| The Marengo Collection is pleased to present the
work of Francisco Onate, painter and printmaker from Morelia,
Michoacan, Mexico. Onate is a keen observer of indigenous ceremonies
and celebrations, and lovingly translates
his appreciation for ancient cultures into his paintings and graphics.
One of Onate's common subjects is the masked ritual dancer. Throughout history, the mask has endowed ceremonial dancers with distinctive personalities and spiritual attributes. When Onate incorporates this theme in his art, he strives for an expression that is somewhere between reality and fantasy, drawing from the tangible world as well as the dream realm. He also focuses on imagery associated with holidays such as the Day of the Dead and Easter. Overall, the artist comments that the rich regional culture of his native Michoacan is like a never-ending source of inspiration for his work. Onate's woodcuts most often reflect the lives of the native people that inhabit the plateaus, valleys and mountains of Michoacan. He says, "The selections are happy themes, found like sparks of light in the world of enigmatic and mystified beings. My characters are beings who work the land, but at the same time in their festive costumes, they represent the legacy and conservation of profound and colorful traditions." Utilizing deep, muted earth tones of intensely saturated acrylic color, Onate's paintings impart a casualness reminiscent of Mexican votive paintings, which are usually done on tin or other available found materials. Onate chooses to paint instead on handmade rag or recycled paper with touches of bright, primary colors included to highlight the playfulness or irony found in his subjects. Onate was born in 1940 and studied at the Universidad Michoacana from 1959-65 with Alfredo Zalce, Roberto Martinez and Javier Arevalo. He has exhibited in Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuala, and the United States, and has taught and lectured on printmaking and painting. |
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