Gromyko Semper

THE MINOTAUR'S RECOMPENSE

Sacrae Particulae Ex Nihilo

The Inspired Visions of Gromyko Semper

Vicente-Ignacio S. de Veyra

Going across a gallery full of Gromyko Semper ink/watercolor paintings and drawings (with his few oils) can be likened to listening to early Uriah Heep or some such old progressive rock music with all their fantastic abandon and iconoclastic humor possible. But, for now, we can’t be sure if Semper is merely an intelligent humorist, a happy/hermetic fantasist or a serious iconoclast.

In his first major solo show after so many group shows, Semper falls for the title The Minotaur’s Recompense (opening October 23, 6pm, at the Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art,

Parañaque City

). Sure, the show title is a tribute to The Soothsayer’s Recompense by Giorgio de Chirico, one of the stalwarts of proto-Surrealism. But the title betrays a Semperian love/hate relationship with mythology which is precisely what the anatomy of iconoclasm consists of. For iconoclasm, whether in imagery or the literary field, is actually a mission to supplant an existing religious hegemony for the facility of presenting alternative cosmic attachments. And so iconoclasm, while being a war effort, is also a display of that love/hate relationship with mythology. So, bearing that in mind, Semper—as a young Filipino exemplar in neosurrealism and visionary art—cannot be simplified as a mere parody artist with an abominable patience for imagery details but is in fact a religious mythologist himself. For, never forget, visionary art is its own mythology already. Like the old dada art and original surrealism, neosurrealism and visionary art are both old/new drugs that worship a Zen koan-like heaven, which is really a simple absinthe-afternoon heaven of complex juxtapositions.

Semper As Per Iconoclasm

We’re not talking about the iconoclasm of destruction, of course, but the one more suited to our time and the artist’s profession—and that’s the type that appropriates, twists, and finally destroys the icon by emulating the snake that eats another snake to make that eaten snake this living renewed snake outside.

Semper’s art pieces aren’t lovely as a hare’s portrait, that’s obvious, but are snake-like in their charm. They actually appropriate religious and other humanist mythologies via their iconographic imagery and instantly parody (or generously twist) these. And the way Semper parodies ‘em all! He actually enters the art of iconography, goes through the religiosity of ceremonious patience in creating details, as if he were one of those craftsmen called by the mughal to decorate the Taj tiles or by the Jesuits to

Mexicanize Santa Maria Tonantzintla Church

’s ceiling.

And this is precisely where a Semper can go beyond being merely charming and become quite a delight. Because you religiously go through the details with the artist, examine with him each Breughelian serpentization of a scepter, each demonization of an immaculate virgin to expose her false demigoddess-ness in a gallery collective of false demigod-ness. And here is our signal to ask: Is Semper’s imagery a product of some heavy metal pseudo-Satanism or of a serious Hieronymus Bosch-ness (were Bosch a Reformationist)?

The answer to this question will vary, of course, from gallery visitor to another, from critic to critic. For each Semper piece is a potential conversation piece, provoking conversations which can snake their way into historical alluding, quoting, complicit denigrating as well as faithful defending. And that can only be so because in all their Albrecht Durer-like complexity, Semper’s detailed ink composites are in effect war sermons of disgust with the human history of religious iconographic lies and semi-lies.

Baroque Sempernoza

But forget for the moment that Semper was the first Filipino to be invited to participate in Keith Wigdor’s (and the International Surrealist Movement in the 21^stCentury’s) international Surrealism Now exhibit in Coimbra, Portugal. Or that before he went there in May of this year he co-edited with Héctor Pineda the bookImagine the Imagination: New Visions of Surrealism,published in

Poland

in 2009 by nEgoist Sp.z.o.o., with him writing the Introduction to the book. And of course he was one of the artists included in that anthology, joining a select 100 international surrealist/visionary artists, famous and unknown, working in the genre today.

Now the question might be asked: why would anyone in this religious country given to baroque Marian art be attracted to invest in a Semper of a seemingly new Filipino Enlightenment? Why would local galleries even be enthused to have him? Well, perhaps that’s the point. If Jose Saramago wasn’t Portuguese, his literary iconoclasm wouldn’t mean anything, would it? Yet, in the Catholic city of Lisboa, Saramago’s “anti-Christian” books had been commercial successes, the earlier one helped perhaps by his exile, the latter helped by the media focus on the Laureate’s newfound notoriety.

A Catholic country is the perfect, nay the logical, market/audience for new anti-religious or anti-humanist iconoclasm. Sempers can actually decorate a restaurant’s corners, emitting both decorative values as well as intelligent informed symbologies among dining historians, semioticians, and some such group of Filipino intellectuals.

