10 Questions with Mel Quintana

Mel Quintana, a distinguished Cuban-American artist based in Tampa, Florida, has captivated audiences with her powerful and vibrant artworks. Born to Cuban immigrants, Mel's heritage deeply influences her creative vision, infusing her pieces with rich cultural narratives and emotional depth.

A hallmark of Mel Quintana's work is her extensive use of the color red. This bold choice serves as a unifying element across her diverse body of work, symbolizing a range of emotions from passion and love to struggle and resilience. Her pieces often explore themes of identity, cultural heritage, and the human condition, rendered through a fusion of abstract and figurative elements.

Mel's evocative use of red creates a sense of intensity and movement, drawing viewers into a profound visual and emotional experience. Her dynamic compositions and intricate details reflect her technical skill and deep connection to her subject matter. This unique approach has earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated following.

Throughout her career, Mel has showcased her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions, both locally and nationally. Her art has been featured in prestigious venues such as the Tampa Museum of Art and the Florida Museum of Contemporary Art. Her inclusion in public and private collections further attests to her impact on the contemporary art scene.

In addition to her exhibition success, Mel is passionate about nurturing the next generation of artists. She regularly conducts workshops and art classes in Tampa, sharing her knowledge and inspiring young artists to explore their creativity. Her involvement in local art initiatives and community projects highlights her commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive art community.

Mel Quintana's journey as an artist is a testament to her dedication to her craft and her ability to convey complex emotions and stories through her art. As she continues to evolve and push the boundaries of her creativity, Mel remains a vital and influential figure in both the Tampa and broader art communities.

@cherubbum

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My name is Mel Quintana. I have no humility in demonstrating the ideas of conversion and its violent witness and adoration to the imagination of those who grew up in abused homes of god. A grotesque fusion of horror and despair, the fabric of reality unravels into a nightmarish tapestry. Imagine a labyrinthine expanse stretching as far as the eye can see, a twisted dreamscape bathed in eerie hues of sickly greens and blood-reds. The air hangs heavy with a putrid stench, a fetid miasma that clings to the soul, suffocating hope and inducing perpetual unease.

I typically work in solitude to help surround myself in quiet experiences, to be stuck with my own chance of myself while the room helps me to lower and ground. I work with all sorts of mediums, perked back on top of an easel and a canvas, bending my back, and using it to ease the flow in my wrist. I enjoy working with emotion and use the aching of my body as a way to better connect to the stress, meditating over the fact of its results. This continues to create the idea of a personal touch to the surface, highlighting how far I, alone as an artist, will push myself to gauge messages in the light of workaholism And how desperate through that I am able to go to hurt these cycles to prove the extreme qualities of mental health, and seeing the world through a red perspective.

How can the artist connect with death through the fear and imagination of its portrayal, sectioning themselves and killing the mind to survive in conditions that would seek fit to someone else's world? The notice of an ending future and concepts like the rapture place those fears in those who are even incredulous to believe in no god, practicing hedonistic affairs and mistreatment of antic symbolisms, watching them either fade or be manipulated over time. A careless whisper of what was thought to be better or worse among man-made crusades and quests by the things they believed to be the lord in blood.

Religious abuse can take various forms, such as indoctrination, forced adherence to strict rules, suppression of critical thinking, shaming, humiliation, or even sexual exploitation. This type of abuse not only violates an individual's fundamental rights and autonomy but also undermines their sense of self-worth, personal identity, and spiritual well-being. It is essential to recognize and address religious abuse to safeguard the rights and dignity of individuals, promote healthy religious practices, and foster environments of respect, compassion, and genuine spiritual growth.

We may not take such large notice of the corollary of these examples or words, but it is a responsibility, in my belief, to use the skills I have to endure the reality and possibility of connections of spirituality and esoterism. I am a spiritual artist myself, and I find it important to have conversance in this subject as well. Where will I be many years from now, creating topics of the same subject? Or in a church, eating my sentences and being forced to fall by my knees in prayer for forgiveness? There is no escape.” - Mel Quintana

INTERVIEW

First of all, what inspired you to become an artist, and how did your Cuban heritage shape your creative vision?

