Cave Temples & Compañeros

Works by Erin Currier | Acrylic and mixed media on panel

My new works are a celebration of inspiration— ie the people, places, and ideas, that have been instrumental in my development as an artist, and that set the course of my path. Tibetan Buddhism; the Buddhist Cave Temples of Ajanta, India; Italian Modernist Poetry; Carlito Gardel and the magic of Argentine Tango in Buenos Aires; New Mexico’s unique traditions; human rights; & more; all come together in a new series of works that seek to rediscover what is bright and creative in an ofttimes dark and destructive era in our contemporary World. All of the pieces are quiet threads of a Humanity that persists—that have been woven both into my own life— and into a larger universal tapestry.

In the Cave Temples & Companeros series, the idea of Inspiration is multi-layered. For example, on one level, I portrayed Saba, Montale, and Ungaretti— poets who inspired me as an artist; on another level— these subjects are themselves inspired-and are portrayed as being engaged in creative action. The portrait of Anthony is rife with visual reference to the people, places, and philosophies that inspired his own creative work; and, in turn, he as a partner, traveling companion, lover, and best friend, inspired me. The Carlito Gardel piece is an interplay between the Tango capitol of the world that inspired Gardel— who in turn inspired the city- and the world of tango..

Cave Temples & Companeros, like all of my life’s work, celebrates all that we share as Human Beings. Having been more rooted than ever these past two years—dedicating myself to daily dance classes and also to a large scale mural; I have had the opportunity to reflect on my art and my life’s trajectory as an humanist artist, and on all that has inspired me. The more places I travel, the more of our World I experience, and the longer I live here in New Mexico; the more I find it to be true that our commonalities far outweigh our differences. This new body of work focuses on our shared inspiration: from the Italians to the Beats: the inspiration to compose poetry; from the cave temples of Ajanta, India, to the university walls of Mexico City: the inspiration to paint murals; from the milongas of Buenos Aires to the milongas of Santa Fe and Albuquerque: the inspiration to dance Tango.. The inspiration in every millennia, in every nation, to continue to paint, and to live, and to love...

Erin Currier, 2024