NAHUAL
Nahual in Mesoamerican folk mythology is a human being who has the power to transform either spiritually or physically into an animal form: most commonly jaguar and puma but also other animals such as a donkeys, birds, or dogs and coyotes. In my case it is a crow which soars through my existence, casting shadows, and reminding me that I have been, am and will be. The crow is a very interesting animal that I encountered for the first time living in Massachusetts. Crows have such a dominant presence that attracts me to the animal. They are all black which makes it difficult to distinguishing males from females. One day I was in a deep sleep where my subconscious was transformed into this feathered creature which soared through ravines , mountaintops and memories. He became a guide to other worlds. A guide that is leading me to my true self. The transformation has been a spiritual one but it exudes into the physical through my paintings. The paintings are an attempt to understand what I am learning through the guidance of the crow. I am on a journey in an effort to express my own internal truths. – Ramon Gutierrez
Nahual in Mesoamerican folk mythology is a human being who has the power to transform either spiritually or physically into an animal form: most commonly jaguar and puma but also other animals such as a donkeys, birds, or dogs and coyotes. In my case it is a crow which soars through my existence, casting shadows, and reminding me that I have been, am and will be. The crow is a very interesting animal that I encountered for the first time living in Massachusetts. Crows have such a dominant presence that attracts me to the animal. They are all black which makes it difficult to distinguishing males from females. One day I was in a deep sleep where my subconscious was transformed into this feathered creature which soared through ravines , mountaintops and memories. He became a guide to other worlds. A guide that is leading me to my true self. The transformation has been a spiritual one but it exudes into the physical through my paintings. The paintings are an attempt to understand what I am learning through the guidance of the crow. I am on a journey in an effort to express my own internal truths. – Ramon Gutierrez
Nahual en la mitología popular mesoamericano es un ser humano que tiene el poder de transformar ya sea espiritual o físicamente a cualquier forma animal: más comúnmente el jaguar y el puma, pero también otros animales, como un burro, ave, o un perro y coyote. En mi caso se trata de un cuervo que se eleva a través de mi existencia, proyectando sombras, y recordándome que he sido, soy y seré. El cuervo es un animal muy interesante que me encontré por primera vez viviendo en Massachusetts. Los cuervos tienen una presencia tan dominante que me atrae al animal. Todos ellos son negro y causa dificultad distinguir los machos y hembras. Un día estaba en un profundo sueño donde mi subconsciente se transformo en esta criatura emplumada que elevó a través de barrancos, cimas de montañas y recuerdos. Se convirtió en una guía a otros mundos. Una guía que me está dando lugar a mi verdadero ser. La transformación ha sido una espiritual que se manifiesta físicamente a través de mis pinturas. Las pinturas son un intento de entender lo que estoy aprendiendo a través de la guía del cuervo. Estoy en un viaje en un esfuerzo para expresar mis propias verdades internas. – Ramon Gutierrez
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About the Artist, Ramon Gutierrez
I was born in the small town of Tehuitzingo, Puebla in Mexico. At the age of two my parents decided to take a chance and cross the border to come to the United States. They paid an unknown woman to transport me via airplane to Los Angeles while they arduously crossed the border by foot. A week passed before we were reunited in Los Angeles and from there we arrived to New York City. My parents, three sisters and I lived in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens so we were exposed to the cultural conditions of many different immigrants groups in NYC. The visual resonance of the city forms part of the foundation for my global perspective. My artistic influences were the graffiti I saw on a day to day basis and the cultural iconography of Latino America. |