Pince-Sans-Rire is a mural designed to leave no one indifferent. Each and every one of the figures is placed with an unequivocal meaning and depth. Look at it for more than 30 seconds and you will begin to notice the magic.
INICIOS DE LA OBRA
The representation of the universe within a winery.
Pince-Sans-Rire is a French expression that defines a type of deadpan and ironic humor. With the same meaning, it is intended to title this work that attempts to represent everything through the seven sins, each personified with a character, and the seven virtues, all represented in the central figure. Furthermore, in the work the 4 of cups plays an important role, which is the number of cups that appear whole, this being the symbol of luxury. Luxury tends towards disappointment, represented by the 5 of cups, in this case, the fifth cup is broken, creating the unique message: from abundance to putrefaction, through destruction.
A labyrinth of symbols, from beginning to end
The work presents a pyramidal structure that accentuates the earthly below and the heavenly above. The gaze guides from the young woman represented by anger <the beginning> to the witch, nature <the fruit, the end>, who, being the only one who observes us, holds our gaze, maintaining a visual connection that lasts even when one moves through the space of the enclosure.
CHARACTERS
The Fool
The central figure represents the Tarot card number 0, The Fool is negative above the Tree of Life, the source of all things, he understands everything, he is everything and at the same time he fears nothing, he has all the positive qualities: Generosity because he offers, Chastity because he does not look, Patience because he hides, Temperance because he ascends, Charity because he does not possess, Diligence because he acts. This situation forces him to fall into false Humility. Inevitably, having transcended, he has a perspective superior to the rest, possessing humility and pride at the same time.
Serving grape juice, symbol of fertility, sweetness and base of ecstasy. The fall of the liquid is chaotic, an almost impossible effect that can only be achieved under ideal conditions. Behind is the barrel, which represents the globe. It is suggested as a means of intervention in the form of divided light. At the focal center of the microcosm is the radiant sun that crowns it as the only redeemer.
Magical work: Political works, under the auspices of Jupiter.
Sin: Pride.
CHARACTERS
The Rich
To the right of the central figure we find a man with a strong build, with whom we find in the ideological background, a dual similarity with the Greek gods Hermes and Dionysus, in a costume and accessories typical of the current era.
Hermés was the Greek interpretation of the Egyptian god Thoth, however they did not have much more resemblance than what the Romans wanted to find with their Mercury. In this case, El Rico, like Hermés, acts as a messenger and governs commerce, without missing the opportunity to enjoy the festivities, the wine and the fertility that nature has given him.
Direct relationship: Many things happen at the same time in the life of the Rich, knowing everything guarantees control and stability of the status quo. Communication must be permanent and the work suggests a possible relationship with The Fortune Teller beyond the search for answers.
Relationship with the world: The admiration of one's own cup is positioned as the first of the 4 existing cups (not counting the broken cup), which will give way from abundance to luxury, with the subsequent decadence that this entails.
Magical work: Works of wealth, under the auspices of the Sun.
The sin: Greed.
CHARACTERS
The Witch
On the far right of the work, we see The Witch. This figure is one of the most important in the work because it completes it and gives it its full meaning. She holds the cards in one hand, representing divination, and the bunch of grapes in the other, representing fertility. Her position in the work returns to the Universe itself. The fact that she is at the very end and sits on a stool is reminiscent of the Greek pythonesses, seated on a tripod at the back of the temple.
Direct relationship: The serpent. "I am the serpent who grants Knowledge and Delight and brings glory, and stirs the hearts of men with intoxication. To submit to me, let them take wine and strange drugs, for as I will say to my prophet, and thus be intoxicated! These will not harm them in any way. It is a lie. Be strong, O Man! Desire, enjoy all things of the senses and rapture: do not fear any god who will deny you this." The serpent is part of the representation of the sin of envy and the origin and end of man.
Relationship with the world: Desire. The power of the work comes from the relationship of the two women of the extremes (the Moon and the Sun) together with the lion (represented as a cat) and the serpent. The desire card depicts the legend of the woman and the lion-serpent, which was visualized by the seers of the early days of the Aeon of Osiris. They came to see how we live now and considered every change a catastrophe, without understanding the procession of the Aeons.
