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The
works of painter Daniel Martin-Diaz are thought-provoking, eye-catching.
Some would say they are disgusting. His works feature blood, skulls,
dismembered bodies, even an image of the fetus of Christ. Diaz brings
to Tucson national fame and a bit of infamy.
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One of his works, the cover for the rock group P.O.D.’s CD is seen
by millions. The Christian band commissioned him to create the painting,
which promptly got the CD banned in 85% of Christian bookstores.
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"I'm just creating these images: they are what they are, and putting
them out there. People can love them, or they can think what they want
about them. But they're here," said Diaz.
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Diaz has exploded from the Tucson scene to the national scene. [ Tucson
’s] “A great place for artists to talk about ideas, experiment,
talk about techniques.” Diaz gives credit to local gallery owner
Terry Etherton for helping him succeed, but success has sent him out
of town.
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There’s just not enough money in Tucson to support his work.
"I wish I could do a big show here, and really do it right, but
I can't economically."
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It can take twelve months to get enough pieces together for a show.
Diaz has to sell paintings in Los Angeles and New York to keep his career
afloat. While he can’t afford to show his work in Tucson , he is
compelled to show Tucson in his work.
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The harshness of the desert combines with the beauty and mysticism of
his Mexican Catholic upbringing.
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"I just started painting one day, and I painted the Virgin Mary,
and once I did that painting, I knew this was my calling in life,”
he said.
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His works focus on desert themes and colors, the scenes he sees looking
out his window at a South Tucson landscape. Diaz owes much of his success
to sponsorship by solid Tucson galleries. But with a lack of patrons,
Tucson ’s most successful artists are often flying to other cities
to show their work even if it is rooted in the Old Pueblo.
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