Art generates thought by challenging viewers to decipher meaning and value. It provides imagery that elicits reaction and curiosity, and when done correctly, art provokes thought. Because of this ambiguous and inclusive nature, art encompasses a vast range of ideas and concepts, limited only by the capacity of each particular artist to convey their meaning. Even still, each individual's interpretation of that meaning is unique - and that is the beauty of art. Who better to depict such than an artist who is fascinated by optical illusions and trickery, such as making one thing appear to be several from various distances and angles. Metamorphic art, as it is known, is the specialty of Octavio Ocampo, a prolific artist whose works have wowed hundreds, if not millions, of viewers and has established him as a leading figure in the Mexican art scene.
Ocampo was born on February 28th, 1943 in Celaya, Mexico, into a family that was already artistically inclined. Art was a part of his youth and of his identity; he studied it and mostly focused on painting and sculpting, creating props and works for parties and church functions. He experimented with music and even dancing before deciding in the 1970s that painting and sculpting were his true calling. He has used and been recognized for his surrealist metamorphic technique, which works by superimposing and mixing diverse figures to create a greater image, since then.
His paintings are fascinating because of their realism since you can easily miss either the larger picture or the little elements. The longer you stare at his paintings, the more they show themselves - what appears to be a portrait of Jesus will reveal itself to be a scene painting of several hooded men and women sitting and clutching feathers within minutes. His paintings, however, aren't just about religious themes – whether Christian, Hindu or Greek – but also about current works. He's painted commissioned portraits of celebrities including Jane Fonda, Cher, Cesar Chavez, and former US President Jimmy Carter using his skills. In his unique manner, he's painted Marlon Brando, Marylin Monroe, and the Mona Lisa.
Whatever artistic subject Ocampo chooses to tackle, his work always reflects the playful nature of his curiosity with creating diversity in his "illusion art," with visual deception – both on canvas and in his mural work, which adorns the walls of buildings such as the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City, as well as the walls of the Presidencia Municipal and the Institute of Technology in Celaya, Mexico. Octavio Ocampo resides in Tepoztlan, the mythological birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec sun deity. He is still one of the most productive Mexican artists today.
Selena Mattei