I can say that my interactions with people over time were a prominent factor in the way I continued to shape myself as an artist. The biggest inspirations I came across were a large portion of eternal realization of what exactly was shaping me when I was with people. The downfalls and the pick-me-ups inspired me, and I believe my art continued to change with me the more I found myself and what exactly I wanted from the love I was receiving. My Cuban heritage played a big part, as a lot of interactions were entirely deeply rooted in culture. The experiences of witnessing the cons and pros of where my manners came from, and others clashed much, but I think that was also a beautiful thing about being Cuban. It taught me to become proud and stand from where I was, and simply my culture just couldn't fit in with some, and that was fine! Once I learned to love myself more through my culture, I learned to find a surface of my own.

What other influences or sources of inspiration can you name for your current practice?

I truly am inspired by all that is around me. I'm inspired by freshly grown trees that look just as green as they did maybe hundreds of years ago, or even the people we come across when we are on a walk – with the most interesting sets of hair and clothing and the accents that encumber them. Life is filled with so many colors and shapes that we just need to stop and admire, even the people who fit in between the lines of squares or stand in the center of circles. The spotlights we look for are the things we desire, for our needs will always circulate in some sort of adventure – physical or spiritual. I've had my fair share of personal journey to improve myself as an individual and, most importantly, the artist with it. I am still improving and learning, and I am still so vastly influenced by things and people. I don't think inspiration ever stops for anyone.

How do your workshops and art classes influence your own creative process?

Creating with children and people will open you up and make you realize that you're the most boring one in the room. I have had so many students who have just shown absolute dedication to the smallest things and are the quietest and most knowledgeable to their peers. It's always switching, and it's great! I am glad to see so many students come together when they may have never spoken in a classroom setting before. My creativity in their imaginations and flares starts to warp into what they see, even if it may not be the exact same thing sometimes. They remind you how grown up you are and how the imagination you owned being young and being older were huge stepping stones to just being a person. They don't make you feel bad for being bare now at your big age, instead, they rope you back in; Then everyone is happy and free. I can feel and see my art start to take a careless turn when we are together, and it isn't a feeling I would ever take away.

Can you describe your process when starting a new piece, from concept to completion?

I ruminate so much when it comes to beginning something new. I'll do the sketches, and it's enjoyable, but then I'll put down one sketch and tell myself, "mm, I could do better. I could do more. What about this?" And here I am, starting to draw hundreds of things and losing the original idea in the mix of it. Starting a piece has always been more difficult for me than creating the original because when you jot down an idea that you think you are finally ready to execute properly, your brain wants to tell you that this should go here and that this should go here instead. I've learned over time to just flow with the sketches when it came to paintings, and I realized I enjoyed changing more of the concept than I did, sticking with it when I was painting. Today, I don't plan as much and just go with my gut about what makes sense to me. That would occur about certain limbs, wings, or even as far as colors and what shapes the shadows may attain. Regardless, it's fun to still be learning through it all.

What does the color red represent you, and why do you use it so prominently in your work?

I think it's always funny to tell someone when they ask me the age-old question, "Is red your favorite color?" Because it's not! But red is different from the color palettes that we typically see. The prominence of red in our cultural lexicon as a color associated with violence and bloodiness is deeply rooted in both our biological heritage and societal constructs, reinforcing its enduring symbolic weight in our perceptions and communications. Red's association with violence and bloodiness stems from a complex interplay of culture, especially physiological. Because of this, red has often been used to symbolize intense emotions like anger, passion, and danger. The use of red in my works has become a staple of that loud roar you hear from the world when we are all in fits of ourselves. It's blood, it's anger, it's pure rage with no empathy – so it's fury. There are so many ways we can depict red as a color, such as why it can be too much, too strong, or even too inappropriate for certain occasions and things. But I feel allured by the color, and I feel that it has energy in it. And the energy doesn't go away, especially when I am working with it.

What emotions or messages do you aim to evoke in viewers through your use of red?

