MANOLO VALDéS (B. 1942)

MANOLO VALDéS' PORTRAITS OF ANTONIO DEL POLLAIULO AND QUEEN REPRESENT AN IMPORTANT STAGE IN THE ARTIST'S RE-EVALUATION OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HIS NATIVE COUNTRY. FROM DIEGO VELáZQUEZ AND FRANCISCO GOYA TO PABLO PICASSO, VALDéS DISPLAYED A CONTINUOUS FASCINATION WITH THE TRADITION OF ART HISTORY. USING THE OLD MASTERS AND MORE RECENT WORKS AS STARTING POINTS, VALDéS SEEKS TO RE-ADDRESS THE VERY NOTION OF CONVENTION, HIGHLIGHTING TRADITION AS GROUND THAT PUSHES THE PAINTER WITHIN ITS CONSTRAINTS AND GIVES RISE TO INNOVATION. FULL OF COMPLEXITY AND ORIGINALITY, VALDéS ESTABLISHES A SUBTLE AND EXPRESSIVE DIALOGUE AND PAYS HOMAGE TO HIS PRECEDENTS.
THE CLASSICAL ROYAL PORTRAIT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL CONVENTION EXPLORED IN THE PRESENT WORKS, 'KING' AND 'QUEEN'. A HIGHLY ESTABLISHED PORTRAIT PAINTER, VELáZQUEZ'S APPROACH TO THE SUBJECT WAS AMONGST THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCES THAT INFORMED VALDéS'S CONCEPTION OF THE ROYAL FIGURES. SUCH IMAGES EXPOUNDED WITH GRANDEUR, MAGNIFICENCE AND POWER, ELEVATING SITTERS TO A HIGHER REALM SOMEWHAT REMOVED FROM REALITY. WHILST RETAINING THE CONVENTION OF THE RIGIDITY OF THE PROFILE OF THE SITTER IN 'KING', VALDéS REINTERPRETS THE FIGURE. TAKEN OUT OF THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT, VALDéS'S SITTERS ARE ABSTRACTED AND BROUGHT UP-TO-DATE. WHILST ELIMINATING FACIAL FEATURES, VALDéS PRESENTS FIGURES THAT ARE ANONYMOUS, YET FAMILIAR AND ICONIC SUGGESTED BY HIS USE OF SUCH MOTIFS AS THE FLEUR-DE-LYS. THE PERFECTION AND SMOOTHNESS OF THE CLASSICAL PORTRAIT ARE REPLACED WITH BOLDNESS AND PAINTERLY EXPRESSIVITY. THE PERMUTATIONS OF COLOUR AND TEXTURE ARE ENHANCED THROUGH THE USE OF BURLAP COLLAGE, A MATERIAL EVOCATIVE INSPITE OF ITS HUMBLE AND UTILITARIAN BASIS. DESPITE THEIR LACK OF FACIAL FEATURES, BOTH HIS 'KING' AND 'QUEEN' ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE AS ALMOST PERFECT PENDANTS, SHARING A CONVERSATION. WRESTLING WITH CONVENTIONS, VALDéS'S PAINTINGS SPEAK OF ART HISTORICAL TRADITION AS A GROUND FOR INSPIRATION, POIGNANCY, FASCINATION, AND PROFOUND PERSONAL CHALLENGE.