“Through my lens of magic realism, my art takes elements of the ordinary and rearranges them into something extraordinary”. Paul Bond about ‘Out of the Ordinary‘
Paul Bond’s works are marvelous frescoes in which love, dreams, desires, nostalgia, memories, mysticism, scattered thoughts take root. They are words on canvas, stories, anecdotes. They are mere poems whose words are listened to with the eyes and the mind. Imagination goes beyond pure images and continues even when the work is no longer within sight. The message is always subtle, delicate, refined but powerful. The symbolism is sometimes irreverent, ironic, unexpected, even disturbing. Paul Bond has the ability to lead into his world with extreme simplicity, stirring the mind and the heart, inducing reflection and touching deep chords. He reminds us of the importance of humanity, of the most intimate search for ourselves and the world around us. He reminds us not to forget the children we were and to try to embrace the world by letting ourselves be guided by positive feelings. Love is the core of his message, what we are in the depths of our being, our divine essence. We should all treasure it.
Award-winning artist Paul Bond was born in 1964 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and currently lives and works in Costa Rica. Paul Bond’s art lives in the spaces between dreams and reality. Inspired by the Latin American tradition of Magic Realism, his paintings blend symbolic, surreal and fantastic elements with realistic atmospheres to unveil a world where everything is possible. Through the juxtaposition and alteration of familiar objects – infused with whimsy, wonder and mysticism – Bond constructs a reality where everything is possible. His art often carries deep metaphysical and philosophical messages. Illuminating the world of our dreams and subconscious thoughts, hopes and desires.
Using symbolism and allegory, Bond has developed a unique visual language. As he explains, “When viewing a scene, object or prose that moves me, I’m continually imagining what elements of that symbolic language I can introduce to make a grander statement about what I’m experiencing. Thus, I’m continually envisioning potential paintings out of my daily experiences.
I am an avid reader of both metaphysics as well as fictional stories that often focus on psychological issue – what makes people do what they do, and why do some of us thrive and others suffer and struggle. On any given day I see or experience two or three things that could potentially become paintings. My life is rich in inspiration. So, the challenge for me is never lack of ideas, but in choosing which vision to bring to fruition”.
Reflecting on his artistic motivation, Bond says: “The physical world to me is often heartbreakingly beautiful and profound. I channel those deep emotions life inspires in me by adding to it through a new reality of my own creation. A world intended to deepen my own life experience and to stir the souls of my fellow travelers”. Bond is an accomplished writer and poet as well, and so his paintings are always accompanied by a narrative or verse. He believes that the words further transport the viewer into a deeper emotional experience than could be reached by the visual art alone.
Bond’s work has won numerous awards and been featured in galleries, museums and cultural centers around the US, including The Gateway Museum and The San Diego Art Institute. His paintings are in private collections worldwide as well as corporate collections.
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