So,…I mentioned heavy metal sensibilities (sans the airbrush) as well as intellectual freethinking ones. But beyond those circles and the esthetic formalist, is there another audience for Semper’s Voltairean titles? Oh yes, of course—there’s the J.R.R. Tolkien fan, the literary fan of archaic myths, as well as the ardent admirer of craftsmen’s patience. And, lastly, the investor in difficult craft who may care little for the fact that not all complex craftsmanship is intelligent art.

Semper Fidelis

That’s our signal. Now let’s examine Semper’s intelligence beyond the craft.

In his fidelity to details as well as to the exactitude of his titles, all in the hope perhaps of arriving at Umberto Eco’s “closed text” level for a more universal reading, Semper’s pieces are not simple book illustrations material however. While “Our Lady of Perpetual Abandon” is classic transparent parody, for instance, “Eulogy to Melancholy (Whose Tormentors Appear Before Pleroma)” is a semiotic field that could allude to as many significances as one can muster—one of which could be an allusion to Napoleonic self-crownings sanctioned by divine authority. “Paracelsus Preparing the Sacrae Particulae Ex Nihilo,” meanwhile, could be an homage to the Renaissance alchemist’s magic, as if Paracelsus is one of surrealist/visionary art’s inspirers. And while “Hecate, Anubis, Consus” may be deemed a subtle bow to Hieronymus Bosch panel paintings qua literary narrative-cum-satire, only this time using Roman gods instead of Christian ones, “The Hermetic Fool” might be read as both a sneer and a tribute portrait. And while “The Vessel of Balaam” goes beyond parody to wax loud mockery, “Circe’s Ventriloquy” skips loud parody to subtly portray a heroine/villain as a good/evil motherly lady with leprous hands.

So, there you are. It’s not as though the sacrae particulae of Semper-headedness came ex nihilo. And that intentionality is precisely what separates neosurrealism from good ol’ automatist surrealism.

The visionary surrealist art of Gromyko Padilla Semper

Gromyko Padilla Semper is something of a cult phenomenon. Well known amongst members of the International Organizations, prestigious surrealist/visionary art societies, and associations as the ever-prolific and hard-working surreal - visionary artist, theistic philosopher, and symbolist, he is bringing the surreal back to the attention of the modern art-community – regardless of the many risks that befall on him for it. 

His creations are provocative, sometimes shocking, yet powerfully and beautifully riddled with striking symbolism. His pieces, crafted with the knowledge that art is subjective to the viewer and that the essence he feels for his work is personal - in comparison to the viewer’s interpretations - contrast with the modern familiarities about the nature of reality. 

Gromyko documents the experience of the human entity, his works ironies, metaphors, and paradoxes. He summons within us the sleeping child, the questioning, un-conditioned - yet long dormant - desire to know, to doubt. Through his pieces we sail through the realization of evil, hypocrisy, and perversion in order to change it for good. He believes that a visionary approach to art, as Dali would have put into words, "a combination of mysticism and nuclear physics (science), is the only hope we have to look forward in art.

As to his own works, Gromyko emulates a sense of the visionary and, even though he stands on the shoulders of artists from the past as sources of inspiration, he pushes the limits of past discoveries towards the future through his pallet and brush. He is at the frontline of those that seek to propel the future of art as a future heading towards a self-cognizant, neo-renaissance spectacle and this duty Gromyko feels he must undertake “to periscopically see through time...with mysticism and psychology along with metaphysics...and discover the extent of the gift from God...’’. 

Gromyko’s Dream is one of passion and meticulosity, an artistic revolution, a discovery of truth: 

“The revolution of the mind involves not only the mind but also everything in this concrete materiality...hand in hand, brother to brother, a utopian vision it may seem, but by showing the ugliness of lies and the bitter truth, in religion, in everything, I see that there is still hope...the artist must learn to navigate and show this movement towards the future in his art...that dream, even if I myself in absolute self cannot achieve, the glory of pursuing such is worth the price I’m paying and worth the sweat I’m excreting...’’

Article by Joseph Michael O'Naraigh,

Great Britain

A Critique of “Madonna of the Syringe”*(ink on paper) byJohn Paul Thornton, artist extraordinaire, Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, California, 2009

"None of you are going anywhere. We are all going to stay right here and be happy and thankful..."
That's a line spoken by Mad Max to a tribe of children in a post-apocalyptic future world. It's from an action movie made decades ago called "Beyond Thunderdome." In this particular scene, Max, who has supposedly spent years blowing up thugs, committing mayhem and blasting his way through the wastelands of Australia, stumbles upon a sweet village of children. Sheltered in a lush oasis, hidden from the murderous horrors of Post World War three civilization, these children are excited to meet up with Max, who they believe to be their savior. At one point in the story, a few children are inspired to leave their safe oasis to venture into the cruel world outside.

