Running head: THE CURIOUS COOK: A CALL FOR SELF REFLECTION

The Curious Cook: A Call For Self Reflection

Vanessa De La Torre

Arizona State University

February 14, 2019

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The Curious Cook: A Call For Self Reflection

I believe everybody in this world is suffering from the addiction to live on the edge of

living the life we want and living the life we are living. The more life goes on, the more we sit

down to really depict the meaning of it. We long for truth, compassion, opportunities and real

growth. This “Curious Cook” by Tato Caraveo is only a representation painted on a wall, staring

us in the face, metaphorically, to really become more reflective and self aware of who we are and

what space we are taking up. Caraveo made the conscious decision to take up the space in the

Grand Avenue Art District as he encourages us to contemplate our path. This analysis of the

downtown mural breaks down the essential root of what humans lack most: critical self

awareness.

When looking at the visual elements, Caraveo purposely placed the subject in the middle

of the frame to gear all the attention towards the butterfly and the man, more specifically his

face. The scale of the photo focuses on the butterfly in his hand and the emotion on the man’s

face. The exposure and angle of the light in the upper left diagonal corner illuminates the way the

man rests his lips or how his eyes droop down. He sits in a state of exhaustion, with his black

slouched, exhaustion of physical labor but perhaps also mental exhaustion that could have been

formed from overworking or lack of intellectual challenges. The artist uses his agency to form a

peace in the hearts of the audience, communicating through his artwork that it’s crucial to take

time in our day to just let our minds and souls wander.

Caraveo does not use color as his strongest tool to convey meaning in his art. Although

there is a blue background with a main person, this mural isn’t trying to use color variation to

draw the audience. His attention to shading is what matters the most, as the picture’s important
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details flourish from Caraveo’s ability to shade well. The shading also is heavy on his

cheekbones, making the subject look lifeless and emaciated. The shading shows a singular

shadow in the room, expressing that he is the only one in the room without having to directly say

it. Another artistic aspect that creates an illusion is the lines that make up the floor. It speaks

about the setting the cook is in. Even though he is sitting in a chair, if it weren’t for the lines we

wouldn’t be able to tell that the man is sitting in a vastly large room. He could be resting in that

chair in a small room and that would change the message of the picture. As the lines extend to

create what seems like an infinite effect, that creates an impression that the man is alone in the

middle of a very big room.

The location of the mural itself is in of itself an appeal to logos. According to the Grand

Avenue Arts and Preservation website, the mission of this district is “to celebrate neighborhood

sustainability, encourage creative recycling, highlight the arts, promote the small business

community, and foster preservation and adaptive re-use of valuable neighborhood resources.”

The motives are to inform of what’s available, persuade to be more innovative and considerate of

your talents and surroundings, as well as commemorate the work and ideas of the community.

This place is designed to get people to focus on their ability to be curious, and so is Caraveo’s

artwork.

The appeal to pathos is found in the platform. Not all who read are touched emotionally

and words do not portray the same messages as visuals. Since this piece is a street mural, it does

have a wider audience than say a canvas in a museum, but the audience also differs due to the

purpose of how they come to the artwork. Individuals go to museums with the intention of letting
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artwork mold them. Street art is meant to catch you off guard because you just happen to pass by

it on your way to your destination. It creates insights in the mind of the viewer, without a plan to.

Tato Caraveo is a Phoenix based artist who has painted murals, canvases and facades

around the downtown area. His biggest appeal to ethos is the credibility he has built as a

foundation to really wow-away an audience with the different collaborations in the area over the

years. He is a well known artist to the locals. Caraveo’s family-friendly cartoon speaks about his

character, as it does not catch your eye for the vulgarness of the graphic, but the profound

encouragement to dive into the unknown of the world.

The meaning of the art isn’t in the pigmentation of the man's complexion or the

composition of the background outshining the foreground, the meaning of the piece is in the eye

of the beholder. For example, the choice of a butterfly in the man’s hand brings a different

atmosphere to mural than a ladybug for example. In early Christianity, the butterfly was the

symbol of the soul, meaning this man is staring at his morals and values. A ladybug would

represent luck, and depict a completely different meaning to the audience. Caraveo’s biggest

purpose in this art piece is to call for reflection. In a world with mass amounts of self destruction

and global domestic issues, it is now that we must rest our minds, bodies and hearts in order to

make a change in the community. The man brings a lifeless ambiance in order to express a

lifeless universe, living a life we are being forced to live rather than actively choosing to live. As

the Jimmy Dean quote says, “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to

always reach my destination.” He wants you to choose.

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References

1. Person, & ProfilePage. (n.d.). Tato Caraveo on Instagram: "My #mural on #grandave in

#phoenix. Did this in 2015". Retrieved from

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bnei98ChC2X/

2. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​http://www.grandavenueartsandpreservation.org/contact

3. Tato Caraveo (@tatocaraveo) • Instagram photos and videos. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.instagram.com/tatocaraveo/