La Comedia

Journeying through Purgatory, Hell and Paradise

Esteban Figueroa

Project Objectives

• Create a space where each individual becomes more aware of his own faith by entering into a artistic and emotional landscape based on Dante’s Songs: Hell , Purgatory and Paradise
• Develop a visual and emotional space where the viewer can connect with and explore their current reality
• Explore Dante Alighieri’s work through gallery shows and workshops and [expose] enable people to enter[ing] into its rich visual language and its central theme of the journey of faith
• Create a new understanding of the interplay of Classical Fine art and digital technology, transforming both for this new technological age
• Bring awareness and develop a historical and artistic framework around the Barolo Palacio’s architecturally rendered representation of Dante’s Inferno

Project Description

Part 1: Thematic Inspiration

At sixteen, I first read Dante’s Inferno. Its strong visual language and its exploration of faith have been a thematic trope in my life ever since. The choice of "Hell" as a starting point emerges from a relentless inner exploration and desire to activate faith, my own and the faith of others, to elevate it above religious or social institutions. That is why I call this my project of life. It is evident that the inferno lives in every person and at this moment is manifesting world‐wide in all kinds of social conflicts. My work seeks to show that the hell that man lives, and more specifically, this moment, passes through our activation of faith and spirituality. Therefore, .

what we hold on to should be the best parts 

of ourselves Man’s preoccupation with Hell, with darkness, is an age‐old visual trope that   classical iconography, crucifixion, virgins and other religious narratives represent as dark and gothic. There is also an architectural trope from the Baroque period emphasizing religious symbols, such as golden crucifixes, altars, and Holy Spirit, that enhances the spirituality of these images. Using the darker imagistic visual representations, I seek to highlight the light in each of Dante’s songs. In Hell, I used ropes as the metaphor of being tied up in a personal hell and the struggle for release. Using the classic chiaroscuro lighting of Caravaggio and Rembrandt, I invite the viewer to enter a pictorial space that is familiar. Combined with the visual tropes of Bosch’s “Garden of Delights,” I reference western culture’s visual understanding of hell and depravity. However, my careful composition elements, layered images of modernity, in real and expressionistic renderings, are created to baffle the viewer’s visual navigation system, drawing them into “Hell”

In Purgatory, through exercises with my models which will form the basis of my art pieces, the central visual theme will be water and fire as symbols for purification. These explorations will take place outdoors on rooftops to represent the purification processes’ search for closeness to heaven. Yet its placement on rooftops points to it as an in between space, above the ground, but still part of the earth. At night, the locations’ artificial lighting, its creation of different shades, seeks to preserve the familiarity of the location and ensure that the bodies’ nakedness, purity echoing both purification and birth, are captured.n Paradise, the central 

Ithematic visual images will be the horse. It references the entry of the Conquistadores into the New World and the perception that they were gods from paradise, because of their appearance mounted on horses with armor.

Part 2: Architectural Inspirations

For each section of La Comedia, I will research and look for a building that will represent the culture of each location and connect with the themes of Dante.

Altrares del Infierno, Palacio Barolo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Through my research, I realized that the Palacio Barolo was an emblematic building representing Argentina’s mix of cultures. Built by an Italian immigrant, and containing elements of Dante’s Inferno, it became the perfect location for the exhibition of my Altares del Infierno, the first part of La Comedia.

The Palacio Barolo was built by Luis Barolo, a progressive farmer who came to Argentina in 1890, when many Italian immigrants were arriving. Of all the immigrant groups that came to Latin Argentina, Italians and their cultural markers remain the most influential European influence felt in Argentina even today. It is a special building for Argentines, as it is the first skyscraper built in the Americas when it was finished in 1923. In addition, it was also the first building in Argentina to use the modern construction method of poured concrete.

The building was designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti. His design was based in the Divine Comedy and it is the only architectural representation of Dante in existence. Its design and elements stem from Barolo and Palanti’s sense of the coming war (World War I) as a dark force in the world. This building represented their hope that a new and peaceful world order would arise. Dante’s Inferno was a literary vision that helped both Barolo and Palanti order their ideas. The floor plan of the building is based on the verses and structure of the Divine Comedy. The building is divided into 3 parts like the 3 songs: Inferno,Purgatory and Paradise. There are nine arches that correspond to the nine steps of initiation and nine vaults below that represent the nine hierarchies of hell. In addition, the height is 100 meters, which correspond to the 100 songs. Many other aspects of the design also reference Dante’s Inferno.

