THE CAPITAL STIGMA — Martin Blanco — Contemporary Figurative Artist

THE CAPITAL STIGMA
We are all capable of becoming prisoners of the things we cannot resist.
2023
Oil, graphite and white pencil on Belgian linen
220 × 220 cm

€18,000

ORIGINAL WORK · AVAILABLE

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THE WEIGHT OF OUR DESIRES

How much of who we are is determined by what we cannot resist?
The Capital Stigma explores the seven deadly sins as forces that can shape human behaviour, questioning whether they are weaknesses we acquire or impulses that have always been part of us.

THE STORY BEHIND THE WORK

The work explores the seven deadly sins and the different ways in which they can influence human behaviour.
Among the seven, lust occupies a particular position. Unlike the other six, it is connected directly to one of the fundamental biological drives of the human species: reproduction. In the work, it is therefore represented as something inherent to our nature, while the other six sins may appear to different degrees depending on the individual.
The central female figure is connected to the myth of Medusa. Instead of the traditional snakes emerging from her hair, six additional arms extend from the figure, each holding a skull. These six skulls represent the remaining six deadly sins.
The skulls are deliberately different from one another, suggesting that each of these impulses can carry a different weight from one person to another. One individual may be dominated by greed, another by envy, another by pride, while another may experience them only marginally.
The composition therefore presents the seven sins not simply as a fixed list of moral transgressions, but as a spectrum of impulses that can influence the way we live.
The stormy sky establishes a psychological atmosphere in which these forces can become overwhelming. When we allow them to determine our actions, they can ultimately become a form of paralysis — echoing the power of Medusa's gaze, which turned those who encountered it to stone.
Yet the work leaves a possibility of escape. A small opening of light appears in the lower right corner, suggesting that even within the darkest circumstances, there may still be a way out.

SYMBOLS & REFERENCES

MEDUSA

The central figure references Medusa, whose gaze could transform those who encountered it into stone. Here, her mythology becomes a metaphor for the paralysing power of our own impulses.

THE SIX SKULLS

The six skulls represent the six deadly sins other than lust: pride, greed, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

The seven sins represent different impulses capable of influencing human behaviour, with their weight varying from one individual to another.

THE STORM

The stormy sky reflects the psychological chaos that can emerge when these impulses begin to dominate our lives.

THE LIGHT

The small opening of light in the lower right corner introduces the possibility of escape, suggesting that being confronted by our impulses does not necessarily mean being defined by them.

THE SEVEN

The seven impulses are not equally present in everyone. Their weight, expression and consequences can vary from one individual to another.

Lust
The impulse inherent to our biological nature.
Pride
The elevation of the self above others.
Greed
The desire to possess beyond what is necessary.
Envy
The frustration created by what others possess.
Gluttony
The inability to recognise when enough is enough.
Wrath
The destructive force of uncontrolled anger.
Sloth
The surrender of action and will.

DETAILS

Details from The Capital Stigma, revealing the contrast between the painted figure, graphite and white pencil, and the individual elements that construct the composition.