Rafael Mckenzie Soares
Born: 04/11/1964
Brazil
Rafael McKenzie Soares has been painting since the age of fifteen. He began taking lessons with a Dutch artist who introduced him to the academic drawing techniques of the old Masters, thereby helping to creating a solid artistic foundation.
Among the national and international shows to his credit, Soares has participated in the prestigious 10th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration at The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh and The Waterhouse Art Competition at the Museum of South Australia. Soares' work is included in the Albright Knox Museum collection and in the corporate collection of Fidelity Investments.
Animals in the Arts
The use of animals as subjects in the arts-either as metaphors commenting on the human condition or simple representation of the wonders of the world –has been well exploited since artists were able to express themselves through drawings, from cave art to Disney’s animation. Not only have artists painted and sculptured animals, but writers have also used animals in literature through the literary ages in works as George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Jean De La Fontaine’s fables. Through millennia, animals have been portrayed as symbols of good fortune. For example, animals painted on the walls of caves were thought to bring good luck to a hunting expedition. In Greek mythology as told in the tale of Circe, the goddess transformed her enemies into animals in order to vanquish them. Finally, the British landed gentry used animals as status symbols in, for example, the equine paintings of George Stubbs. In my opinion, Disney’s animations capture well the use of animals in the visual arts to illustrate and comment on the human condition. In the story of Dumbo and Bambi, we can identify man’s conflicting emotions- our anxieties central to our fear of loss, for example, as well as the struggle in modern life to protect the environment. My decision to use animals as subjects in art is based on my own love for wildlife. I strive to create a visual language that is universal while at the same time personal and related to my native country, Brazil, where natural, abundant wildlife and flora has inspired generation of artists from different nationalities since early eighteenth century.
Rafael McKenzie Soares