xavier gonzález d’Ègara
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London exhibition catalogueTRANSCRIPT
Xavier González d’Ègara
Imitate Modern 22 March - 10 April 2012
Cover: Orange - a Richie Hawtin songMixed media on wood finished with oil (Aluminium-Sand-Glue-Coal-Oil-Fire)232 x 98.5cmhttp://youtu.be/7oY7ziREByQ
The Artist Xavier González d’Ègara was born in Terrassa, Barcelona in 1980 and self taught, he was immediately lauded by his
soon to be peers when at the sight of his first exhibition celebrated artist Modest Cuixart stated philosophically that he was ‘from the real academy, the one upstairs’ – giving validity to the sentiment that Xavier is an artist guided entirely by his heart.He started his career in December 1999 when he visited and struck up friendships with renowned painters Antonio Lopez, Antoni Pitxot, Modest Cuixart and most famously, Antoni Tapies who sadly passed away this year, but who would impart words of wisdom that would several years later go on to save his career from derailing.In 2003 he held a successful first exhibition in his home city of Terrassa at the Gothsland Gallery and it was his experience meeting various collectors and critics which encouraged him to dedicate his life entirely to his art.In 2004 he began his life in Berlin where he currently lives. He exhibited at the Silberblau Gallery where he discovered poetry and started to study authors such as Holderlin, Paul Celan and Rilke who would all have a decisive influence on his future work. However, his constant companion whilst painting are the compositions of J.S.Bach whose music provides the soundtrack when he is creating his art. “I only paint with Bach in the studio”, Xavier feels that the emotion in the music from Bach brings out his most creative elements.
2005 took Xavier in a new brazen direction inspired by urban theatre and Berlin’s industrial underground club scene where he added explosive large scale live painting to his repertoire encompassing performances by emerging DJ’s and live bands together with light shows and visual effects. His performance piece ‘Deeparture’ collaborating with the renowned Catalan urban theater group La Fura dels Baus was critically revered as a refreshing blurring of the boundaries between the audience and actor reinforcing Xavier’s status as both a talented painter and an exciting entertainer.He worked continuously until 2007 dividing his time between Berlin and Barcelona . He was then encouraged by collectors of his work to travel to New York until the autumn of 2008 when tragedy stuck. His muse, and the woman he was in love with committed suicide. Immediately he cut himself off from the outside world hiding away in the remote mountains outside of Cadaques, the home of Salvador Dali. It was his relationship with the inspirational Tapies, amplified by the pain that Xavier felt due to his recent loss, that spurred him on and inspired much of his work giving him the vital advice to resist turning his back on his art :“Resist, Xavier, resist. Don’t give up” were his words to me and I will always remember them, remarks Xavier, deeply saddened by the artists recent passing.He wrote, played the piano and painted whilst
experimenting with nature in his work and experienced a resolution in his art inspired by the book of Genesis. He exhibited the work in 2009 at the Sala de Arte Van Dyck in Gijon under the title ‘Luto Blanco’ which is translated as ‘White Mourning’. That series was created with fire, as a homage to his lover’s last vision, disappearing into the flames. The resulting show sold out instantly.
Shortly after this he struck up a friendship with the prestigious art critic Carmine Benincasa which lead to exhibitions in Venice, Milan and Rome and despite his relatively young age Xavier’s reputation spread.
Benincasa wrote:
Xavier González d’Ègara’s work has given painting the breadth of cognitive and militant dimensions that Picasso did. He combines ideal and real, Dante and Manzoni.He turns painting into architecture for historical narratives.
The recent and sad news of Antoni Tapies’ death has given him even more drive to complete his latest show in London from 22nd March until 10th April at Imitate Modern Gallery.
Antoni Tapies’ wise words have never been truer for him.
For more information please call Martin Klipp on: 020 7486 9927 or email: [email protected]
Xavier González d’Ègara
Solo exhibitions 2002-2011:2011: THAUMAZEIN SevenStar Gallery , Berlin.
ALEPH + ALPHA: OMEGA Galeria Ca’ D’Oro, Rome and Magazzini dei Sale, Venice.
2010: LA TERRA ERMA Galeria Art Ricard, Terrasssa (Barcelona).2009: LUTO BLANCO Sala de Arte Van Dyck, Gijon (Asturias).2008: PRIMAVERA INVERNAL Galeria Gothsland, Barcelona.2007: VEU DE LLUM Naumon, Vaixell de la Fura dels Baus, Barcelona.2006: EN ELS BLAUS DE L’ARPA Galeria Gothsland , Barcelona.2005: EL VOL DESCRIT Sala d’exposicions Miquel Mateu, Peralada (Girona).
ARQUITECTURES DEL FOC VENCUT Galeria Gothsland, Barcelona.2004: NACH DER BLUME Silberblau Gallery, Berlin.2003: LES FLORS D’ELLA Galeria Gothsland, Barcelona.2002: LA BRILLANTOR SALVATGE DELS TEUS ULLS Galeria Art Ricard, Terrassa
(Barcelona).
Terrassa (Barcelona), 1980
Pintor autodidacta, o “De la academia real, la de arriba” exclamaría, medio en broma y medio en serio, el pintor Modest Cuixart tras contemplar la obra de González d’Ègara en una de sus primeras exposiciones, en la galería Art Ricard de La Bisbal d’Empordà.
Su trayectoria empieza en el mes de diciembre de 1999 y, desde el primer momento, con el fin de tomar orientación, procura visitar pintores de la talla de Antonio López, Antoni Pitxot, Antoni Tàpies o el ya citado Modest Cuixart, entre muchos otros.
En el 2003 realiza con éxito su primera exposición en Barcelona, en la galería Gothsland; contacta así con coleccionistas, críticos especializados y demás personalidades del mundo de la cultura activa que lo animan a dedicarse por completo a su labor.
