Hugo Crosthwaite’s artistic process is deeply intuitive, purposeful and provocative. As Hugo began his mural, I paid close attention to his approach. There was no sketch. No pencil lines for guidance. No hesitation when applying cerebral pencil marks, paint and ink on the gallery wall.
Artistic accidents became defining moments within the mural’s evolution. (Above, Hugo Crosthwaite in studio preparing work for the California Pacific Triennial, 2013).
By example, Hugo’s brush released a single drop of paint which immediately fell downwards toward the floor. Defeating all odds, the black pigment found its way back onto the wall, reconstructed itself and formed a perfectly straight line. Yes, this was a finite observation, but one I will cherish within this lifetime.
On Monday, June 22, a singular light skimmed the surface of the west-facing wall. Focussing on the lower right corner, Hugo Crosthwaite placed his first pencil mark inside an expansive sea of white.
Mind-mapping the entire surface area where his mural was to be, Hugo Crosthwaite applied one hundred more pencil strokes. His narrative instantly transformed the space into a realistic conversation shared amongst two young Mexican girls. As the gallery lights dimmed, they awaited further rendition from their maestro the following day.
Engaged in intimate dialogue, and seemingly opposed, the two protagonists represented something deeper. On the left, traditional Mexican values empower a healthy female figure sharing Aztec-inspired folklore. A younger, more feeble figure stands to her right upon unequal footing and attempts to absorb oral convention.
“Analyzing the massive space left unsaid, they’ll soon be distracted by the allure of something new floating overhead, ” I reflected.
“Analyzing the massive space left unsaid, they’ll soon be distracted by the allure of something new floating overhead, ” I reflected.
I was originally exposed to Hugo Crosthwaite’s exceptional narrative skill in 2010 during a live installation at the San Diego Art Museum. His mural, La Cola de dos Ciudades, (“A Tale of Two Cities”), was inspired by the duality of daily life shared between Tijuana and San Diego, (pictured above).
This would prove to be a defining theme over the years since and visually defining in all of his large-scale-works—including Word Balloons.
Reflecting still, I looked for familiar visual language shared between both projects. By end of day two, mythological appendages reached downward and the black curtain of Hugo Crosthwaite’s thought bubble had revealed four sequentially painted characters. Cartoonified eyes peered out amongst the connective tissue of this historic American comic expose.
The graphic allure and sensationalism contained within Hugo’s mural began to manifest. A bold collection of graphic-inspired faces and body parts emerged one-by-one. Fuzzy bear and bunny ears affixed themselves to sexified harlequin character studies emerging out of the black pigment.
The diorama embraced comic intrigue in the forms of looming danger, villainous symbology and sexual undertones. Hugo Crosthwaite’s comic-inspired speech balloon floated above the imaginative mindset of the two rendered characters huddled below.
Hugo translated ancient symbols for speech and soul, “This is the Aztec symbol for speech reserved only for Kings and High Priests. The girl telling the story has that power, the power reserved only for Kings. And as the other girl hears the story, her emotions move to her heart and stimulates her mind.”
Day three, and it now becomes clear that sex and violence have denied possibility for inner word balloon peace. Innocence is being recomposed by the graphic allure of danger, proving itself much too strong to be contained.
Traditions are being dismantled by peering eyes and snarling teeth. Cultural morality is contaminated by the comic-influence of Jack Kirby and the Golden Age of Comic Books. At the close of day three a ghostly figure was left within the compositional void. (Above/below features the work of Jack Kirby).
Day four began again with the soft touch of pencil and a young boy dangling at the bottom of the “blimpified-wall-composition.”
After awhile longer, Hugo exercised himself to the back of the gallery, “The fantasy is becoming reality. The boy character pulls down on the word balloon, hanging on…The boy is making the fantasy and imagination of the opposing girls a reality.”
Day five and stage one of the balloon-o-sphere is nearing completion. Deliberate lines of narrative detail have been strategically placed to maximize the tension shared between rendered boy and crazed harlequin. “Don’t look! The allure of corruption and what lies inside is not for you.”
Word Balloons takes place at the SDSU Downtown Gallery July 2 through July 27 with a special live painting and drawing event held on Thursday, July 9, 2015 from 6PM to 9PM at 725 West Broadway, San Diego, California.
Upon gallery close Hugo Crosthwaite’s six-day-vision will be covered up by a colorless bandage, concealing the carnage of his cultural clash. (Hugo Crosthwaite: Carpas/CA Triennial, Hugo Crosthwaite Interview, Morbid Curiosity and Brutal Beauty).
(Above, Hugo Crosthwaite prepares Tijuana Radiant Shine Shattered Mural, 2015).