Enrique Martinez Celaya: Collected Writings and Interviews, 1990-2010 [Paperback]

Enrique Martinez Celaya, the artist whose Nomad Series of paintings inspired the Cowboy Junkies' current grand musical project, numbers among his achievements a publishing imprint through the University of Nebraska Press, Whale and Star. The imprint publishes some wonderful volumes, both hardcover and paperback - collections of poetry by the great Russians Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam; critical studies of art, music and culture, as well as several catalog volumes of Martinez Celaya's own severe and challenging works.

A few weeks ago I attended one of the lectures Enrique sponsors at his Whale and Star Gallery in Miami (wherein one may also browse his sketches and paintings, completed or in progress) where I picked up a copy of this volume of collected essays, notes, musings and interviews. It covers the period from 1990 when he was first sorting out why he painted and what he wanted to paint ("What I do not want to do: (1) Paintings where all the strength is in the story. (2) Make paintings that only I can understand" )to the present. He considers the impact of his decision to leave a career in science and become an artist ("Being a young and unknown painter sucks") and tracks his development into an immensely successful creative force with a fluid yet clear cognizance of the difficult media in which he traffics ("The relevance of images in painting consists not in showing us what is unfamiliar - novel - but rather in revealing the strangeness of what we consider familiar").

Along the way are provocative meditations on art, music, literature, spirituality, culture, the inner evolution laid bare (always a cleansing, sacrificial act when conducted at this level of sophistication and candor) of a visual artist who is also a gifted writer, critic, raconteur. Like any revelation of a complex intellect and personality evoked over a long period of time, the evolution of his thinking on these subjects is full of shifts of perspective, changes of mind, modifications, scrappings and restorations of conclusions as well as the questions posed before arriving at them. Nevertheless, he moves gracefully between the realms of science (he started out as a physicist with a specialization in quantum electronics), culture and art. At times his combination of probity, ebullience and erudition reminds me of John Berger's "Ways of Seeing" though Enrique - grounded in Kierkegaard, Hegelian and poststructuralist analysis - often arrives at a qualitatively different vision.

It's a joy to have him and his gallery here in Macondo Norte as intellectual and spiritual resources. This volume - which is also full of images of Enrique and his work - was my holiday present to myself. For llamas, which is what serious Cowboy Junkies fans call ourselves, it's also a fascinating look at the man behind the visual aspect of the Nomad Series and an opportunity to contemplate how a powerful artist can, via his work in one medium, impact the creative processes of other artists working in quite a different one.

You might also want to check out the Whale and Star gallery home page, which will give you a better idea of the breadth of his interests and projects and which features more images of the artist's work: [...]

The Collected Writings of Enrique Martinez Celaya span twenty years of the artist's passionate career. The book features a variety of written works, ranging from notes borrowed from journals and sketchbooks, to publications of interviews and university lectures. Martinez Celaya includes excerpts from his blog: "A Bad Time For Poetry", as well as some unique pieces, such as his letter of resignation to Pomona College. This collection includes a photo narrative of Martinez Celaya's work, which allow us to view the progression his life and art. The writings of Martinez Celaya depict a contemplative artist as he aspires to construct meaning in existence and come to terms with his own beliefs. His tireless pursuit of art and truth is an inspiration, exemplifying how one must be reflective in thought and deliberate in action. These pieces of writing invite us to consider what it takes to transcend the boundaries of the human experience.

"Collected Writings and Interviews 1990-2010" juxtaposes personal internal thoughts and "diary-like" entries during particular paintings with external explanations during interviews with other artists and curators such as Christopher Miles, Donald Baechler, and L. Kent Wolgamott. The personal notes Martinez Celaya makes are touching and insightful with a personal emotional reflection of the work at that time. In 2007 he wrote of an experience in a 7-Eleven, "As I walked back with my Big Gulp in my hand, my own disease of isolation cured for a moment by Munch, I noticed that I was the lady, the boy, and the girl (in the store) and that there was no time to waste...In my own life I have sought order and clarity through science and philosophy but only art actualized the bond between self and world and offered the possibility of compassion." This publication continuously stresses the importance of an artist's responsibility to challenge oneself, expand, grow and connect to the collective whole. It was a great way to get to know this artist on a more personal level.

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