Purgatorio, El Morro, San Juan, Puerto Rico

My cultural memory and physical memory is never without the image of El Morro interrupting the skyline of San Juan with its impressive mass and crenellated towers. Stamped by its European origins and a product first realized during the conquest period of the Middle Ages, it is emblematic as the oldest fort in the Americas. Completed in 1539, to guard the entrance to San Juan, protect Spain’s commercial interests and the thriving port of San Juan, it was built using giant stones and has six‐foot thick walls to protect against cannon fire from marauding pirates, the English and all of Spain’s perceived enemies.

El Morro is a direct reminder of the island’s connection to the past and its colonial legacy. Its crenellated towers and high walls become the towers of purgatory, and the historical atmosphere becomes an ideal environment for the models to express how purgatory is reflected personally, culturally and historically.Paradiso, Madrid, Spain

At this time, I am beginning my research into a building that connects to my exploration of Paradise, as it was conceived in Spain and transmitted to the Americas. My point and

 place of departure in Madrid will be the Easter Procession is the Barrio Lavapie.

Part 3: Work Methodology

La Comedia requires collaboration with models that bring their emotional reservoirs to my work through theatre exercises that call on them to experience the song in which they are collaborating: Inferno, Purgatory, or Paradise.

Each visual section of La Comedia is created using the technique that I developed called “Digital Painting.” It is a three step process. The first step is to capture the milieu of the place I am shooting. I capture the streets, buildings, and way people interact on a daily basis.

The next step has two parts. The first part is encounters (workshops). Using group work‐shopping techniques, that I developed using Agusto Boal’s seminal work, Theatre of the Oppressed,1 I work with an individual or a group, setting up a shoot in order to capture their emotions. Once the model or models create comfort with the material and a sense of community, we create human sculptures that express the narrative of Dante’s Divine Comedy and how it reflects in their culture and history. The next element added is light. I flood my models with light and open my camera’s aperture, collecting images drenched in light and shadow. Once captured, I give them five seconds to change their human sculpture and enact new postures and new emotions until we have captured all the images that I can use in my “pallete”.

The next step it is to build my “palette.” After uploading all of these images into my computer, I tease out the colors, shapes, poses and backgrounds that I want to use to build each art piece, to fill my “canvas.” I create luminosity maps and use them like oil paints to build the space on my “canvas”.

The final step is painting. Using various luminosity maps, images and the captured figures and their emotions, I build the pictorial space to reflect and explore the themes of Dante with all of the thematic depth that the models brought into the workshops and photography sessions.

"Ecstatic visions"Dante believes with this principle we start are theater excercise for La Comidia

These principal is how we build the scene and exercise "seeing" and doing"--appear complementary

role in this process of "transmigration" (or metempsychosis) appears, for instance The work

"ecstatic visions" (15.85-6), "non false errors" (15.117) insofar as they convey truth even though they occur only in the mind of the person seeing them.

Testimonial 

  

My experience with the purgatory...

Of small was born and raised in the Catholic faith. I learned that purgatory was like that intermediate state between hell and heaven where the human being is going to atone for their sins and their sins to enter pure to the "Kingdom of heaven", or paradise as Dante Alighieri described it in his work "The Divine Comedy". Many times I was wondering: where is this site?, how is it?, what will be?, who or who will be there? It was a site which he saw as a spiritual preparation so that the soul is purify and can enter into the presence of God. However, came many doubts to my mind with these teachings. If God is all love, kindness, and mercy, why we had that condition us to purify us to enter his presence?, why suffer and martyr us for the love of God? What is the real benefit to my soul the fact that suffering and torture me to then reach out to be accepted by the beloved? If God's love is unconditional, do for us we have so many conditions or obstacles to reach him? Who put these conditions? Does God?... or ourselves?

It was then that, with the passing of the years, I was fortunate to participate in the project of wonderful artist Mr. Esteban Figueroa. As I enjoy all kinds of expression of art, caught my attention the fact to capture visually the purgatory using the work of Dante Alighieri as a frame of reference. But the project was much more than that. Stevie, as with much love and tell the parent of such a wonderful project, learned through intuition, intellect and experiences, lead participants to each of us for a trip to the interior of our being and find our vision of purgatory. And so, each one of us we become canvases where anticipated our experiences. Stevie is an author who, with great humility, left us to be co-creators within your project.

For this servant, purgatory corresponds to our experiences, our learning in the present life. It represents our struggle to achieve peace, freedom, love and live in a world of rules, conflicting paradigms and troubles that lead to the soul in a constant back and forth of experiences, feelings, thoughts and actions. Stevie is a simile of the situation in the purgatory of Dante with the moral and socio-political situation of our island. Puerto Rico is the purgatory of Stephen and all Puerto Ricans. We live with hopes of find us with our being, fill us with love, peace and freedom. However, Governments and churches, who represent the legal and moral standards of living a life in communion, become the first obstacles to manifest the true mission of the self through us. We live among so much oppression and darkness, and our souls are confused. It becomes a pitched battle to reach the light. In this project, our author takes us on a journey through your photos to remove the veils of deception and lies of Governments and the Church and educate our people to make a real change from the inside out. For this reason, the nude is a key element in his work. In the nude represents the soul as it is, without prejudices, openly, without hiding places. Our body, created in the "image and likeness" of our supreme being is perfect in its essence. Represents purity, honesty and transparency of the author. It is as if Stephen through his work, was stripping his soul towards Puerto Rico and humanity.

Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve eats and gives the fruit to Adam, who also eats. At this point the two become aware, "to know good and evil," evidenced by an awareness of their nakedness.

                                                            Testimonial

       More  risk more adrenaline, and more desire to transgress as good
                                                             artists

 in the Recoleta cemetery, at first I did not want that, well there were all dead, 

I was afraid ...

then i pose on the tombs and sculpture

very beautiful

   emotion changed from one to another.... 

I think that i have been in this place before. 

it  was something profane  I felt 

 the theme was death and that is scary.

Then came the rest of the group, as well, the challenge 

was to pose naked in the tombs, 

but it involve  more risk  it was strictly forbidden so I happened 

to watch a corner if the cops were coming from the place ...

Teatral Impacto

http://impactoteatral.com.ar/producciones/manifiesto-ira/

..

Everyone had the same feeling  more adrenaline 

more risk and more desire to transgress as a good  artist  

 the audence were the people visiting this  historical site 

I  remember they were stoping to watch and take picture 

Esteban was stopped by one of the authorties the

 instruction was to avoid detention 

to be part of the tourist visiting and thake different rout out 

Four Cardinal Virtues

four cardinal virtues, also known as the moral or classical virtues: fortitude, temperance, justice, and prudence. Their place in medieval Christian thought, based on such classical authorities as Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero, was established by Ambrose and, later, Thomas Aquinas. The three holy (or theological virtues) are faith, hope, and charity. They were first listed as a group by the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 13:13).

Pope "Vicars of Christ" http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/Catholic/PopesvsChrist-1.html

While the Bishops of Rome have made much of the first quote above, history shows that more often than not, the so-called "Vicars of Christ" have been "obstacles in God's path.! For the way they have thought, preached, written and acted has not been God's way but man's."!The sad truth, as history shows, is that the papacy has modeled itself after the power-hungry Roman emperors, rather than the humble street preacher of Nazareth 

IF THAT WAS A HELL, THERE IN THE VILLA MACIEL
......SWELTERING HEAT AND WITH THE CRAZY PROPOSAL OF STEPHEN, I HAD ORDER TO DO NUDE MODEL... TO WORK IN THE INFERNO
FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE OF ARTIST MODEL FOR OTHER NAKED...
HAD 60 YEARS AND I WAS ASHAMED ' OF MY BODY SINCE THE GROUP WERE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE....HAPPENED THIS:
-WHEN STEPHEN MADE ME THE PROPOSAL AND I SAID WHERE WAS I THOUGHT THAT NO COULD.SINCE...
THE ISLA MACIEL IS THE MOST LUNPEN DE BS AS, SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS AND COULD PASS ANYTHING THERE...
THEN double fear and LE ask if SE had become crazy, ME said what not and we were to see the place LOS DOS.
IT WAS A SAWMILL OLD POT-A FANTASTIC AND A HUGE BOAT THAT PIRATES SEEMED.
THEN ESTEBAN IS NAKED AND IS PUT TO ACT, I GAVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND DID IN THE EYES OF A HOMEBRE THAT NOT AWAY ME IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE, WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
DESPITE MY ESTEBAN ME SAID THAT I NEEDED BECAUSE FAILED YOU A MODEL.
THEN ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL AND WAS GOING TO UNDRESS ME WITH THE GROUP.AND ACT WITH THEM...
WHEN I GET THE DAY OF THE RUN PHOTO HAD THE FEELING VERY SCARED BY THAT I DID NOT KNOW...

