The Consumption of the Priest 2005

Lubo Kristek made this artwork called "The Consumption of the Priest" and it's teeming with symbolism. What does it all mean? I imagine Kristek in his studio mixing his paints, his mind bubbling with ideas. A mermaid, a priest, a pyramid, figures holding spears, all bathed in a surreal, dreamlike purple light. There's a strangeness, a sense of unease, but also a kind of dark humor. You can sense Kristek’s playfulness in the way he brings together unexpected elements. Was he thinking about power, desire, ritual? It reminds me a little of Max Ernst, or maybe Leonora Carrington - artists who weren't afraid to dive deep into the subconscious. Kristek, like them, is creating a world that's both familiar and utterly bizarre. Painting for him, like for so many of us, is a way of making sense of the chaos, even if it means embracing the ambiguity.