It is then that Max suddenly states these lines I quoted above. The audience is a bit shocked to hear mad Max transform into a caring parental figure. He warns them to temper their curiosity, swallow their youthful adventure, and just stay right where they are. He knows what dangers await them, should they leave.

Of course, in the movie, the children leave anyway, and so begin a risky journey into the great unknown. Max's warning goes unheeded.my point is, we embrace danger. We question warnings.

Now, let us examine the delicate drawing at hand. The artist Gromyko is an amazing creator. In this compelling work, "Maddonna of the Syringe," we are met with a similar warning of sorts. It is a warning for our real world, our real culture.

The drawing itself is one of many from a series which appear to be etchings or woodblocks from a period long before our own century. They mimic the style of prints made in

Europe

during the 1600s, a time of religious war, inquisition and fervor.

In fact, this series is created by Gromyko with pen and ink, in rapid execution. The designs of all of these works are intricate and illustrative, like images one might stumble upon in a huge thick, musty book, tucked in the bowels of a forgotten library. But to know that they were made just recently, by a young artist from our own time gives us pause to wonder: What is Gromyko about? Who is this person, living along the

Pacific Rim

, scribbling religious iconography like a Baroque engraver, delivering comments on the evils of drugs and Hallucination-inducing stupor?

And why do we care?

Gromyko himself is a young master of surrealism, a style which has grown to become one of the most durable and defining modes of our time. And Gromyko, like many artists of our time, has become adept at embracing history. He froths at the mouth when speaking of the great chain he feels connected to. And he seems to tell us that we ought to be in love with this connection as well. So to use an antique impression of the Maddonna is simply his way of using the most honored and eloquent words he can. She is forever. She was our great great great great Grand mother, and will be our yet-unborn great great great Grand daughter. Yet in Gromyko's vision, she is at risk of perverting herself, and thus perverting our culture.

She is capable of leaving the safe oasis of prayer and creativity to embrace the false energy of narcotics. She prays to the bones of dead ends and false promises.

And so, in a way, Gromyko's message is a plea, like the Mad Max character, who told the children to trust in the beauty they had, instead of risking it for a life in the wasteland.

Gromyko calls for us to sense our great connection with the eternal past, while reminding us that the way to escape this fucked up world is through art. Not the drug of pathetic, stupid reality. however sobering, reality makes us drunk with baseness and causes us to substitute thrill for authenticity.

Gromyko whispers, "Sit down and draw." Become the dust you were and the dust you may yet be... but do it with your own mind, your own magical mind, ripe with dreams beyond the real.

And be thankful.

John Paul Thornton, 2009

(*Madonna of the Syringe belong to the private collection of John Paul Thornton, an influential artist/writer extraordinaire, and author of the book ART and COURAGE, who is famous for his Missing Children series)

Artist Bio: 

Born: January 13 1985, 4 years before Salvador Dali dies.

Age: 24 and Counting

Civil status: On a relationship

Education: Undergrad, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, La Fortuna College

Certificate, Basic and Advanced Painting and Drawing Lessons, His Art Gallery and Performing Arts Center

Individual Exhibition/s:

Society for Art of Imagination (Prestigious Surreal Fantastic Visionary Art Society)

Gromyko.artlmntl.com
the-surreal-arts.deviantart.com
Absolutearts.com
Stormartists.com

Gromykosemper.carbonmade.com
Gromyko.deviantart.com
Lostbooks.deviantart.com
Saatchi-gallery.com
MyArtPlot.com
abnormals.org

Visionary Art Tribe at Ning.com

Visionaryartists.deviantart.com

Collaborativecorpse.deviantart.com

Group Exhibitions:

Books and Art Fair, 2005, Nueva Ecija Convention Center
NECAG, 2006, Nueva Ecija Convention Center
Sining Kabanatuan,Araw ng Kabanatuan, 2006, Cabanatuan City Hall
Art Fair, 2007, CLSU, Nueva Ecija
Philippine Art Awards, 2008, Philip Morris Group of Companies, GSIS MUSEUM
Fixed Exhibition, from 2007, Museo Ecijano, Nueva Ecija Provincial Capitol
Grand Opening Exhibit, 2008, 71 C. St. Gallery, Cabanatuan City
NUEVA Group Launching, 2008, 71 C. St. Galllery, Cabanatuan City
Grand Opening Exhibit, 2008, Desegno Delarosa, Cabanatuan City
Group Show, NE Pacific Mall, Cabanatuan City

