Emiliano Zapata Painting

Shelley's paintings: by himself. I've been painting since I was a child. The first things I depicted were portraits. I painted the whole family, my friends and myself, out of curiosity only. I still remember that rebellious and challenging feeling about following traditional drawing techniques; my inner self pushed me to do just the opposite of what I was told to do, and this is how I still feel, loyal to a permanent quest, a style and personal aesthetics. This is probably the reason for my being a self-made artist. I'm not interested in being part of a specific style or trend; my interest is art for art's sake; that is, to tell what is inside me. This is something personal and natural. No conditions, no bearings, except those dictated by me. Painting, for me, is more than a profession: it is how I see the world, my world, how I see the moment I live, the things I am familiar with. More than a moralist I am ironic, always with a black humor. My belief is that a sense of humor is essential in life. My art tries to mirror human nature. And in this quest my mentors, those who have been guiding me - with great respect and venerable admiration - are Leonardo Da Vinci and the Renaissance painters; Diego Velazquez with his Meninas and thread-weavers with that admirable and unequalled technique. Influence by Mexican art is that of some great muralists, like Jose Clemente Orozco, who caught my attention from childhood and stimulated my imagination. From the so called Rupture, I admire almost all of them, particularly Jose Luis Cuevas, an excellent draftsman and unending creator. Picasso and Andy Warhol, the father of Pop art, have had considerable influence on me; they both changed the way in which art is created and I greatly identify with their work. All of these artists have impacted and shed great influence on my work. All paintings created for this exhibit entitled Behind the screen, are oil on canvass, and have been drafted with the same primary color palette. My painting is the product of impetuosity from which clear vibrations and great chromatic luminosity emanate. Portraits are fascinating: they challenge the way in which we perceive reality. My works are not seeking perfection; they place themselves into the plastic work of a permanent search and evolution of shapes.