Mano Sotelo
July/August, 2013
Interview
Mano Sotelo
Mano Sotelo, BFA, MFA, teaches at Pima College and The Drawing Studio. He served on the City of Tucson’s Public Art and Community Design Committee. See more of Mano Sotelo’s work at http://www.sotelostudio.com/SportmsP.html
SAN: Are you a native Californian? How long have you been in Tucson?
Mano Sotelo: Actually I’m a native Tucsonan. I had a great time growing up here. I moved to California for college, and I lived in New York for a while; but I came back to Tucson to be with family.
Saguaro National Park East
SAN: Your oil landscapes are quite beautiful, and many feature our iconic saguaros. Please select one that is especially meaningful to you and tell us about it.
Mano Sotelo: The painting I chose is of Saguaro National Park East. I spent a great deal of time outdoors as a kid and I continue to enjoy hiking, sketching and plein air painting around Tucson; specifically in the Saguaro National Parks, Finger Rock, Catalina State Park, Pima Canyon and Sabino Canyon. Connecting with nature can act as a great reminder that we part of something bigger. I love saguaros and rocks for their unique character and beauty. I’m fascinated with how the sun interacts with them to change their appearance throughout the day and seasons. This particular painting reminds me of how much I also enjoy the drama of monsoon season; with cracks of sun shining through swirling clouds and great sunsets.
Mano Sotelo: The painting I chose is of Saguaro National Park East. I spent a great deal of time outdoors as a kid and I continue to enjoy hiking, sketching and plein air painting around Tucson; specifically in the Saguaro National Parks, Finger Rock, Catalina State Park, Pima Canyon and Sabino Canyon. Connecting with nature can act as a great reminder that we part of something bigger. I love saguaros and rocks for their unique character and beauty. I’m fascinated with how the sun interacts with them to change their appearance throughout the day and seasons. This particular painting reminds me of how much I also enjoy the drama of monsoon season; with cracks of sun shining through swirling clouds and great sunsets.
Trena
SAN: Please tell us about your painting Trena. I was drawn to the beautiful figure, her serene expression, the light, and the abstracted/textured background.
Mano Sotelo: This is a painting from graduate school. In this particular course, I remember that we mainly focused on academic fundamentals such as color and value or anatomy and composition. However, with this model I remember noting how the environment did not appear especially bright or cheerful. On the other hand, she had this peaceful expression and a little bit of an appearance of someone with something on her mind. I tried to capture that juxtaposition of physical stillness, movement of thought, dullness and serenity.
Mano Sotelo: This is a painting from graduate school. In this particular course, I remember that we mainly focused on academic fundamentals such as color and value or anatomy and composition. However, with this model I remember noting how the environment did not appear especially bright or cheerful. On the other hand, she had this peaceful expression and a little bit of an appearance of someone with something on her mind. I tried to capture that juxtaposition of physical stillness, movement of thought, dullness and serenity.
Waking Up from the World of Thought
SAN: Your artist’s statement on your website and your paintings in the Allegory/Metaphor category are especially compelling. Do you have a favorite?
Mano Sotelo: I’m not sure if I have a favorite, the allegory work is a way for me to think through ideas and hopefully present alternative perspectives and shed light to an issue. Waking Up from the World of Thought (left) acts as a sort of sign post for me. In my youth and young adult life, I spent a lot of time reading about different myths and belief systems. I’ve always been fascinated by the ways we, as human beings, explain the unknown.
One day I came across a photo of a statue of Buddha. Buddha was sleeping. Immediately something clicked, and I had a moment of clarity. It made me think of the life of Siddhartha before he became the Buddha, and reading about what he called the “dream of life.” The dream was us living in our minds as opposed to the present moment, or reality. Always blinded by our beliefs, values, fears and desires; never looking at any thing or event without subconsciously evaluating it. In that moment of clarity, I saw the power of my beliefs and values, and the potential to wake up from the world of thought I was in.
Mano Sotelo: I’m not sure if I have a favorite, the allegory work is a way for me to think through ideas and hopefully present alternative perspectives and shed light to an issue. Waking Up from the World of Thought (left) acts as a sort of sign post for me. In my youth and young adult life, I spent a lot of time reading about different myths and belief systems. I’ve always been fascinated by the ways we, as human beings, explain the unknown.
One day I came across a photo of a statue of Buddha. Buddha was sleeping. Immediately something clicked, and I had a moment of clarity. It made me think of the life of Siddhartha before he became the Buddha, and reading about what he called the “dream of life.” The dream was us living in our minds as opposed to the present moment, or reality. Always blinded by our beliefs, values, fears and desires; never looking at any thing or event without subconsciously evaluating it. In that moment of clarity, I saw the power of my beliefs and values, and the potential to wake up from the world of thought I was in.
