Feb 25, 2015
HOLY K. DESTINED TO DIE
seen from Yemen
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HOLY K. DESTINED TO DIE
HOLY K. - "My Religion"
"SCUM OF THE EARTH BY HOLY K
PRODUCED BY TYESI GOD
https://soundcloud.com/theholykaron/scum-of-the-earth
"LIFE'S GRIM" BY HOLY K.
Art - The Cereal Artist
Artist Daniel Arango has embarked on a spiritual quest Monikered “The Holy K Movement” since 2010. Traveling all over the world carrying a cereal box with him, drawing obsessively in AutoCAD, and printing his artwork on paper in a cereal box format.These images on cereal boxes draw upon the icons of the popular world, such as James Franco, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Mother Teresa. Arango treats the box as a pseudo-religious object, and he performs as he eats and shares the cereal with strangers. By integrating his performance into day-to-day activities, he points a finger at the psyche of continuous human consumption, thus echoing the ontology of his paintings.
We recently caught up with Mr. Arango at his show at Able Fine Art in Chelsea: Faith As Model. His first Dual show exhibition with artist Kevin Arnold.
Interview with Daniel Arango
Where were you born and raised?
I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia (Yep that’s where Shakira was born too) and raised in Miami. My family fled Colombia’s civil war when I was three years old.
Where did the idea for your pilgrimage come from?
Soon after grad school I left Providence and returned to NYC. Then one night, before going to bed, I had a thought, that I should travel the world and make art at the same time. It sounded like an ideal pilgrimage of some sort and within five weeks I sold all my belongings and flew to Oslo, Norway.
Was it difficult to stay on your path while traveling? Did you ever want to give up?
Of course, many times - especially when bad things happened, like being bitten by a rabid dog in the middle of the night, or being so sick that I couldn’t walk for a week and even being stranded in a remote island - but I had to keep strong.
What’s the significance of the cereal box in relation to the message you’re trying to convey?
Lifestyle, religion and sexuality are themes I’ve been playing with for some time and cereal embodies all of them. To start, cereal is popularized as a way to stay fit and healthy through its low calorie and fiber. Also, strangely enough cereal holds a historical connection to The Seventh Day Adventist Church with Dr. Kellogg’s invention of Corn Flakes. Additionally, cereal characterizes sexual desire because of Dr. Kellogg’s insane anti-masturbation crusade. In one way or another the cereal box couldn’t symbolizes our contemporary world more perfectly.
Who are major influences in your life that affect your work, if any?
People I meet during my travels influence my work a great deal, but most importantly the places I see.
Can you talk about the process? Walk us through the last three years and how it culminates in this current exhibition?
Once I arrive in a city, I live there for an undetermined amount of time. I spend my days wandering around and creating work inspired by my experiences. And when I feel like its time to move on to another city or country I do. At some point in my travels, I became fascinated with celebrities and their own travels after following them on Instagram. I created the Holy K Celebrities cereal series.
After traveling around the world, what is it like to come back to New York City? do you notice a change in the landscape culturally?
It took three years to miss New York. Soon after my return I realized New York City was no longer the only greatest city in world. The world had built many more… Like any major city, change is common, but New York City’s change didn’t feel so good. Some how it had lost several diversities. I still love New York City though!
What do you want the viewer to take away from your work?
My work has many subtleties. I want the viewer to explore them and even laugh at what they discover. There’s some humor in my work.
What’s next for you? Thought about it yet?
I’ve been working on a series of The Metropolitan Museum. Last month, I went to The MET for twenty days. Everyday I drew in AutoCAD at least one object or room from observation. Now I’m putting all those drawings into a series of frieze like paintings inspired by my daily experiences at the museum. Oh and two more years of traveling around the world…