I feel red puts things out in the open more because it is so viscerally obvious and strong. I want people to find things thatthey can relate to, even if it doesn't stick out to them immediately as soon as they discover the piece. My works are all contemplative, as I know it since they come from me. But I know too that not everyone will find a place in my mind, or I will never see the way that their own thought process works. But with such a loud color, it distracts us. It's a target. We stay staring at something when it is so distracting, so in a way, it also brings us together in that. I don't think I'd ever want to do anything different in my work if it was something that would drive away the moving force of humanity and the efforts we put into each other to understand exactly why more than what we are. I love red because of it, and I don't think I see myself ever going without it somewhere in my palette.

Can you explain how themes of identity and cultural heritage are reflected in your pieces?

There's always a silent lamb in the mix of wolves I paint. Or even domesticated dogs, who became violent because of man. There's an anger that goes behind dogs that are so blind. They lack all awareness, perception, and discernment. I feel that even though my emotions will never become any more than what they are now, there's almost an addiction to rawness In expressing what anxiety is beneath. I identify where I am in those pieces; sometimes, I'm the dog's eyes and ears, and sometimes, I'm the dog's nose and fur. But sometimes, I feel like I can be a dog's teeth. In my culture, there are signs of it everywhere. Strength and bloodshed, instinct and thriving. Having a family from Cuba and enduring struggles not made to be humane will heighten what you are eternal with, and you will either learn to be angry enough to stand still or fearful enough to run. I think you need both sometimes, too. I think without fear, you are lacking, but with too much anger, then you are just violent. The world is too cruel, with so much chaos and difference that we accidentally leave so much anger left over. I learned to see this growing up with broken buildings and broken hearts that lived inside of them and all the goodbyes that we took with us. I don't want to abandon what created me, I want to show what tenderness became of me.

How do you balance abstract and figurative elements in your compositions?

Energy! I like to feel that there is a figure there, of course, but abstraction reminds me as well that it is a drawing and not real life. I think stand-alone pieces of an object or figure are great, but I like to have little details that remind me of what a really is and the point of it. It makes you sit and wonder to yourself why you did that, or why you draw borders so spiky and, some days, so lazy. My favorite parts of the piece continue to go down an abstract route of esoterism, and that's where I like to grab it and experiment with it. I think, honestly, it's what makes the pieces fun, too.Just sort of do whatever you want by the end of it.

How has receiving critical acclaim and being featured in prestigious venues impacted your career?

I think it's been an incredible and achieving experience for myself and where I can go with it for the future, and I have been incredibly grateful for so long it. Some of my greatest friends, who I still call my companions to this day, have come of it, and the birth of the realization that I can be someone through my work has been welcoming, like a warm hug. I don't let it come in between my relationships, though, as there's always the subconscious deep admiration of someone who just ends up treating your role as a human being a little differently than others. But with that, I get to mess around a little bit and go "boo!" when they're getting too much pleasure thinking too much about the rockstar! We're all artists and people who come from different backgrounds and spirits, so I would never want to take away any potential opportunity to make a friend with someone who can show me themselves. My love feels so unconditional to all the sweetness of men and women and others, to all who gave me such hope in my abilities. I feel cherished, and the real reward stands behind the reminder of that love. I love everyone!

Lastly, what are your aspirations for the future, both in your personal artwork and in your contributions to the art community?

I think that for my work and me, I would like to continue going down the route of teaching people the joys of it. I like seeing the little sparkle in someone's eye when they discover their love for artwork or a sparkle that died long ago that can be reborn as a full star on their way so someone else can try again. Continuing that love of community and brine as families, friends, and lovers Are the greatest figures in everyone's life. We will fall in love with people who we never thought we would fall in love with, and we will realize that with love, it becomes art. We disregard any expectations or even preferences of one another When we realize we will never meet someone like them again in person. I want my art to flow with the feelings of my life and my space, and I want to discover myself differently, whether it becomes isolated or not. I know I will always have love for myself and my work, and I know now that all the love I never thought I needed has been expressed because of my abilities; I want nothing more than to continue showcasing that with everyone, too.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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