Searching with the Unconscious Mind
The background to Searching with the Unconscious Mind (right) is that when I was a younger person I was very curious about life’s mysteries; I struggled with my share of suffering, and I was also very easily influenced. I would move from one philosophy or theory to another, following paths that I hoped would give me some peace of mind. Never really spending sufficient time being mindful, or thinking critically about what I was reading. It reminded me of what Nietzsche would call a “herd member” - moving from one belief to the next. I was blind to my own ability to control my reality. So here, among the fogginess and torment of smoke and fire, I show myself looking for the answers; in everywhere accept me.
The halo is an interesting symbol; it’s a mark of divinity as well as an indicator of the power to create. It’s commonly found in a variety of belief systems. Although many westerners associate the halo with a Christian context, the halo has also been used in an array of other religions. For example, halos can be found in the art of the Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish faiths. I cover it by a shadow in this painting to symbolize my own blindness to my power to find the truth within.
The halo is an interesting symbol; it’s a mark of divinity as well as an indicator of the power to create. It’s commonly found in a variety of belief systems. Although many westerners associate the halo with a Christian context, the halo has also been used in an array of other religions. For example, halos can be found in the art of the Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish faiths. I cover it by a shadow in this painting to symbolize my own blindness to my power to find the truth within.
SAN: You have a lot of experience teaching art, as a graphic designer, and in business. How do you balance all that with studio art?
Mano Sotelo: I was a full-time graphic designer and then a production manager before I started teaching. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach and it has been nothing less than a remarkable experience. Education is essential to the welfare of a society and it has been a privilege to be in a position of teaching others. I have enjoyed the research involved, and helping others strengthen their artistic, critical, creative thinking and visual intelligence skills.
I have a lot of passions so I just make the best effort I can to make time for them all. In regards to studio art, I find that I need to practice on a regular basis. Through deliberate observation, it’s been a great way to connect with the world around me. It quiets my mind and acts as a type of meditation. Once I get going on a drawing or painting, I forget about everything else. As I mentioned before, the creation of a painting can also help me think through an issue I have an interest in examining. I also see it as exercise for all those creative and artistic skills. I’m a firm believer in practice. The more one practices (or repeats something), the more that “something” gets stronger.
SAN: Do you have any important art events coming up like classes you’ll teach or exhibitions you have scheduled.
Mano Sotelo: I will be teaching some courses at The Drawing Studio starting in August and throughout the fall. Those courses will mostly focus on portrait and figure drawing, and portrait, figure and landscape painting. The courses are appropriate for both beginning and advanced students. The Drawing Studio’s website is www.thedrawingstudio.org.
I will have two paintings on display at the Tucson Museum of Art from July 20 – September 29. I’m honored that my work has been included in the Arizona Biennial 2013 exhibition. Here is the website for the exhibition: http://www.tucsonmuseumofart.org/exhibitions/arizona-biennial-2013.
I usually post upcoming shows on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mano.sotelo), so please do check that out as well.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my work and thoughts.
[Click on the images to see larger versions of the paintings on this page.]
Mano Sotelo: I was a full-time graphic designer and then a production manager before I started teaching. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach and it has been nothing less than a remarkable experience. Education is essential to the welfare of a society and it has been a privilege to be in a position of teaching others. I have enjoyed the research involved, and helping others strengthen their artistic, critical, creative thinking and visual intelligence skills.
I have a lot of passions so I just make the best effort I can to make time for them all. In regards to studio art, I find that I need to practice on a regular basis. Through deliberate observation, it’s been a great way to connect with the world around me. It quiets my mind and acts as a type of meditation. Once I get going on a drawing or painting, I forget about everything else. As I mentioned before, the creation of a painting can also help me think through an issue I have an interest in examining. I also see it as exercise for all those creative and artistic skills. I’m a firm believer in practice. The more one practices (or repeats something), the more that “something” gets stronger.
SAN: Do you have any important art events coming up like classes you’ll teach or exhibitions you have scheduled.
Mano Sotelo: I will be teaching some courses at The Drawing Studio starting in August and throughout the fall. Those courses will mostly focus on portrait and figure drawing, and portrait, figure and landscape painting. The courses are appropriate for both beginning and advanced students. The Drawing Studio’s website is www.thedrawingstudio.org.
I will have two paintings on display at the Tucson Museum of Art from July 20 – September 29. I’m honored that my work has been included in the Arizona Biennial 2013 exhibition. Here is the website for the exhibition: http://www.tucsonmuseumofart.org/exhibitions/arizona-biennial-2013.
I usually post upcoming shows on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mano.sotelo), so please do check that out as well.
Thank you for the opportunity to share my work and thoughts.
[Click on the images to see larger versions of the paintings on this page.]
