Celaya is a contemporary artist who works in painting, sculpture, photography, poetry, and prose, presented in contexts known as “environments.” His artistic work examines the complexities and mysteries of individual experience, particularly in its relation to nature and time, and explores the question of authenticity revealed in the friction between personal imperatives, social conditions, and universal circumstances. These examinations often result in comprehensive projects addressing memory, familiarity, attachment, love, death, and longing. Although his thinking is influenced by literature and philosophy, his work regards the subjective experience of everyday life rather than the nature of trends in cultural practices.
Enrique Martinez Celaya’s art brings to mind Wittgenstein’s observation that “I am not a religious man, but I cannot help seeing everything from a religious point of view.” This essay explores Martinez Celaya’s religious point of view through an in-depth analysis of a single painting, Thing and Deception, which depicts a gigantic chocolate Easter bunny wrapped in a veil with the statement “Needed Proof” inscribed below the image. Thing and Deception incarnates. It incarnates art and it incarnates belief. The power of art relies on the belief that smelly oils, rough canvas, graphite marks, and other banal materials can provide a profound aesthetic experience. Can this image be a vehicle for a profound aesthetic experience? Can a painting of an Easter bunny be a “religious” or a “spiritual” painting?
Enrique Martinez Celaya’s Thing and Deception: The Artistic Practice of Belief
Art is considered the visual illustration of thoughts and perceptions. In all cultures, art has been used as an instrument to project ideas and perceptions to a specific or wider audience. In Europe, during the Renaissance period, art was used to propagate certain socio-political and social-religious perceptions. The church acquired the services of prominent artists to propagate certain religious perceptions. This connection between religion and art severed during the era of Enlightenment, when rationality was considered paramount. It was during this period; science gained prominence and intelligentsia began to consider it an instrument to explore realities; art became an inferior guide to reality and facts.
In the article, Enrique Martinez Celaya’s Thing and Deception: The Artistic Practice of Belief, the author negates that art is an inferior guide to reality and asserts that a painting can represent/manifest religious sentiment. From the methodical study of art/painting, across the cultures, it is apparent that art has been used as a tool to represent religious sentiments and thoughts. Therefore, a painting, representing religious perception or connecting personal sentiments with religious, must not be considered odd.
Also, Christianity’s view or “Christian writings on the often seem to be very superficial,” which is why religious art appreciation is quite low (Siedell).
The painting by Martinez Celaya, The Easter Bunny, is unique because it is an amalgamation of post-modern art with the religious symbol (Eastern Bunny). When we study the painting (Easter Bunny-1997, in detail and the context of Martinez Celaya’s journey, it becomes apparent to us that the painting depicts the spiritual journey of the painter; thus, the painting can be viewed as a spiritual painting. For instance, in this painting, Easter Bunny represents the religious perceptions of the painter, which got dismantled gradually. The dismantling of the Easter Bunny represents the dismantling of faith because of the extraordinary emphasis on rationality and concrete reality. The restructuring or reassembling of Easter Bunny depicts the resurrection or resuscitation of faith. The veil represents the deliberate effort to keep the resuscitation of faith secret because of the possible reaction. Therefore, when we study the painting in the backdrop of Enrique Martinez Celaya’s life, it appears a spiritual painting that is a vehicle of profound aesthetic sense.
Thesis Statement: The Painting by Enrique Martinez Celaya appears to be a religious work in the backdrop of his religious journey. The work can be described as a vehicle of profound experience because in its entirety it not only represents different phases (apparent/physical) of a painter’s life but also it represents that different phase of his spiritual journey.
ART AN INSTRUMENT OF EXPRESSION
Art is considered an instrument to express complex and complicated feelings. The more complex the feelings are, the more layered a piece of art would be. Also, the piece of art would have a lot of details, which signifies how invested a piece of art is. Furthermore, different details provide different evidence about the thought, which manifestation a piece of art is. For instance, in Enrique Martinez Celaya’ Easter Bunny has a lot of feelings and thoughts invested in it. It is apparent from the details of the piece of art, which is an Easter Bunny, broken and then reassembled. The breaking of the Easter bunny represents that change of thoughts and altering of feelings during a certain period, whereas the reassembling or the resurrection of the Easter bunny represents the resuscitation/revival of thoughts that were once buried. Also, the use of symbolism also suggests that the universe around Enrique seems to be expanding (Williams).
The Easter Bunny is also the manifestation of the desire for the new prophet for this age; a prophet who seeks the whisper of the order of things. These whispers of other things lie beneath the surface of what is apparent, as per Enrique Martínez Celaya. It suggests that the feelings and thoughts of Enrique Martínez Celaya, are veiled, as the Easter Bunny (Things and Deception). This veiling of thoughts and feelings may appear deceptive, as the title suggests; however, it is an incentive by the artist to probe more the piece of art that is represented for scrutiny (Celaya).
