I finished one more illustration based on a famous fairy tale: “The Little Mermaid” by Andersen.
The actual story is more dramatic than its Disney counterpart. There’s a religious undertone to it, something rather common in Andersen’s tales.
I personally don’t resonate with religious themes, they normally don’t inspire me to do anything of interest. However in this story I found an element that I liked, which is what I depicted.
The Little Mermaid’s martyrdom (represented through the story by her constant bleeding and initial sacrifice to enter the human world) well represents the condition of women (or better, the Yin energy) in our male dominated societies.
Earth itself (“Mother” Earth) is constantly being sacrificed by chauvinistic male imperialism, in the name of an illusory expansion with no end that only bring destruction.
On the contrary, the female side (or the divine Shakti if you like) is a creative force that now more than ever should be restored. Art itself is Shakti, because art is creation.
I realized that subconsciously this has been a topic I’ve always more or less represented in my illustrations, because I’ve always felt the effects of these unbalanced energies all around me, particularly in society.
It’s the story of the world, isn’t it? I guess we already have an idea of where it leads. It’s time to consider changing our points of view in life and rebuild ourselves and our perceptions.
Anyway, enough talking.
I hope you like it.
Posted on 20 February '12 by Alejandro Dini, under Finished work. No Comments.
Last illustration of the year. Experiment 14 started like all my experiments (a doodle), but I liked where it was going, so I decided to boost it to about 7000×4200 pixels and work on it as much as I wanted, to finish it.
The process has been incredibly smooth, which helped in delivering this semi-abstract composition, one aspect I recently thought I’d like to develop.
Sometimes I feel that excessively realistic and figurative representation of subjects become a constraint for the mood I intend to express. I’m glad I managed to stay away from these virtual “chains” of my mind.
In a way Experiment 14 is the culmination of all the previous experiments. If you notice, since Experiment 1 I’ve been trying to fade the figure into a background, playing with solidity and perception, real and unreal.
I consider this piece a little step ahead in my search for personal expression.
I’ll keep working this way as much as circumstances allow me to.
PS: I even made a new signature, something that doesn’t look as nasty as my actual handwriting. 
Trying to find adequate words for this.
To me Originality is “expression of origin”, not “creation of something new”. Being “original” is the ability of accessing our most primordial state of being. It’s much harder than simply creating something new within the levels of imposition we experience daily.
Who cares about that?
Let’s break the rules and let’s see what happens.
It’s very hard, but getting to know how our experiences have shaped us into becoming this fictional creature we think we are is very important in order to start deconstructing everything.
In other words: let’s enjoy life by expressing the purest form of imagination. No compromises.
I’d really like to live in an unchained world where the only thing that matters is mutual respect. Other than that: wildness!
Posted on 19 December '11 by Alejandro Dini, under News. No Comments.
If you live in Madrid, I remind you about the Expocomic 2011 exhibition, happening right now, until December 4.
The main reason why this time it’s very interesting for me is Arttiko.
Arttiko is a group of art promoters and prints sellers. They make very cool digital prints on canvas, something unique in my opinion.
They will sell some of my work in the show, but you miss it or you aren’t in Spain, you can still purchase them from their website.
There are several digital artists selling through Arttiko, check them all out!
Posted on 29 November '11 by Alejandro Dini, under News. No Comments.
I want to share a wonderful quote.
There’s a deep meaning in it, it’s not just “pretty words”. It’s what I’ve been feeling towards art for a long time, causing my personal struggles in the search of myself through this form of expression that too often gets polluted by conventions and preconceptions.
Rather than a process of learning, I think I’m trying to unlearn everything. It’s even harder.
Art is meant to be the freest and purest journey a human being could undertake.
That’s the way it is for me.
“Art’s task is to save the soul of mankind and anything less is a dithering while Rome burns. Because if the artist (who is self-selected, for being able to journey into the Other) cannot find the way, then the way cannot be found.” - Terence McKenna
Posted on 21 November '11 by Alejandro Dini, under News. No Comments.
