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 Vallarta Living | Art Talk | December 2007 
Walking the Line Between Obsession and Passion
 PVNN
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| | Gallería Dante will host an exposition for two artists who walk the line between "Obsession and Passion" on January 2, 2008 from 6 to 10 pm. To see some of the other art works on display at Galeria Dante, visit GalleriaDante.com. |
Joe, Claire, Gena and the staff at Galleria Dante wish everyone a very happy holiday season. We celebrated our 19th year in business in Puerto Vallarta on December 21st, and realize that part of our success is due to your loyalty and recommendations to your friends and family.
On Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008, we will be hosting an art opening and cocktail reception for two artists who walk the line between "Obsession and Passion," Guillermo Gomez and Bill Megrail.
Meet the Artists:
Guillermo Gomez
If it is true that you can be born with a talent, then it has never more true than with Guillermo Gomez. It is his show that everyone waits for every year, artists and collectors alike.
Guillermo never fails to surprise us with his creativity and talent. Many of his works begin from a word or quote and are transformed into things of beauty. He explores the human figure, articulating motion and emotion.
Some of the figures are realistic, of an impressive realism and beauty. On the other hand, he also explores surrealism, especially when he works in mixed media, combining the soft textures of wood with metals. He is so passionate and poetic that the subtleties are often lost in the English translation of his words.
The obsession of Guillermo Gomez with the human form doesn't end with the perfection of his sculptures, but takes elements that are characteristic of the spirit of the form and materializes them.
He actually incorporates spiritual elements into his different sculptures, generating metaphoric creatures which invade our space and communicate with us. It's in the titles, forms and messages of his statues, that Guillermo Gomez proves that his work is more than just a job, it is also his passion to sculpt.
Zuinotauro is half man, half pig, and seems to be unaware of how repulsive is his animal side, but smiles happily at us, endearing us to him.
Eclosion recognizes the effort of a man who is trying to break free from the mold or shell of a preconceived symbol that imprisons him and he is reborn.
Requiem is a tribute to the victims of 9/11 - through a pair of columns that are transformed into the wings of a man/angel who represents the human spirit that rises over the drama of such an evil act of terrorism.
Musical Seashells: in their festive spirit, evoke happiness, intoning the sounds of the sea and making us realize how glad they are to be alive - and in turn instill in us the same happiness.
Guillermo was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, October 26, 1959. He is the second oldest of nine children, born into a traditional Mexican family. From a very early age he was compelled to record his ideas and impressions by drawing and painting. His school years included notebooks with drawings, cartoons of companions and teachers.
A loving husband and father of two sons, Guillermo resides in Guadalajara. A gentle spirit, he requires three muses to reach his creative peaks: Solitude, Hope and Liberty.
His first exhibition in Puerto Vallarta took place in 1988 and was extremely well received. Subsequently he has participated in numerous collective and individual exhibitions in Puerto Vallarta as well as in Guadalajara and Monterrey.
In 1992 he received first place in the prestigious Salon de Octubre in Guadalajara. He has received numerous commissions for public works as well as requests for paintings and sculptures in diverse formats.
In art, Guillermo is mostly self-taught. He studied for two years in the workshop of well known sculptor Juan Gutierrez Reyes. He also studied under the supervision of Belgium art Carl Saegert.
In October of 2000, he was invited to participate in an “Expressive Figure Workshop” in Pietra Santa, Italy under the guidance of sculptor Cristina Mikulasek. There he focused on the human figure and the resulting sculpture was titled Emmanuella. He has been privileged to display his works throughout Mexico, and also in Lima Peru, Washington D.C., Germany, Israel and the Vatican.
In 2006 and 2007, Guillermo was voted “Best Visual Artist” by Virtual Vallarta's Reader’s Choice Awards. It is an award he receives with honor, but also accepts as a challenge to reach deeper within himself to create even better masterpieces.
He has sculpted a bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt which resides in the Whitehouse, as well as a statue of Cardinal J. Jesus Posadas which was the property of Pope John Paul II in the Vatican.
The winner of many juried art competitions in Mexico, he completed four large, public monuments from 1988 to 1991 in Guadalajara. In March, 2004 a larger version of his The Old Man and the Sea sculpture was installed on the Malecón in La Paz, Baja California. And in November 2006, life size sculptures of the three Musical Seashells were also added to the Malecón in La Paz.
Bill Megrail
What do you get when you mix high energy with tranquility? It may seem as much an oxymoron as "power yoga," but when you combine these together on canvas, as does G.W. Megrail (informally known as Bill) the result is a sensual encounter of light, color and movement.
Viewing Megrail’s work is akin to experiencing the current of a deep river – beneath the calm surface runs a strong energy. In Bill’s paintings, succulent green is embodied in broad leaves of banana palms, sunlight dances through leaves and blossoms to a birds-eye view of a patio; a path through the corn offers a tantalizing hint of a palace in the distance – invitations to step into the images and explore.
Bill has divided his time the last few years, between Vallarta and El Tuito, with visits to San Miguel. His paintings always reflect where he is – agave fields, banana leaves, ocean views or a combination of all that he sees is revealed on the canvas. Bill’s paintings bring the outdoors inside, full of light and subtle movement.
His portfolio attests to his evolution - or as he wryly states it, “I intend to keep evolving until I croak” - from the images and literature there-in, we follow the artist’s development from the early days of soft pastel colors, to detailed pointillism, and on to his more recent work of vibrant greens and soothing, deep shadows.
He works “en plein aire” - taking his canvas out into the jungle, the garden or the corn field, depending on his intuition. And there he captures with paint, all senses engaged, the images that grace homes and businesses throughout the North American continent.
In Bill’s view it takes pure grit and determination to just keep painting; believing that art is more important than a conventional lifestyle. Bill’s way, like that through the painted cornfield, represents its own singular path and he has followed it for more than thirty years. It has led him to study with a Tibetan lama; to move to Mexico, and to just keep doing the work that he considers “meditation in action.”
Megrail has been identified by Vallarta Lifestyles magazine as one of the most distinguished artists of Vallarta. Generous in spirit, he continues to contribute his energy and skills to the local art community.
Claire and Joe are not only proud to represent such incredible works of art, but are also honored to have the privilege to work with two such wonderful artists as Guillermo and Bill, who are always ready to help and give us their support all year.
Gallería Dante will host an exposition for these two artists on January 2, 2008 from 6 to 10 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 222-2477 or visit Dante’s website GalleriaDante.com. |
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