Patrick McGrath Muniz
Tell us about you and your work
My work consists primarily of oil paintings on canvas and retablo panels inspired by Spanish Colonial Iconography and American Pop culture. As an artist living in Houston, with a Roman Catholic background and growing up during the 1980's and 90's in Puerto Rico, the oldest colony in the Western hemisphere, my paintings respond to our capitalist and consumerist society by tracing its origins to the time of Columbus. Adopting Renaissance painting techniques on canvas and retablos reminiscent of Spanish colonial art, allows me to emulate earlier indoctrination strategies and devices from the time of the conquest of the Americas. This in turn provides historical continuity between the Colonial and the Neo-colonial narratives present in the Anthropocene, an epoch defined by the enormous impact of human activities on the Earth's ecosystems. Through satirical narratives, anachronisms and a re-contextualization of history I'm able to explore and shed light on the colonial roots of the ruling Corpocracy with its Neo-colonial ramifications. By also appropriating archetypal imagery and symbolism from Art History, Mythology, Astrology and Tarot, I create scenes that mirror my own experience living in a world impacted by technology, climate change, social inequality, migration and pandemics. The aim is to reflect on how our capitalist doctrines and consumerist habits have modified our appreciation towards history, nature and ourselves.
What inspires you?
My own memories, World History, and ancient myths.
What does community mean to you?
In 2001 I would have said the community is my hometown and the people who live around my studio. Being involved in the social and cultural life of the town where my studio was located, I also used to teach, organize student exhibitions, host open studios and organize plein air painting events. It is now 2021 and a lot has happened since. Now I consider the larger global social network as my main community and place where I share my artwork and ideas.
Favorite film:
There are so many, but if I had to choose one it would be La Montaña Sagrada (The Holy Mountain) by Alejandro Jodorowsky
Favorite song:
Amanecer by Silvio Rodríguez
