"The stars of midnight pause to set
Their jewels in its coronet.
And evermore that mountain mass
Seems climbing from the shadowy pass
to light, as if to manifest
Thy nobler self, thy life at best"
- John Greenleaf Whittier (b. 1809 - 1892)
Cruz Jimenez hints at a sense of wonder hidden just below the surface of the recognised, the known, the ‘everyday’. His is an oeuvre where it is only our perception of realities which separates us from a magic that is ever-present – if we will look beyond the mundane and allow ourselves to fully appreciate what is around us, we will see the wonder in the world as the artist sees it.
While his works are essentially abstract, they present a veiled imagery that brings forth an intuitive understanding of the form being conveyed. We can recognise insects, birds, fish, leaves, trees, fire, clouds - a plethora of natural elements reside in this artist’s garden. Essentially optimistic, Jimenez imparts a sense of the miraculous in the small lives of everyday creatures – a pile of leaves being disturbed sets loose a furling mass of activity; a fire generates a rain of ruby sparks; a rippling pool disturbs the inhabitants and they dance under the surface of the water. Jimenez captures moments, occasions, where as viewers we are shown that which would otherwise have been lost in an instant. Rather than painting specific creatures, Jimenez portrays his actors almost as parcels of life of ambiguous form. This ambiguity allows the viewer to recognise more easily the metaphor for human life which is developed through his pieces. However, the real skill of the artist is in making these small lives wondrous and poignant, reflecting the emotional complexity of considering the place of human existence in a large, spiritual context.
Although dealing with an essentially irresolvable theme of human mortality and the hopelessness surrounding this, there is a warmth and thanksgiving as well as humour in these works which allows this difficult subject matter an easy and subtle treatment. Because of the beauty of the surfaces and the materials, we are drawn to the work – yet we stay engaged because of the larger themes and emotional potency which the pieces convey. Thus, hope may be derived and sustained though depictions of beauty – yet we gain understanding of hopelessness through the recognition of beauty.
Born and raised in Southern California, Jimenez has lived in New Zealand since 2000. He lives and works in Auckland.
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