Anatomy of Sorrow

by Diaz, Daniel Martin (ART); Gore, Janice S., Ph.D.

• ISBN13: 9780867197686
• ISBN10: 0867197684
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-11-15
• Publisher: Last Gasp of San Francisco

Summary

Anatomy Of Sorrow is the latest monograph by prolific and influential artist Daniel Martin Diaz, which explores a new depth of symbolism, mysticism and surreal iconography depicted in paintings, drawings, and prints. Drawing from old masters Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel, and Hieronymus Bosch, both in subject matter and in the ancient egg tempera and resin oil painting technique, the works of self-taught artist and classically trained composer Daniel Martin Díaz possess a sincerity that foregrounds his deep devotion to revealing a higher meaning through painstaking craftsmanship. Through his application of a limited palette on distressed wood, his handmade wooden frames, and his expressive use of Latin text, Díaz's images thrust us into another time and place.

Excerpts

Beyond The Sacred By Paula Catherine Valencia The artwork of Daniel Martin Diaz is steeped in the tradition, yet moved beyond the sacred. His creative imagery has influenced a new generation of artists across the world, which borrow, copy, or imitate, yet fall short of the capturing the true depth of emotion and its source. One of those strong conceptual elements is Diaz's use of the depictions of creatures with human faces, whether Christ-like, angelic, or that of the Blessed Virgin. These mystical snakes and deer, moths and whales have become a signature symbol of humanity; their heads and faces representative of our individual expression, our minds, our souls from which all earthly perceptions are formed. It is in this representation that we are reminded that that it is our connection to nature that truly makes us human and further defines our connection to the Creator of our universe. Certain elements we recognize and are familiar with, yet somehow we are seeing them for the first time in a surreal and mournful light as if these objects have been recreated so that we may again take notice. It is in these things that we do not truly understand that perplex us, that become meaningful and personal. Each infused with one's own interpretation, which transforms the essence of that which had originated as an insinuated perspective, but now has become a plain and simple reality. It is in this esoteric world, that we find ourselves with Diaz, contemplating and exploring ancient text, mystical images, and metaphysical realms that embrace tradition, yet move us beyond the sacred.