Art Library Book (Prototype)

ABOUT THE PROJECT MartinMuñozisareflection,orper-hapsaresult,ofwhatmanyaroundtheworldrefertoasthe“AmericanDream”.Intheyear1970MuñozleftArgentinatopursueanewlifeinNewYorkCity.Alreadyapoet,duringhisearlyyearsinNewYorkMuñozdiscoveredhisloveforpaintingwhencomingacrossaboxfilledwithbrushes,paint,andcanvasesthathadlefttobethrownoutinGreen-wichVillage.Alsoduringthistime-frameMuñozcreativelyfoundhimselfajobroamingtheNewYorkstreetswithChiqui,hispetllama,andtakingpolar-oidsnapshotsoftouristalongsidetheanimal.Mostwouldsaythatthiswassimplyatouristattraction,butMuñozsetouttoeducatethoseofendangeredanimalspeciesalongwithapieceofhisculturalidentity,whichmayalsobecon-sideredperformanceart.

OverthelastseveralyearsMuñozhasleadamorepeacefullifelivingandoperatinganantiquestoreintheNorth-ernCatskillMountainsofNewYork.Aselfrenovatedbarniswherehecallshome,tendsshop,andevenconsistofsmallgalleryofhisartworks.Muñoz’spaintingsreflecthisconcernsforglobalissuesandalsohisownexperiencesthroughoutlife.

Todayattheageof73MuñozisdiligentlyworkingtocreateanEnglishLibraryandCommunityArtCenterinhishomelandofArgentina,withover18,000English-writtenbookshehascollectedduringhisyearsintheUnitedStates.Hismotivefortheprojecthissimple;aftercomingtotheUSAwithoutknowledgeoftheEnglishLanguage,Muñozselftaughthimselfthelanguagethroughbooks.Healsohaswit-nessedglobalizationfirsthandhandandseesagreatinterestinArgentineyouthtolearnEnglish.

Muñozseeksnoprofit.Tohim,thisissimplyaninternationalfavor,andano-tionofrespectforbothTheUSAandAr-gentina.ThisisMuñoz’sdream,butnotadreamofcreatingalibrary,butadreamofaworldofinternationalpeace.TheLibrarywouldserveasahubforthoseinterestedinlearningEnglishandAmericanCulture.WithanexchangeprogramAmericanStu-dentscouldworktheLibrarygivingEng-lishlessonsandhostingartclasses,withevenacafeandsmallconcerthall.

Whathaltsallofthisfromhappeningisfunding,asitisexpensivetoshipacontaineroverseas,alongwiththecostofbuildingandotherneces-sities.Withyourhelpwecancreateexampleofhowto-getherashumanscangivebacktoourplanetearth.Anexampleofhowtowecanre-useandrecyclematerialsinthe21stcentury.Alldonationsreceivedandallbookrevenuewillgotowardscreatingthelibrary,andcreatingadocu-mentaryfilmoftheprocess.

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AcollagebyOttoOhlefeaturingscannedinartworkscreatedbyMuñoz,vintageNewYorknewspaperarticles,andMuñoz’sstatementofwhathimandChiquididthroughoutNYC.

VariousnewspaperclippingofarticlesfeaturingMartinandChiqui.

“LunaLlenainNewYork”,orinEnglish,“FullMooninNewYork”.Thispaint-ingconsistofallofthedifferentcharactersNewYorkCitystreetshavetooffer,asseenbyMuñoz.

“MyNationisTheWholeWorld”,apaintingbyMuñozdepictinghisfeelingsofwhereheasahumanexist.

“Pachamama”.PachamamaisanativeIndianwordthatmeans“mothernature”tothosenativetotheAndesMountains.Thispaintingreferestoa“dream”ofnature,accordingtoMuñoz.

“Weareinegeniousindevelopingtheweaponsofwar,butalmosthelplessindevelopingtheweaponsofpeace”-JohnJ.O’Connor-ThisquoteisvisuallyrepresentedtoinspireMuñoz’sideaofanEnglishLibraryinArgentina.

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AseriesofmultimediacomicsMuñozcreatedinthe1970/80’sofhislifealongsideChiqui.