ANOTHER GREAT ADVENTURE WAS STOOD ON A BOAT WHERE WE HAD BEEN TO THE ISLAND OF THE RÍO DE LA PLATA WHICH WAS DIRTY, SMELLY...LOWER THE BOAT AND THAT IS HAD TRANSFORMED INTO AN ATMOSPHERE OF CINEMA, WAS FELLINESCO...
AND I SAW EVERYONE NAKED CLOSE TO THE BOAT AND I TAKE COURAGE I UNDRESS AND WENT TOWARDS THEM...
INPUT THERE WAS GREAT CHEMISTRY WITH THE GROUP AS I RECEIVED GREAT...
ONCE THERE WHEN WE STARTED TO ACT I WENT ALL FEARS AND ACT PERFECTLY.
IT WAS ABOVE THE POT AND I STRETCHED IN THE DRAMATIC FORM SO THAT ONE OF MY TITS WAS TAKEN AS IF IT WERE A BUNCH OF GRAPES BY A PARTNER, I FELT GOOD...
THEN SPEND THE HUGE, OLD SHIP RATHER DANGEROUS THAT NAILS AND SPLINTERS HAD...
IT WAS SO LOUD THAT I THOUGHT IT COULD NOT CLIMB ME BUT THE COURAGE GAVE ME IT THE GROUP AND IN A LEAP I CLIMB...
THEN WANTED TO EXIT THE RIVER HALF DRESSED AND TAKE PICTURES THERE, NOT COULD BE NO ME RECUERDOE WHY
.
I WANT TO SAY THAT THIS WAS A GREAT ADVENTURE AND NEVER FORGET...!...
..
THE COMFORT OF BEING WITH ALL PROFESSIONALS I TO FEEL SAFE...
AT A TIME WHEN GIVEN LOOK UP AND A LOT ARE HEADS LOOKING...ONCE THEY SAW SOMETHING SO...
.......
WE INTERNALLY WERE VERY MOVED IN EMOTIONS.AND IT WAS SOMETHING GREAT ATRVESAR FEARS TO BE EXPOSED!

IF(YES) THAT THIS WAS A HELL, THERE IN THE TOWN MACIEL
...... STIFLING HEAT AND WITH THE PROPOSED MADWOMAN OF ESTEBAN, HE(SHE) HAD ASKED ME TO DO OF NAKED MODEL...... TO BE EMPLOYED AT THE INFERNO
FOR 1 TIME IN MY LIFE OF ARTIST MODELE FOR OTHER HE(SHE) UNDRESSES......
IT HAD 60 ANIOS AND ME AVERGONZABÁDE MY BODY SINCE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE WAS THE GROUP.... THIS HAPPENED:
- WHEN ESTEBAN DID THE PROPOSAL TO ME AND SAID TO ME WHERE IT WAS, I THOUGHT THAT not PODRIA.YA THAT......
THE ISLAND MACIEL IS MORE LUNPEN OF BS GRASP, SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS AND IT COULD SPEND(PASS) ANY THING THERE...
THEN DOUBLY FEAR AND I ASKED HIM IF IT HAD GONE CRAZY, WAS SAYING TO ME THAT NOT AND THE TWO WENT to see the PLACE.
IT WAS AN OLD SAWMILL WITH A FANTASTIC BOAT(CAN) AND AN ENORMOUS SHIP THAT SEEMED OF PIRATES.
OF THAT TIME ESTEBAN UNDRESSED AND STARTED ACTING, GAVE ME FORTITUDE AND WE DID IT BEFORE THE EYES OF A HOMEBRE THAT WAS NOT TAKING THE SIGHT FROM ME OF ABOVE, I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
TO MY SORROW(REGRET) ESTEBAN SAID TO ME THAT HE(SHE) NEEDED ME SINCE A MODEL TRUMPED HIM.
THEN ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL AND I WAS GOING TO UNDRESS WITH THE GRUPO.Y TO ACT WITH THEM...
WHEN THERE CAME THE DAY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC THROW I HAD THE SENSATION OF A LOT OF FEAR WHY I DID NOT KNOW THEM......

ANOTHER BIG ADVENTURE WAS TO BE RAISED TO A BOAT(CAN) WHERE IT WAS TAKING US TO THE ISLAND, OF THE RIO OF THE SILVER THAT WAS DIRTY AND SMELLY..... GO DOWN THE SHIP AND IT HAD TRANSFORMED THAT INTO AN AMBIENCE OF MOVIES(MOVIE THEATER), IT WAS FELLINESCO......
AND VI TO ALL NUDES(NUDITY) CLOSE TO THE BOAT(CAN) AND I TOOK COURAGE UNDRESSED AND I WAS TOWARDS THEM...................
OF ENTRY THERE WAS MANY CHEMISTRY WITH THE GROUP THAT RECEIVED ME NOISILY.....
ONCE THERE WHEN WE BEGIN ACTING ME ALL THE FEARS WENT AWAY AND WE ACT PERFECTLY.
IT WAS ABOVE(UP) OF THE BOAT(CAN) AND I STRETCHED IN DRAMATIC FORM SO MUCH THAT ONE OF MY NIPPLES WAS TAKEN AS IF IT WAS A BRANCH OF GRAPES FOR A COMPANIERO, I FELT GOOD......
THEN WE GO ON TO THE QUITE DANGEROUS ENORMOUS AND OLD SHIP