En el 2004 se instala en Berlín, expone en la galería Silberblau, descubre la poesía y empieza a estudiar detenidamente a algunos de los autores relacionados con el país en el que se encuentra. La poesía de Hölderlin, Paul Celan o Rilke influirán decisivamente en sus futuras creaciones, pero sin duda alguna nada lo hará tanto como la música de J. S. Bach,
que lo acompañará en todas las horas que transcurrirán en su ejercicio pictótico hasta día de hoy.
“Sólo pinto con Bach”, asegura.
A medio camino entre Berlín y Barcelona, desarrolla su oficio sin interrupción hasta el 2007. Entonces, patrocinado por algunos de los coleccionistas de su obra, se traslada a Nueva York. Participa en colectivas, coloca algunas piezas y se relaciona con todo tipo de personajes. 6 meses más tarde de su llegada, debido a una sucesión de acontecimientos de carácter trágico, decide aislarse durante todo un año en el pueblo de Cadaqués (Gerona); su reclusión allí es total. Escribe, toca el piano y pinta. Experimenta la naturaleza y su obra se revoluciona al encontrar inspiración en el libro del Génesis. El resultado de este periodo lo exhibirá en el 2009 en Gijón, en la Sala de Arte Van Dick, bajo el título de Luto blanco, y la gran aceptación que obtendrá lo ayudarán a recuperar el entusiasmo ligeramente perdido a su regreso de Estados Unidos.
Establece poco después una relación de amistad con el prestigioso crítico de arte Carmine Benincasa. De la mano del mismo crítico italiano resultarán exposiciones en
Venecia, Milán y Roma, y su obra comenzará a ser relativamente conocida teniendo en cuenta su corta edad. El propio Benincasa escribirá en un monográfico dedicado a la obra de González en la revista Cahiers d’art publicado en 2011: “La obra de González d’Ègara ha dado a la pintura la amplitud de dimensiones cognoscitivas y militantes como ya hizo Picasso. Conjuga ideal y real, Dante y Manzoni. Tiene una visión unitaria y al mismo tiempo policéntrica. Conoce el mundo real así como el humano. Con perfecta fusión une en sus obras el estilo narrativo y la cosa narrada. Exalta el entero universo material como si lo mirase con un espíritu panteístico. En su pintura se reencuentran los orígenes históricos e inmanentísticos del Renacimiento con el ánimo protoromántico de un Hegel o Schelling… Su pintura es una memoria que se convierte en promesa de futuro. Sus colores tienen soltura y teatralidad formal, a las cuales une dinamismo sintáctico, agudeza crítica y comunicación moderna. Transforma la pintura en una arquitectura para una narración histórica.”
Instalado definitivamente en la capital alemana desde el 2009, consigue hacerse un puesto en la galería SevenStar de Berlín.
In The Trees - a Carl Craig mixMixed media on wood finished with oil100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/mSvKgVBsz4M
The Sky Was Pink - a Nathan Fake songMixed media on wood finished with oil
140 x 208cmhttp://youtu.be/d7zBePUZMog
Strings Of Life - a Derrick May songMixed media on wood finished with oil140 x 208cmhttp://youtu.be/UAagkcFHzOs
The Gardens - an X-103 songFire on wood finished with oil
15 pieces of 33 x 33cmhttp://youtu.be/yYNCmrx0Lcc
Death Star - a Mad Mike songSynthetic enamel on aluminium finished with oil100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/mx7AqHq2DlE
Wolken Ziehen - an Ellen Allien song Synthetic enamel on aluminium
finished with oil100 x 100cm
http://youtu.be/aYV_KPzsuFY
Make’n Love - a DJ Rush songMixed media on wood finished with oil 183 x 103cmhttp://youtu.be/mxs-nVlKZds
Anaconda - an Oscar Mulero songMixed media on wood finished with oil140 x 103cm http://youtu.be/KWZmYu7dCq0
The Henge - a Steve Moore songMixed media on wood
33 x 41cmhttp://youtu.be/woc6d2jCDMc
Night of the Jaguar - a DJ Rolando songSynthetic enamel on aluminium 100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/r3E9NSgJZkY
Splitting Atoms - a Luke Slater song Synthetic enamel on aluminium
50 x 50cmhttp://youtu.be/61kZZgr6GJI
Demolish - a Cristian Vogel songSynthetic enamel on aluminium
50 x 50cmhttp://youtu.be/jzi932OYx3E
Spastik - a Plastikman songSynthetic enamel on aluminium
50 x 50cmhttp://youtu.be/xG2Hi7l9bxU
The Silent Chorus - a John Maus songSynthetic enamel on aluminium finished with oil 100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/6jlFATPH-Ck
Komm - a Sven Väth songSynthetic enamel on aluminium
100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/tPfHQ4MyNL8
Tiergarten (Supermayer Lost In The Tiergarten Remix)Mixed media on wood finished with oil280 x 103.5cmhttp://youtu.be/JQFpm_H0KAQ
This Boy’s In Love - a Kevin Saunderson RemixMixed media on wood finished with oil 100 x 100cmhttp://youtu.be/Wy9jv3oaDjw
CuratorMike Filer
PhotographyBenny Golm
Nick [email protected]
Graphic DesignTim Alexander
With special thanks toCandela Alvarez Soldelvilla, Martin Klipp, Isabel Nieves, Robert Elms,
Sam and Samantha Clark, David Kelly, Michael French, Slam PR and Imitate Modern
IMITATE MODERN 27A DEVONSHIRE STREET LONDON W1G 6PNwww.imitatemodern.com
+44 (0) 20 7486 [email protected]
Enquiries for Xavier via: +44 (0) 7860 469404 / [email protected]