Vancouver 2

"Boundary Rd & Hastings"
Acrylic on Paper

"The Moon as Seen from my Window"
Acrylic on Paper

Vancouver

I Came to Vancouver being almost 40 just to find my own memories. I mean, I've been finding places that remind me things I lived in Guadalajara growing up. In a way, I feel like I'm going around hanging my memories like paintings on walls.

It could also be that the construction technologies and architectural principles where similar in both cities. Being both western cities and both in countries heavily influenced by the US.

I’m always looking for subjects to paint, I’ve worked in the construction industry all my life and, I guess, at some point my memory is going to start playing games with me.

“Sunset at the New Brighton Park”
Acrylic on paper

This was the park of my neighbour when I first came to Canada nine years ago. Seems like yesterday.

¨Walking at the Park¨
Acrylic on Paper.

¨Those noisy Cranes¨
Acrylic on Canvas

¨Second Narrow Bridge, Iron´s Workers Memorial¨Acrylic on Canvas 

Space Fantasies, Artificial Intelligence and the like.

Vancouver, January 10, 2020 (Saint Gonzalo's Day)

I hung some of my paintings at my friend's coffee shop (https://www.paellaguys.ca/), and here is what I wrote to present myself:

" I´m a civil engineer by trade; I paint and sketch to land ideas I catch flying. I like Science, I like Nature, and I Love science fiction. I´m concerned with all this pollution mess we´re leaving behind, but I also think we humans are just starting and that the best is still to come.

I like to think of some of my paintings as notes for stories I still have to write. Some of my pieces are just first sketches of larger images I will someday have time to paint. That’s life, it’s never enough, but I’m okay with it."

I may start hanging more stuff here from now on.

Artificial Intelligence

When I paint about AI I’m always thinking about the singularity, that is, after the time when an artificial algorithm will reach and quickly surpass human intelligence. In that moment the AI will become (if not already be) self conscious, and become exponentially more powerful (information is power) and exponentially more intelligent as the time passes. 

And because I’ve decide to be an optimistic I like to think the AI will be benevolent, patient and discrete. The opposite, I think, would be ridiculous. It would be like if a wise man starts bragging to kids, or to monkeys or ants. Thinking about it, there may not be a way for us to know if the singularity has been reached or to know how mighty it may really be. I don't think ants will ever know what we're thinking, will they?

One particular book comes to mind; "A Fire Upon the Deep", by Vernor Vinge, 1992.

"The Waves's Box Dance"
2015, Acrylic on Canvas, 8.25x11"

Creating and maintaining a healthy ecosystem in a tank (spaceship, moon base, etc.), will be no easy task. We have to remember that life on earth came to be from the dance of earth with the sun and the moon, the seasons and the tides, the winds and the waves. So, if we want to conquer the outer space, our machines will have to learn how to properly shake our tanks.

To successfully create and manage our artificial spaces including supplying chains, our AI will have to learn how to dance a nice (and big) Waves's Box Dance.

(AI2)

"When Humans are not Around"

2018, Acrylic on Canvas, 8.25x11"

Down the eons of time, who knows what the AI will do when we're not around.
I also think the title is a good idea for a jazz song.

(AI3)

"Growing Yucca Palms in Mars"

2015, Acrylic on paper, 10.5x8.5"

Joshua trees, yucca palms, we'll need those in Mars, for sure.

(AI4)

"The Four Clans on Their Beasts"

2019, Mixed media on paper, 5x7"

Being humans as we are, conflicts will exist in the future, no question about it. However, I hope AI as I imagine it, will help to reduce the scale of the conflicts to more manageable levels.

I like to think that if we all have access to the same tools (that is weapons) and if our tools are more intelligent than us (and hence engaged in being neutral and fair), there is a chance, I believe, that our conflicts could be reduced to a healthy rivalry between houses or clans that are freely moving and cooperating every where. 

Big sporty fights and competitions where being hostile would mean being ostracized. It will be exciting to live in that kind future, I have to think.

(AI5)

"The Sons of our Sons"

2018, Acrylic on paper,

Who knows, it may happen some day.

Space Fantasies 2

"Outer Space Commune"

Watercolor and ink on paper

Small villages floating among out space mountains. Spherical houses that revolve like carousels. Miners and farmers of the asteroid belt.

“Orbiting a Planetoid”
Watercolor on paper

Space miners in the asteroid belt orbiting a strange planetoid full of unsuspected secrets. Ruins of other worlds? Pharaonic tombs of other suns and other gods?

"Outer Space Nesting"

Watercolor and ink on paper

Nesting in space trees. Symmetric structures that rotate, grow and feed. Livable micro worlds to hang our houses and organize new fests.

Space Fantasies

I like to imagine that the destiny of Life is beyond earth. I like to think that our urgency to understand and dominate nature has the not so obvious purpose of being able to fertilize other less hospitable worlds.

I am attracted to the idea that there is nothing artificial. Being part of nature our selves, all our art has to be part of nature by extension. Thus, we humans are the Nature being conscious and desperate to be out there where we haven't been. Desperate for loving and polluting everything with our mere existence.

(F1)
"Centripetal Gravity Housing"Watercolor and Ink on paper
A nice and comfortable house in a bottled mangrove, all set and ready to spin to your preferred fraction of G. It includes self-filtering biome, atmosphere, fusion generator and AI valet. All other accessories are sold separately.

"Organic stop valve"
Watercolor and Ink on paper

Metabolic engineering for the creation of extra-planetary organic infrastructure.

Aqueducts of living matter that transport the trapped water between the rings of Saturn.

Hearts of giant plants that pressurize and liquefy the ubiquitous vital liquid.

Tanks for fertilizing eggs, machines to mix quality seed.

Pure joy of creation at the climax of the insemination.

(F3)
"Masters of the Quantic Connection"
Watercolor and Ink on paper

Get a subatomic particle from a distant star and entangle your space-time to it. Collapse your self into a quantic vortex and thru the spooky effect fly away to a distant place in a distant future.  

En tu Corazón la Paz

En un día de sol / salimos a caminar.

En tu mochila el color / y en tu corazón la paz.

La ciudad de Guanajuato es, por un tiempo, su centro. Los callejones, calles, parques, iglesias, edificios, monumentos y especialmente su mezcla heterogénea de gente que camina por todos estos lugares.

Después, Guanajuato se va abriendo y su centro también es hermoso visto desde lejos. A los alrededores de Guanajuato hay un campo limpio, rocoso, espectacular y lleno de senderos a los que se puede llegar subiendo alguna cuesta por no más de 20 minutos. Los Picachos con su Cueva y su Bufa, las Dos Comadres; esfinges mexicanas que dan fe del tiempo, El Faro que domina la Presa de la Olla y la Presa de San Renovato, el Cerro de la Sirena; con su vaso al que alguien le ha puesto un popote.

Los días de sol son casi todos y cuando uno decide invertir el tiempo en salir a caminar es muy probable que la paz se apunte y decida andar con uno, con ánimos de platicar.