Day Of the Dead by Cesar Ivan Even as a young child, I knew there was somthing inside of me that needed to be released, expressed. My influences have never been limited to art, or artist, It's the everyday, the mundane to the grotesque, that I find inspiration. History, archeological impressions, the textures of life left behind are just as influential to me as the great artist of our time. Art education should not be limited to classroom instruction. One does not learn what makes art, or artist, great. Art is subjective, it is personal. I dabble in various mediums in order to express the world around me, the world as I see it. Living on the border with Mexico gives me the best of both worlds. Early in November, throughout Mexico, families gather to welcome the souls of the dead on their annual visit home. It is a joyous ritual dating back to prehispanic times that some cultures have a difficult time understanding. After the Spanish invasion, the Christian church sought to eradicate the beliefs and practices of the native peoples, but the ritual of offering food drink and candles to the dead survived. A conscious effort to incorporate the remnants of the native religion with Christianity transmuted into the Day of the Dead festival we see today. It is an occasion for feasting, cleaning and decorating graves, dancing and making music, and, most importantly, celebrating and remembering the dead. Cesar Ivan 109 N. Mesa # 7A El Paso, Texas 79901 915-351-8147 civan@sbcglobal.net