Don Gregorio Anton ~ mystical retablos
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 09:52AM 
Retablos • click to embiggenWhile I was in Syracuse, I visited Light Work, where I viewed the work of DON GREGORIO ANTÓN. Anton is most definitely an artist who uses photography.
From the show description: Don Gregorio Antón creates mystical retablos that look like sacred objects. They are intimately small and sit on stands to be viewed individually. Each retablo is one of a kind. Frida Kahlo described retablos as the truest representation of the people’s art. Also called ex votos, they have been part of Mexico’s tradition since the seventeenth century. They were originally hung behind the altars of Catholic churches, and remain a tradition to this day.
Antón uses the visual language of the retablo to create existential tales of human existence that speak of spiritual searching, suffering, hope and despair, life and death ... 
Close views • click to embiggenAntón’s work is likely to provoke a different response in every viewer. The retablos can be appreciated for their mysterious beauty, their haunting narratives, and their intense spirituality. Where we find ourselves in our lives may be where we find ourselves in Antón’s retablos.
The Catholic altar boy in me likes the use of the monstrance and the small prints (translucent images on copper) also take on the appearance of scared objects / religious icons. My only issue with the work was that the narratives where very difficult to read.
Check out the link to the show and let me know what you think.
Reader Comments (6)
Mark,
I spent some time looking at his work on his website. I find it very deeply touching, not necessariy in a good way (some of it anyway), if you know what I mean. Some were horrifying, some uplifting. Very troubling to me which is good. It is reaching deep in me for something I may not have looked at in myself.
Please accept my deepest appreciation for your kind thoughts concerning my work. You honor me. But I hope that you will take some credit for what you describe. This work is nothing without you. Your ability to feel and sense is what makes these images reflect your own sensitivity and purpose. You complete what I started and that is how all good works should end. So thank you for taking the time to see what only you could have brought to these images we share.
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