GrowingupintheCatskillMountains,therereallyisasacrificeforthedelicatelandscapessurroundingyou,andthatisyoursociallife.Inmyhometowntherewashardlyanysenseofcommunity,asthesmall2,700personpopulationisspreadoutbetweenabout50squaremiles.Whenyouliveinaplacelikethisallofyourlife,eventuallyyoureallystarttothinkyouknowthearea(andeveryone)quitethoroughly.Abouttwoyearsagooneofmyclosestfriendsandmyselfwerejustgoingaboutourdaysimplydrivingaroundandshootingphotographsinunknownterri-tory(literally,“theroadnottaken”)whenwepassedabrightlypaintedbarn,followedbyasimilarlycoloredsign,reading“barnsale”.Now,Idon’tknowifyouhaveevervisitedupstateNewYork,butthisisaveryunlikelyoccurrence.Weoptimisticallyturnedthecararoundandwenttoseewhattheplacehadtooffer.Whenwegotoutofthecarandwewereimmediatelyintriguedbytheartistryofthebuilding.Therewerestatues,acleverlydesignednaturalwaterfountain,andmuralspaintedacrossthebarn.Werangthebelltoenterthestoreandtooursurprise,ashortelderlymanwhohadpaintonhisshirtcameupandintroducedhimselfasMartinMuñoz.HelearnedthathewasapainterwholivedandoperatedhisantiquestoreinthequainttownofConesville,NY.Fasci-natedbywhatwehadseemtoofdiscovered,wecomplimentedhimonhisstore,asthebothofushadn’tseenanythinglikeitbefore.Itallseemedsurreal;therewasthisbarnexquisitelypaintedanddecoratedlikenoneother,astorecontainingsomeofthemostuncommonyetinterestingselectionsinsideofit,beautifullysettledthemountains,justafewmilesfromourhomes!Wespentaboutanhourgazingthroughtheartworkanditemsontheshelves,andeventuallyleftandwentonaboutourbusiness.Itwasn’tuntilaboutamonthlaterwhenIreturnedtomakeashortdocu-mentaryvideoabouthisstoreforaschoolproject.Iwantedtotryandcapturetheuniquenessofthestore,andhowitstandsoutinit’sruralsetting.Thevideoallstartedoutprettygeneric,butthatallchangedwhenMartintoldmehewantedtoshowmesomething.HetookmetoatractortrailerhehadinhisbackyardwhileexplaininghowwhenhemovedtoTheUnitedStates,theeasiestwayforhimtolearnEnglishwasbyreadingbooks.Hetoldmethatwhenpeoplefoundouthelikedbooks,theywouldgivehimtheiroldbooks.Eventually,Martinrealizedhehadquitethecollectionanddecidedtodosomethingwiththem.Hestartedtoseekandcollectvariousgenresofbooks,withadreamtoshiphiscollectionbacktohishometownofMendoza,Argentina,tocreateanEng-lishLibrary,becauseMartinbelievesthat“theworldisbecomingbilingual”.Atthatsecond,IknewtherewasanotherstoryIshouldbecovering.EverysincethenIhavebeenreturningtoConesvilleworkingonashortdocumentaryfilmwithMartin,entitled,“MyNationisTheWholeWorld”(basedoffapaintingofhis).Wehavebecomefriendsintheprocess,andasafriendIknowMartinisoneofthemosthumblepeopleoutthere.Peopleconstantlyaretellinghimthatheiscrazyfortryingtomakethelibraryhappenbecauseofthefactorofmoney,butMartintrulydoesn’tcare.Hewantstobeabletogivesomethingbacktohiscountry,fromthiscountry,becausehewantstosharetheculturehehadlefthisownfor.Hewantsthelibrarytorunasanon-profit,withexchangestudentscomingtoworkforselectedperiodsoftimes.HehastraveledtheworldandseestheimportanceoftheEnglishlanguage,andwantstosharethatwiththeyouthofArgentina.Alargepercentageofhis20,000collectedbooksconsistofchildrensbooks.AlthoughMartinisn’tnecessarilyfocusedonmakingpersonalprofit,theonlythingseparatinghimfromthelibraryisthelocationofthebooks,whichareresidingathishouseinUpstateNewYork.Asonecouldimagineitisagrueling,expen-siveprocesstoship20,000booksacrosstheworld.WhattrulydrivesMartin,isthefactthatheknowsthatifthebooksdon’tgotoArgentina,theywillsimplybewasted.Hestressesthathehasnotsimplybeencollectingjustbooksdonatedovertheyears,butpersonallyselectingthembasedonsubjectmatterandcondition.Lifeworksinstrangeways-thingsjusttendtohappenandcometogetherontheirownsometimes.Inthiscase,Martin’sgatheringstartedthroughnaturaloccur-rences,asdidthisongoingproject.Therearecountlesspossibilitiesforthefutureofthelibrary,butthereisstillalottobedoneinorderforittohappen.Ifanypersonwantstocontributeinanywaytothisproject,thatbeingwebdesign,filming,animation,oranythingyoucanoffer,[email protected].

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All artworks created by Martin Muñoz. Booklet designed and edited by Otto Ohle. Photographs,video, and text also by Otto Ohle. You can visit Martin’s store at

238 Potter Hollow Mountain Road,Gilboa, NY