Ernesto Morales. Painted 6.3.2019. Between 11 am – 12,20.
Ernesto I had met at the Budapest art fair for the first
time, so it was not trough the social media that I discovered him by chance.
But it was by chance, all the same, as the fairs are busy places over flowing
with people and the encounters are random and short. However before painting
Ernesto I had seen his art work in real life exhibited at the Milanese gallery
in the fair. His paintings are mystical,
hazy and composed of extraordinary materials, such as gold, plants growing in
the Amazon, or crushed semi precious gems. Obviously I wanted to hear more about
it. There was hardly enough time in the swish swash movement of
events in Budapest, so including him in the project was
the perfect solution to hear more.
Today he greeted me through the video chat, from his studio
in Torino, and I decided to paint from my dining table in Split . I posed
the telephone, with the Instagram video chat on- into a fruit stand to perch among apples for support and the
perfomance begun.
The
conversation began , and simultaneously so commenced painting his portrait in watercolour.
Ernesto at some point asked as to what we will do- and was surprised to discover
that was painting him without his being aware of it.
The way I paint- is sort of automatic. I converse with the
muse- completely attentive to the conversation, my hands and eyes do the job automatically.
I do believe that it is the energy of the conversation ,the very energy of the
muse that informs the style and colours of my paintings.
Ernesto took me further than the conversation, he took me on
a tour of his studio, and showed me the art
works he is preparing for a number of international shows, most excitingly- for
any living artist, he is about to exhibit at this summers Venice biennale.
It is very rare and generous to be allowed into the creative
intimacy of the studio, not all artists
will show their works before exhibiting it , especially to a colleague artist in fear of their ideas being stolen. Ernesto showed me the very alchemic system
he has to even make his paint. I have seen or never heard of anything like it. The way
he creates his paint, is closer to the way ancient Egyptians made medicine, it is
material and spiritual. But it is not my right to disclose his secret recipes,
you must find out from the artist him self if you care to know more.
This is an artist, who loves nature and explores, the invisible
elements of our realm, within the very way he creates his materials and his
paintings.
The Instagram video, constantly broke up most of what
Ernesto was saying to me, So I was receiving only pieces of his words, at times
one of two words or half words, pieces
of his sentences, and translating those in my mind best I could. Technology
influenced our conversation, slowed it down, broke it up a little, mystified it.
And the colours of the screen might have influenced my perception of the muse.
But in all , I felt like Alice, who entered a new world- as
Ernesto shared his, to me through this magical little camera on the phone.
The result of this both ways pleasant and inspiring exchange/art
performance, is actually a beginning of new projects among us, ideas tumbled out even after our painting
session. In fact Ernesto has show interest to exhibit In Kastela or Split and
spend a while working in Kastel Art Residency,- which I have hosted for the
last decade. Very Exciting .
I have not video recorded this session. I do feel that recording
the exchange will compromise the intimacy and the freedom with which the muses I
paint express.
Having gotten to know the muses features- after studying
them with concertation yesterday - We shall do a second painting session in
which I will trough the video- paint a portrait on canvass in my favourite larger
dimensions 130x100cm.
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