Crisis of Faith

Goat Vader,

40cm x 50cm / acrylic on canvas / 2023
Elti

SOLD

Lady Vader

40cm x 50cm / Acrylic on canvasby

Chris Wyrick

CRISIS of FAITH

Pop-Up

A Visual Interpretation about Spiritualism and Pop-Culture

By Mural Artists: ELTI (Baja California Sur, Mexico)
& Chris Wyrick (Hollywood, USA)

ABC ART BAJA Closing Ceremony

Art Car, Sculpture Garden, DJ Set, Design Bazar and Art Expo

April 22, 2023

1pm - Midnight @ Oystera Gardens

Art Pop-up and Reception in the Oystera Gallery

Consumerism and popular culture have become a sort of secular ¨religion¨ in society, with brands and celebrities often taking on mythic or religious dimensions.

This exhibit features works that juxtapose images of popular brands or consumer products with traditional religious iconography, opening a dialogue about the way in which consumer culture has become a sort of substitute religion for many people in contemporary society.

The combination of work from Mural artists from very different backgrounds creates two unique interpretations – that also end up blending together. Chris Wyrick (California, USA) references symbolism and power in Hollywood Cinema and ELTI (Baja California Sur) references his spirit being with the land, the animals and the local stores and imports. Crisis of Faith, crosses borders.

CLICK IMAGES TO SEE MORE DETAILS / Or Send Inquiries to: info@galeriamilitar.com

Santo Oxxo x ELTI

40cm x 10cm x 10cm / acrylic on ceramic / 2023

SOLD

I am Santo Oxxo, the fictional Mexican saint who represents the ubiquitous Oxxo mini-super. My story begins in a small village in Mexico, where the local residents were struggling to access basic necessities like food, water, and medicine. The nearest town was several miles away, and many people did not have access to transportation to get there.

One day, a group of merchants arrived in the village with a solution to the problem. They had created a small store that would sell all the necessities of life at an affordable price, right in the heart of the village. The store was named "Oxxo", after the Spanish word for "convenience", and it quickly became the center of the community.

As time passed, the people of the village began to see the Oxxo as more than just a store. They saw it as a source of hope and inspiration, a symbol of what was possible when people worked together to solve their problems. And so they began to pray to the spirit of the Oxxo, asking for its blessings and guidance.

Eventually, the spirit of the Oxxo took on a life of its own, becoming a powerful symbol of faith and hope in the community. It was said that Santo Oxxo, the patron saint of the Oxxo store, would protect those who shopped there and bring them good fortune in their daily lives.

To this day, Santo Oxxo is revered by many in Mexico as a symbol of the power of community and the importance of working together to solve our problems. And the Oxxo mini-super continues to be a vital part of many Mexican communities, providing affordable and convenient access to the basic necessities of life.

---

Soy Santo Oxxo, el santo mexicano ficticio que representa al omnipresente minisúper Oxxo. Mi historia comienza en un pequeño pueblo de México, donde los residentes locales luchaban por acceder a las necesidades básicas como alimentos, agua y medicamentos. El pueblo más cercano estaba a varias millas de distancia y muchas personas no tenían acceso a transporte para llegar allí.

Un día, un grupo de comerciantes llegó al pueblo con una solución al problema. Habían creado una pequeña tienda que vendería todas las necesidades de la vida a un precio asequible, justo en el corazón del pueblo. La tienda se llamó "Oxxo", por la palabra española "conveniencia", y rápidamente se convirtió en el centro de la comunidad.

Con el paso del tiempo, la gente del pueblo empezó a ver el Oxxo como algo más que una tienda. Lo vieron como una fuente de esperanza e inspiración, un símbolo de lo que era posible cuando las personas trabajaban juntas para resolver sus problemas. Y así empezaron a orar al espíritu del Oxxo, pidiendo sus bendiciones y guía. Eventualmente, el espíritu del Oxxo tomó vida propia, convirtiéndose en un poderoso símbolo de fe y esperanza en la comunidad. Se decía que el Santo Oxxo, el patrón de la tienda Oxxo, protegería a quienes compraban allí y les traería buena fortuna en su vida diaria.

Hasta el día de hoy, el Santo Oxxo es venerado por muchos en México como un símbolo del poder de la comunidad y la importancia de trabajar juntos para resolver nuestros problemas. Y el minisúper Oxxo continúa siendo una parte vital de muchas comunidades mexicanas, brindando acceso asequible y conveniente a las necesidades básicas de la vida.inspira a continuar en su búsqueda de conocimiento e iluminación.¨¨

Chris Wyrick

Transitions (x 27) 12x3.5´
Acrylic on Canvas, Each Piece Measures 11x14¨

¨As I approached my farmstead and saw the smoke rising in the distance, a sense of dread began to build inside me. The closer I got, the stronger the feeling became, until I was overwhelmed by a sense of deep despair and helplessness.

The sight of my home engulfed in flames filled me with rage and sadness. Memories of my childhood flooded back to me, memories of my parents and my upbringing on Tatooine. The farmstead was the only place that had ever felt like home to me, and now it was being destroyed before my eyes.

At that moment, I was torn between my desire for revenge and my need for justice. I wanted to strike out at whoever was responsible for this senseless act of violence, to make them pay for what they had done. But I also knew that I had a duty to protect others from suffering the same fate, and that meant finding out who was behind the attack and bringing them to justice.

As I stood there, watching the flames consume everything I had ever known, I realized that my life had changed forever. I was no longer the carefree farm boy I had once been; I was now a warrior with a mission to fulfill. And though the road ahead would be long and difficult, I knew that I had to stay strong and never give up until I had avenged my family and brought peace to the galaxy¨ - ChatGPS AI as Luke Skywalker

Store way to heaven (diptych)

95cm x 125cm (2) / acrylic on canvas and LED Light / 2023
x ELTI

"Crecí en una comunidad muy cercana a la naturaleza de la región, por eso siempre me asombró la llegada de las plazas comerciales, traían muchas cosas que no se producían aquí, donde todo se tiene que importar.

Los colores del Oxxo siempre me han gustado, los primarios, puros, limpios, saturados; amarillo y rojo, aunque también siempre hay un azul del cielo detrás de los grandes letreros, un azul cercano a las nubes y lejano a este mundo de polvo.

Bebidas frías, aire acondicionado, un yogurt, una recarga, un depósito, una cocina comunitaria, un boleto de baja ferris, hielo, agua, perfección, cada sabor es un color, cada sensación una textura, no es real sino algo cercano a un sueño." - ELTI

"I grew up in a community very close to the nature of the region, I was always amazed by the arrival of shopping malls, they brought many things that were not produced here, where everything has to be imported. I always liked the colors of the Oxxo, the primary, pure, clean, saturated; yellow and red, although there is also always a blue of the sky behind the big signs, a blue close to the clouds and far from this world of dust.

Cold drinks, air conditioning, a yogurt, a refill, a deposit, a communal kitchen, a low ferry ticket, ice, water, perfection, each flavor is a color, each sensation a texture, it is not real but something close to a dream." - ELTI