Magical work: Works of divination and mysteries, under the invocation of the Moon.
Sin: Envy. Represented by its relationship with the serpent. Duality between everything and nothing.
CHARACTERS
The Hung
The naked male figure on the right evokes card number 12, representing the economy of initiation; it is both a baptism and a death. The legs form a 60° angle, creating an equilateral triangle with the rest of the figure. The Hanged Man enjoys his baptism, forgetting to refill his cup, which will remain empty forever. "This Wine was gathered by the Beloved Disciple and the Virgin Mother, who waited behind the Tree, for that purpose in a Cup or Chalice."
Direct Relationship: Coiled around his left foot was the serpent, creator and destroyer, who brings about change (Death). Above, the All, offering him redemption.
Relationship with the world: Nudity recalls the origin; the initiate must start from below and receive the supreme blessing. The spilling of wine and the baroque nature of the scene recall the overwhelming nature of the world, the desire to learn in the midst of ignorance.
Magical Work: Works of curse and death under the patronage of Saturn.
The Sin: Gluttony.
CHARACTERS
The Lover
The attractive young man on the left hides his face, yet wears a beautiful retro-futuristic suit with a bare chest that reveals his figure. He offers the cup to the All, assuming that He will work to fill it. He focuses his scattered attention on Desire.
Direct relationship: The lovers cannot separate; in this case, his lover does not look at him and does not seem to be of the same nature as him, which will generate conflict. This corresponds to the autumn season, and that is why his clothes are brown and feature autumnal prints.
Magical work: Works of love, favored by Venus.
Sin: Lust.
CHARACTERS
The Youngster
The young woman on the left opens the work <the beginning> and completes it. Representing the card Teth or Leo, she seeks vertical and horizontal balance. She dresses seductively and wears tight, provocative lingerie. This figure represents the ecstasy of vigor, usually accompanied by the Sun. However, the way she is arranged, she represents destruction through blood. Sacrifice and blood are the central theme of spirituality and magic. Blood is the vital element where life itself resides. This is why Christ shed it, and this is why blood is full of mysteries. The spilled wine, in this work, represents blood in this magical and mysterious context.
Direct relationship: There is a close relationship with the first card of the Tarot, the player, which in turn represents Teth due to its analogy with the tibisi, a symbol of concentration because that bird is supposed to constantly stand on one leg. Although this card is necessarily masculine, this symbol has been used to represent destruction, with the added piece of the cup she holds representing a dagger, and the broken cup being the end of preservation. "With the cup, He preserves. With the Dagger, He destroys."
Relationship with the world: The broken cup. The Holy Grail, inflamed with love and death, held by the Desire card, has now been broken and spilled all its blood. This raises the anger represented by the feline in fury. It is compensated by the creation and fertility represented by the fruits the Pythoness offers to the Serpent, creating a complex dance of opposites (Moon - Sun, Creation - Destruction, Order - Chaos, Serpent - Lion) that manages to offer ideological and visual compensation.
Magical work: Works of anger and punishment, sacred to Mars.
Sin: Anger.
CHARACTERS
The Hermit
The nude female figure on the left represents the wisdom and fertility of the earth. Her card, The Hand (Yod), refers to the legend of Persephone. The Hermit hides this hand in this work, referencing Hermetic occultism.
Relationship with the world: This figure seeks to innocuously isolate herself from the world, seeking self-knowledge. She seeks to withdraw to better understand what she has learned and assimilate it, thus keeping her cup full.
Magical work: Works of skill, wisdom, and science, under the protection of Mercury.
Sin: Laziness.
Artist's Commentary
In a place where silent joy, disorder, and harmony coexist, a supreme balance is found that transcends the visual and the symbolic. Recalling that, in the ancient art of alchemy, the ingredients used to create wine are considered the most divine that nature offers, especially in the realm of plants. These elements carry the purest and highest energy of their sphere, essential for mystical transformation in spagyria, the alchemy of plants. This is why wine and magic are so harmoniously integrated in the work, creating an ideal environment that reflects the duality of the cosmos.
