Very interesting. And it has to do with the fact that she is a pyromaniac working in the religious organization… because that way… she can get away with it. Can you Imagine,? Actually this is a painting that explores Human issues. Actually, it explores guilt. Guilt under the scope of the religious (Catholic) view, which is the one that I know. And you know, the story goes this way, this woman, likes to burn the Pontiacs on Saturday evenings, because next day, Sunday morning, she goes to mass and confesses to the priest. Liberating her guilt under confession. Guilt as a “product” of the “religious paradise” in terms of the ways a person goes, does whatever he or she wants. And then…
LG: He gets away with it
dg: Exactly, just because he or she told the priest and the priest encourages this person to not do it again. And pray x amount of prayers.
LG: You make a confession and supposedly it's all finished, and then you can do it again
dg: Exactly. So that is the story of this painting where she…
LG: No. Why did you choose the Pontiac? Because I think there was a specific reason why you chose a Pontiac.
dg: Yeah. Because regularly nuns, they travel in like small vans, like VW Minibus, and the “Pontiac” represents this car, which is like middle class sports car, which is the total opposite of what she might drive, you know? So, she picked this specific car, in order to burn it.
LG: Let's work now with this one up here
My Life is a Pinball machine 2, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, 2.10 x 1.22 m.
dg: My Life is a Pinball machine 2 This is the second one. I did of a series of three, (paintings) you saw one of them, the one, remember at first?, yes?. And then this one (the second one), or the statement with these 3 paintings is the same. The thing is this: I am the ball bearing, from the pinball machine. I am the ball, I am rolling all over this board. And this board represents my reality. It's my life.
LG: This course.
dg: It's right there, developing in front of yout own eyes. There's, like, holes and jumps, and springs, and all sorts of things going on, that makes the ball jump, and roll, and then it collapses. Then pops up, and jumps again, then suddenly it´s in some other level, it makes lots of things, you know?
LG: And it makes sense because in a way the course of the pinball machine, some of the holes take away points, money, they bring you exactly to the beginning and some of them propel you forward and you actually gain and win.
dg: Exactly. Nobody could tell it better than you did, right now, right there. It's amazing how you put it in words, that simple because…
LG: Well because I am looking at it from an artistic perspective, putting myself in your mindset
dg: Right, and everything around the pinball machines, for example the cityscape, exist in the painting because the pinball machines were inented and developed in the cities. And other than that, it was prohibited in several states like Illinois at first.
LG: I didn't know that
dg: Yeah, because the mayor or someone with the power in the government, said, that it was dangerous for the kids, because it would develop a pathological gambling disorder, He said that kids will lose their lunch money and will become addicted to it. I guess he nailed it.
LG: Okay, now these down here are these
dg:These are prints. These are not originals
LG: Then let's move on and let's look at this painting, says, The System collapses,
The system collapses, 2022. Acrylic on canvas, .80 x 1.58 m.
dg: The system collapses and yes, this is one belongs to the Stephanie Salas Series, this is the first
LG: That Painting? What about the one that's upstairs?
dg: Exactly. Well, the Concept divides in two paintings. And this is part one, the other one's part two
LG: Now, Is that Stephanie in the middle?
dg: Yeah, in this painting, she is becoming who she really is. Previous to her first daughter pregnancy. And she's like in the becoming process.
LG: A star to be somebody.
dg: Exactly, here she's becoming. In the other one she already became.
LG: Okay. Now in this one, tell me if I am wrong. When I look at it from far away that orange symbol up there, it almost looks like the moon or the symbol that they used in communism. Is that part of a communistic symbol system?
dg: No, no
LG: It's my interpretation.
dg: I think it's your interpretation. And it’s actually kind of interesting because I am talking about the system, I am talking about collapsing the system, I am talking about counterculture, I am talking about a rockstar, an artist, and your perception, it's kind of interesting.
LG: Yeah.
dg: Your perception because the communist.
LG: Symbol.?
dg: Symbol, yeah of this thing that they used for agriculture, you know, it's kind of like a coincidence, but they say there's no coincidences. So maybe it is what you are saying.
On a conscious level, I can tell you that this is a record, an LP, a long play record. And this is the needle that plays the record, and this right here (pointing at humanoid figure) is the system represented as a monster that it's evacuating this television sets though his ass.
LG: I see it now.
dg: Representing that “fixed reality” of those years. Remember those years? Dictatorial Mainstream through TV, radio and Fanzines?
LG: Very interesting.
dg: And to remember who she is. The artistic heritage that she belongs to, is imppresive. I mean, these peole (her parents and grandpaarents) built the entertainment industry in Latin America. Some 80 years ago in several arenas, like Theater, Cinema and TV. Back in the day, they built an alternative empire of “fixed reality” through mainstream, mainly TV. remember? But nowadays… their time…..just changed everything into something different, and not only time had the “System” totally transformed, everything and everyone has changed you know? And, that reality is no longer there.
LG: No, there's no longer these records either.
dg: You are right.
LG: Now how about this one? This is red and black and white. It's aggressive.
dg: Very, yeah. It's part of a series as well…its named…
Naranja Urbana 2, 2022. Acrylic on panel, 61 x 61 cm.
LG: Naranja Urbana 2
dg: Yes, and I did a series of three
LG: Urban orange 2
dg: I painted three of them and this is the second and pretty much it talks about what is my own perspective (as an architect ) of a rusted future of survivor humans .How it might look a cityscape, that would be very monochromatic, painted with raw materials.
So, in this painting,I stand out my point of view, wich is: Real life construction, should be 100 % concrete block free. In order to build walls, do it from bricks- The brick is red (earth) and the block is gray (mountain rock). I did a Ted talk, last year talking about construction systems and how can we avoid destroying the planet, using architecture as a way to make it happen. I provoked a way of thinking different towards those issues. Nowadays new generations millennials) are changing the way they think and the way we build; (in Mexico)
I think that in the future we will reduce heaviliy burning, and polluting. If we proceed to change this cultural paradigm. This is the origin of this painting.
LG: Now, is this “Bermellon?” (Spanish for crimson)
dg: Yeah.
LG: I thought “okay, I´m going to work with one of my favorite colors in this one”
dg: Oh, really?
LG: Yes.
dg: Wow, wow
Olla 11, 2017. Acrylic on panel. 1,00 x 1.50 m.
LG: All right. Now this painting right here. Is this from “La Fundidora?”
dg: Right.
LG: That's what I thought.
dg: See this one, it’s named “La Olla 11” How do you say “olla” in English?
LG: Like a kettle, melting pot?
dg: Melting pot! Yeah, exactly! Where they put inside all this metal scrap and then they...
LG: They heat it up
dg: They heat it up, and then processes the melting. The process is called, “smelting”
LG: Like making a soup
dg: A metal soup.
LG: A metal soup.
dg: And in this big, big kettle was very famous in its time because there were lots of wokers who lost their lives there, work accidents. I thought it was very sad, and this painting is a tribute to all those lives, lost in a regular work day,.
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