The World of Fantomas
Santiago Perez
Over the years my painting has added up to what seems like a Cartoon Land, a world I call Fantomas. It is populated by cartoon beings,
animals and fantastic creatures, toys, contraptions, and beings that stand in for counterparts in the real world. I suppose it is a type of satire
and commentary on life in general, not of great, worldly import, but mostly of my own sphere of apprehension. Fairy tales, mythology, and pop
culture, provide a ready source of inspiration. I love reading books and stories of all kinds, from all lands and peoples. There are princesses
from fairy tales, Spanish Infantas from Velasquez paintings, knights and dragons of ancient lore, wizards and alchemical magic, otter boys as
Salingeresque writers, little orphan clowns raised by wolves creating strange Freudian kinships, huge battles with toy armies and invading ETs,
and many other visual inventions. I write back-stories for all of the images. One of these creatures I have named Mergatroid, or all of his
species, really--a be-hatted birdlike man, short, with a big coat or robe, and big shoes, proceeded by a beak—who plays the fool or Everyman
in various comic poses and situations. Another actor is The Little Boy and the Lion, or, almost the same, The Little Boy on a White Horse, who
rides in a world of animated toys. I call them actors acting in the painting, which is designed like a theatrical setting. I get inspiration from
cliches, poetic lines, remarkable phrases, some of these coming from poems, books, pop song lyrics, TV and movie action or dialog, and from
many other writers and artists. My overall idea is to paint something new, hopefully beautiful, and make the viewer smile.
I live near Albuquerque, NM and exhibit at Nuart Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, nuartgallery.com, and Mary Martin Fine Art Gallery in
Charleston, South Carolina, marymartingallery.com. I have also written an interactive book (with Yusef Lovato) available for IPad 2 and above,
called Voyage to Fantomas. For more images and information you may visit my website: santiago-perez.com.
Santiago Perez
Over the years my painting has added up to what seems like a Cartoon Land, a world I call Fantomas. It is populated by cartoon beings,
animals and fantastic creatures, toys, contraptions, and beings that stand in for counterparts in the real world. I suppose it is a type of satire
and commentary on life in general, not of great, worldly import, but mostly of my own sphere of apprehension. Fairy tales, mythology, and pop
culture, provide a ready source of inspiration. I love reading books and stories of all kinds, from all lands and peoples. There are princesses
from fairy tales, Spanish Infantas from Velasquez paintings, knights and dragons of ancient lore, wizards and alchemical magic, otter boys as
Salingeresque writers, little orphan clowns raised by wolves creating strange Freudian kinships, huge battles with toy armies and invading ETs,
and many other visual inventions. I write back-stories for all of the images. One of these creatures I have named Mergatroid, or all of his
species, really--a be-hatted birdlike man, short, with a big coat or robe, and big shoes, proceeded by a beak—who plays the fool or Everyman
in various comic poses and situations. Another actor is The Little Boy and the Lion, or, almost the same, The Little Boy on a White Horse, who
rides in a world of animated toys. I call them actors acting in the painting, which is designed like a theatrical setting. I get inspiration from
cliches, poetic lines, remarkable phrases, some of these coming from poems, books, pop song lyrics, TV and movie action or dialog, and from
many other writers and artists. My overall idea is to paint something new, hopefully beautiful, and make the viewer smile.
I live near Albuquerque, NM and exhibit at Nuart Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, nuartgallery.com, and Mary Martin Fine Art Gallery in
Charleston, South Carolina, marymartingallery.com. I have also written an interactive book (with Yusef Lovato) available for IPad 2 and above,
called Voyage to Fantomas. For more images and information you may visit my website: santiago-perez.com.
| The New York Optimist |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| © MMXIV, The New York Optimist. All Rights Reserved. The New York Optimist & www.thenewyorkoptimist.com is a registered trademark of The New York Optimist. The New York Optimist is a registered service mark of Thenewyorkoptimist.com. The New York Optimist logo and original photos are a registered trademark of The New York Optimist . All other photos are property of the advertiser. And are rightfully protected under their copyright protections. |
SHARE
| Santiago perez |
| Great Fools War |
| Dont Walk Up To Suddenly While Otter Boy Is At Dinner |
| The Ballad of the Aztec Pilot, oil on linen, 60 X 60 |
| Games Mergatroids Play |
| In the Hall of the Mountain Kings, they play Pelota, oil on linen, 78 X 96 |
| The Anxiety of the Aztec Pilot as he prepares for Takeoff, oil on linen, 40X40 |
| The Further Adventures of the Tin Soldier, oil on linen, 60 X 72 |
| The Test, In which the Little Boy and the Lion jump through the Apple of Flames, oil on linen 60X72 |
| The End of Spanish Painting, oil on linen, 72X72 |
| Burlesque |
| Payaso de la Muerte goes out Again!, oil on linen, 50 X 72 |
| Tolstoy's Beard: Removal of a Stone, oil on linen, 44 X 44 |
| The Little Man who stole all the Houses, oil on linen, 66 X 60 |
| The Battle of the Mergatroids and the HuBots, oil on canvas, 109 X 156 |
| Saturday Night in Mergatroidville, oil on linen, 48 X 48 |