Affiliations/Positions:

Founder/Administrator/President, International Imaginative Artists Association (IIAA)

Iiaaproject.deviantart.com

Administrator, The Surreal Arts Club, International Surrealist Club

Member, Society for Art of Imagination, Internationally acclaimed Society of Surreal/Fantastic/Visionary Arts

Member, Visionary Art Tribe, A Brotherhood/Sisterhood of Visionary Creators headed by artist Otto Rapp

Member, Abnormals.org, Contemporary modern Arts Association,

Poland

Contributor, Death Book project, a book Published by Negoist.com, Poland

Co-Editor, Imagine the Imagination: New Visions of Surrealism, soon to be released book on New Surreal Art Works, and published by negoist.com, Poland

References:

Hector Pineda, Surrealist, Huixquilucan

Mexico

hpineda@savi.com.mx

John Paul Thornton, Artist, Department of Cultural Affairs,

L.A.. California, U.S.A.

art@johnpaulthornton.com

Christian De Boeck, Founder,Fantastic Art Center

Presided by renowned Fantastic Realist Ernst Fuchs,South Africa

Christian@FAC.org

Bridgid Marlin, renowned Fantastic Realist Artist,

United Kingdom

brigid@AOL.com



Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art is a privately owned venue for artistic expression. It is strategically located within a cluster of progressive communities South of Manila. It has an independent exhibition area able to accommodate large-scale works, and a spacious garden ideal for outdoor programs, performances and sculpture installations.

Goals of Kulay-Diwa

To discover and promote the works of talented, young and deserving Filipino Artist;

To serve as a cultural outpost and make the arts more accessible to the fast-growing communities South of Manila; and

To foster cultural interaction and exchanges with the local regions and other countries.

Kulay(Color)

Diwa(Spirit, Thought)





Available artworks:

Description:

And so it was when time immemorial is no longer memorized when in the memory of these pseudo-visionary minds did these visions arise, from the chemical infatuation of fungal sublime then came what seem to be as God did arrive...or not…

Description:

It is a common dogmatic catholic view that any apparition should be considered sacred. I saw an apparition in the toilet bowl after I took a load out of my systems…come and invite the Cardinals so they may whisk some holy water and declare that another apparition has taken place, again!!!

Description:

Catholic Ecstasy of the Nun whores reveling in the night with a priestly rod rodding itself among the sweet bossoms of these blasphemous young ladies ready to suck down every holy baton they comes across with...

Abortion is the solution says the Benedictive Pope....come on my Sister, take this and be cleansed...

Description:

The serpent tells the woman that she will not die if she eats the fruit of the tree: "When you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."So the woman eats, and gives to the man who also eats. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons." The man and woman hide themselves from God, the man blaming the woman for giving him the fruit, and the woman blaming the serpent. God curses the serpent, "upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life;" the woman he punishes with pain in childbirth, and with subordination to man: "your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you;" and Adam he punishes with a life of toil: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground." The man names his wife Eve, "because she was the mother of all living."

"Behold," says God, "the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil." God expels the couple from Eden, "lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever;" the gate of Eden is sealed by cherubim and a flaming sword "to guard the way to the tree of life."

Description:

The hermetic conscience witnessing the weeping of furniture religion adversely relating the condition of human existence and its nihilistic decadence with hopes that manna shall fall from heaven before the apocalypse convene.

Description:

Dividing everything into separate entities such as good and evil, black and white only allows us to blame someone for the bad we do. It conversely solidifies our faith in a God who cares about us personally. We take comfort, but no credit in our dualistic beliefs.

Description:

and I saw them as I entered the nun whore house, these three disgraceful graces gracing the hallway, I couldn’t help but erupt like a volcano as I smell their scent...luscious beings foretold to burn in hell...

Description: The heirophant of entheogen holding a blossoming bush of cannabis sativa disguised as an idle branch with lunatic tendencies witness by dalinian entities mimicing the moon and the sun for all we now spitting seminal fluids on the nun whoric cross dressing Pope Benedict.

Description:

The Three stages on Becoming a Visionary

Stage I: Opening the Eye of the Physical
Stage II: Opening of the Eye of the Mind
Stage II: Opening of the Eye of Vision/Spirit

Description: 

This is an exquisite Corpse Collaboration between artist Tim bush of USA , and Myself…

Tim sent me his half bottom drawing and covered the rest allowing only an inch of it for me to continue in the upper portion.

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