“EASTER BUNNY” A RELIGIOUS THOUGHT
The choosing of the subject, Easter Bunny, makes it apparent that the piece of art has religious meaning and understanding. Generally, Easter is associated with Christian religion; however, when we prove it (objectively), we learn that Easter has the pagan roots. It is considered that leftover of the pagan tradition of Eostre; the symbol of this northern goddess was a hare or rabbit. It again suggests that Enrique Martínez Celaya intentionally includes such detail in his piece of work, which pushes us to probe the matter further. As the prophet, Enrique Martínez Celaya wants his audience to humbly and curiously turn towards his world, life the veil gradually and humbly.
The religious understanding of Enrique Martinez Celaya is not limited or not, it just pertains to a particular religion, but rather it is very broad. The religious understanding of Enrique is much broadened and influenced by the work of different intellectuals. For instance, the concept of a prophet is borrowed from the works of Khalil Gibran. Also, the religious understanding of Enrique, which is apparent in Thing and Deception, also manifests his life philosophy that “one must introspect and emphasize what brings peace to him.” Religion has a major influence on Enrique’s life and his general understanding, which translates into artwork that is religious in nature and distinguishable.
PASSION IN THE PIECE OF ART
From the excerpt from Pigeon Point, we learn that Enrique considers passion as a strength. He claims that “passion is not rage or violence; it is controlled.” It suggests that Enrique allows his passion for expressing in the form of art. As his passion of religion is strong and he takes inspiration from the religion; therefore, Enrique’s creations are a manifestation of his passion for art and religion.
For instance, in Thing and Deception, religion is the subject of his art, and the piece of art is the manifestation of feelings (in the form of art). Also, it is also evident that Enrique is more interested in the end product (the mature manifestation of his feelings) rather than the process of producing that end product.
EXPRESSION OF EXPERIENCES
The article, The Rhythms of Life, reveals that “Enrique Martinez Celaya uses the process of creating art to understand the life experiences and their effects on everyday reality.” (Damian). Therefore, when Enrique begins his project, such as Easter Bunny, he does not know what that piece of art may evolve. This characteristic is very evident in the painting Easter Bunny, which seems to work upon work. For instance, each layer of the painting or each detail of the painting reflects an experience endured by the artist. For instance, the Easter Bunny, which was once intact, represented the religious faith or religious perceptions that developed during the tender age. The dismantling of the Easter Bunny represented the phase of life during which these religious perceptions or faith gradually dismantled. If we observe the painting in detail, we learn that Enrique is suggesting that the dismantling of his faith was a slow and painful process. The pain it caused appeared as scars that are evident on the Easter Bunny that has been reassembled. Marry Rakow finds the work, of Enrique, both full of substance and influence. She declares her work, in her article, “Looking for a Context for Martin Celaya’s Work,” an ecstasy. Suggesting that the work, such as Easter Bunny, impacts an individual on different levels (Mary).
The painting, Easter Bunny, is special as it is a vehicle of profound experience, as it narrates the religious and social journey of Enrique Celaya powerfully.
It is imperative to acknowledge that the work of Enrique is not just the consequence of religious experience, but also social experience. It is the social experience that has influenced religious thoughts. Therefore, it is not prudent to be dismissive about the influence of the social experience of the painting. We can examine the painting in the social context and may draw a similar conclusion. For instance, the painting reveals the breaking and reassembling of ideas because of socio-religious experiences. The factors which played a role in the dismantling and resurrection of ideas are identical; therefore, the conclusions we draw from observing the painting are not drastically different.
Easter Bunny painting is viewed in a religious context because of its relation to a particular religion; however, in some contexts, Easter Bunny also represents culture, which is different from religion.
CONCLUSION
In the end, it is concluded that a piece of art, such as the painting of the Easter Bunny, can never be devoid of meaning and context. Some pieces of art are better understood when the observer knows the context. For instance, for an observer, who know about the social and spiritual journey of Enrique Celaya, he/she would be able to see different layers to the paintings; the death and the resurrection of faith because of different experiences related to or consequence of different time and space. From the systematic scrutiny of the selected painting, by the artist Enrique Celaya, we conclude that to between understanding the artwork through its details, it must be studied in social-religious context rather in just social or religious context.
Work Cited
Celaya, Enrique Martínez. “The Prophet.” Psychological Perspectives 59.2 (2016): 157-166.
Damian, Carol. “Enrique Martínez Celaya the Rhythms of Life.” Art Nexus 6.67 (2007): 112-116.
Mary, Rakow. “Writing About Art. “Looking for a Context for Martínez Celaya’s Work,” works + conversations, vol 9.” Mary Rakow. Mary Rakow, October 2012. Web. 13 October 2018. http://www.maryrakow.com/writing-about-art/.
Siedell, Daniel A. “Altars to Unknown Gods: A Christian Approach to Contemporary Art.” The Other Journal. The Other Journal, 13 May 2009. Web. 13 October 2018. https://theotherjournal.com/2009/05/13/altars-to-unknown-gods-a-christian-approach-to-contemporary-art/.
Williams, Christian. “The Art Issue; An Ever-Wider World / Enrique Martinez Celaya; Christian Williams Watches with Fascination and Sadness as the Life of His Son-in-Law Gets Too Big for California.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2006. Web. 13 October 2018. http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jun/11/magazine/tm-celaya24.
