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William (Pepe) Kryzda

PepeKryzda
PepeKryzda

William (Pepe) Kryzda | Media List


Statement

William (Pepe) Kryzda
El Mariachi Calavera, 2006
Woodblock Steamroller Print 50" x 103"

Though architecture is my chosen profession, I have long nurtured a passion for art-since before I even became aware of what architecture was.

This piece allows me to weave several strands drawn from both Pre-Hispanic and popular Mexican culture. On a spiritual level, the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico is an opportunity for families to remember and honor their dead by enticing their spirits to return from the other world for a shared feast. The dead are usually represented, not by ghosts, but by an animated skeleton. On a psychological level, it is an attempt to mitigate the natural fear of death by demystifying it and making it more familiar. Thus, the skull, or "calavera", otherwise a potent symbol of death and destruction, is transformed on this day into an edible treat made of sugar-much to the delight of children.

In part, the skulls in this piece invoke this tradition. Because the format of the piece is proportionally similar to that of many currency bills, the overall composition-with the central medallion, the four-sided border, and the interstitial space between them-draws on the conventions of printed money. The central figure is inspired by La Catrina, a print by Mexican artist Jose Posada. In its irreverent, even mocking demeanor, this mariachi personifies the dualistic, very Mexican attitude toward death, as defiant-even dismissive-as it is fatalistic.