I made this piece of Zozobra in the last few days. He is a man on fire, a man set apart and filled with all of the feelings that people would rather not feel – especially fear and it’s manifestation as worry. I can see many emotions in this captured frame of Zozobra’s experience as a solo burner, a New Mexican Jesus crucified and burning for the sins of the masses. Fear must be a sin (not that I am one for harping on about sins) in that it disconnects us from the current experience of what is real around us, and leads to things such as imprisonments and crucifixions of innocent men and women.
I name this Mr. Solo Zozo as well with a certain influence coming from KiD CuDi who amongst other names refers to himself as Mr. Solo Dolo. His cover of his newest album, Indicud, is engulfed in flames, just like Zozobra. I have been listening to his music a fair amount whilst painting lately, and he himself seems like a Zozobra of sorts – speaking out about his depressions and sadness much more than the average lyricist. Burn him?
This painting will be on display along with one or two others in the works at the Annual Zozofest Art Show at El Museo Cultural in the Railyard of Santa Fe on the 30th and 31st of August. See the event page here: http://burnzozobra.com/zozofest/
I like, Joe = Glad you are painting