the Canvas of Ortiz
The Canvas of Ortiz, a portrait of Miguel Ortiz. Mixed media: Acrylic paint on canvas; paper faux feathers. 2 ft. wide by 3 ft. high. 2015
The abstract portrait you see above is of my uncle, Miguel Ortiz.
This piece came about after my uncle came to me one day with a request and a blank canvas. A large, 2 feet by 3 feet canvas, to be exact!
His request: Paint me anything! Whatever you want!
Broad….very broad. Lol.
After some thinking, I decided that painting a portrait would be a flattering gift.
But it wasn’t going to be a realistic portrait. I planned to make an abstract portrait of my uncle. I wanted to present an artistic perspective of the person that I knew as my Tio Mike.
And I knew that I wanted to base my artistic abstraction on the Aztec Sun Stone (Piedra del Sol in Spanish).
I’m sure you’ve come across an image of this ancient sculpture, which is more widely known as the Aztec Calendar Stone.
Photo of Piedra del Sol, Azteca civilization, 15th century. Currently housed in the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City.
But just in case you haven’t or need a refresher (or you’re just interested), I highly recommend you check out this article published by ThoughtCo.
It is a quick read and the author does a great job of informing the reader about the interesting details of the Aztec Sun Stone.
Symbolism
Although I based my design on the Sun Stone, my aim was not to make an exact replica of the sculpture in my painting. Instead, I only borrowed a few aspects of the ceremonial object as a source of inspiration.
“At its center is what is typically interpreted as the image of the god Tonatiuh, within the sign Ollin, which means movement...
”
You may be wondering why I didn’t paint the whole circle, and instead chose to paint a zoomed in view of this “Piedra de Ortiz”, (Canvas of Ortiz).
I really wanted to play with the following ideas:
the passage of time, and
the fact that this portrait was just a snapshot of a life, rather than its entirety.
My hope was that the zoomed-in perspective would allude to the fact that I had to take a closer look at the person I was trying to capture.
I wanted my portrait to portray the person in a way that gave a sense of their journey so far, and would remind the viewer of the fact that this person was still on that journey.
There are events that are out of view because they have yet to occur.
The Canvas of Ortiz, a portrait of Miguel Ortiz. Mixed media: Acrylic paint on canvas; paper faux feathers. 2 ft. wide by 3 ft. high. 2015
“At Tonatiuh’s sides are four boxes with the symbols of the preceding eras, or suns, along with the four directional signs.”
Cropped examples of the four boxes from various stock photos of replicas.
The symbols in the four boxes allude to the Aztec’s creation myth--the myth of the five suns.
Each image represents a previous epoch that has passed, and
“symbolized, as a deity per se, one of the four basic elements of nature. Thus, each "sun" had its own particular inhabitants and plants that would be destroyed by catastrophic events generated by the very element that made it a force in the creation” (Solis, 2004, p.81).
If you want a deeper dive into Tenochtitlan artifacts, then there is another great publication totally worth checking out—the catalogue titled The Aztec Empire.
Published by the Guggenheim to accompany the 2004 exhibit of the same name, this amazing resource can be found and downloaded here: https://www.guggenheim.org/publication/the-aztec-empire
Details. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
When designing the portrait for my uncle, I wanted to use these four symbols to represent facets or stages of his life that had passed.
I decided to use animals to represent specific characteristics or details about him that I had either observed, heard from other family members, or picked up during stories he recounted about his life.
King Cobra
“King cobras guard a nest of 20 to 40 eggs, which are laid in a mound of leaves gathered by the female. The guarding parent will strike if a predator or a person approaches too closely.”
Detail: King Cobra. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
This animal is actually a bit of an homage to my uncle’s mother. I’ve never met her personally, but my uncle has shared stories about his mother. She seemed like an amazing woman, and I can tell he held her in high esteem.
The Lion
“Lions are unique among cats in that they live in a group, or pride. The members of a pride typically spend the day in several scattered groups that may unite to hunt or share a meal.”
I think family is very important to my uncle. He takes pride in his familial bonds.
Detail: Lion. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
Bald Eagle
Detail: Bald Eagle. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
“Immature Bald Eagles spend the first four years of their lives in nomadic exploration of vast territories and can fly hundreds of miles per day.”
I wanted to capture the many life experiences my uncle has traversed. From traveling, to holding various roles and jobs, he has approached parts of his life as a nomadic explorer.
Great White Shark
Detail: Great White Shark. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
“Often this initial rush is so strong that the intense impact may send the prey out of the water…”
Think, torpedo of energy! My Uncle Mike is the textbook example of a go-getter. Once he sets his mind to a goal, it is just a matter of time.
“Tonatiuh’s image is surrounded by a broad band or ring containing calendrical and cosmological symbols.”
Since this area of the ancient sculpture represented the 20 days of Tonalpohualli (the Aztec sacred calendar), I wanted to use this area to symbolize two ideas: days passed as well as the quotidian details.
Detail. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
Why did I base the portrait on the Sun Stone?
Since I was little, I always associated my Uncle Mike with Aztec culture and imagery. He had several Aztecan objects decorating his home, including a miniature wall piece of the Sun Stone.
Also, as a child hanging out with a mischievous cousin, I found him to be intimidating. To me and my active imagination, he was like a living descendant of an Aztec Warrior.
So, when he came to me with his artwork request, I couldn’t help but go down the route that I took.
Reference photo used for creation of the abstract portrait The Canvas of Ortiz.
Detail. The Canvas of Ortiz, 2015
References
Bald Eagle Overview, All About Birds. (2019). Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/overview
Cobra. (2021, March 01). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/cobra-snake
Lion. (2021, March 01). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/lion
Maestri, N. (2019, February 05). The Aztec Calendar Stone: Dedicated to the Aztec Sun God. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-the-aztec-calendar-stone-169912
Solis, F. (2004, October 15). The Aztec Empire [PDF]. New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.guggenheim.org/publication/the-aztec-empire
White shark. (2021, March 01). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/animal/white-shark
