Myth-Guided Youth: The Art of Rodrigo Tafur
rt springs from many sources and the inspiration for the artists to create may be as varied as the choices available to us all as we progress through life. Each small decision can have dramatic effects on future events. Art parallels life in this respect. I was once told by a wise mentor that I lacked the ability to articulate about my work, and that to be able to speak of ones art intellectually was as important as the work. He told me I should read, and search out the knowledge that I lacked. He didn't know it and neither did I but he was sending me on a Hero's Journey, that has continued to this day. I will be grateful to John Greer for that advice, because I have never stopped making art, or reading!
One of the discoveries I made on my journey has caused me to cross paths with numerous other artists who have ventured on the same trek. My interest in Anthropology and Archaeology as sources of inspiration and for personal curiosity led me to read the writings of Joseph Campbell. This extraordinary American has influenced the lives of many with his profound understanding of humanity through his writings on comparative mythology and religion. He has opened doors for many in the creative field where no doors previously existed.
The walls of the studio I entered where hung with large paintings, and the floors and tables were also covered in huge canvasses of red. As I slowly took in this collection of works I realized the monumental scale of the project this young artist, whose studio I was in, had taken on. It is appropriate to call these works monumental, not so much because of the size of the works as much as because of the scale of the concepts they elicit. This was my first time in the studio of Rodrigo Tafur, and I knew then during that brief visit that I would return. Joseph Campbell had published, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces “ in 1949, and for some reason on this first visit to Rodrigo's studio, this book, crossed my mind.