English
Arts Santa Monica in Barcelona currently exhibits a photographic archive that gave life to the work of Catalan artist Josep Maria Sert. The Photographic Archive of the Model, which will be on display until the 11th of September, is organized with the best photographs of artist, the ones that he used as a basis for his works for Leonard Manzini.
The exhibition The Photographic Archive of the model is exactly what its title suggests. Manzini was Josep Maria Sert`s photo lab assistant, particularly his personal carpenter, paint assistant and model. Through Manzini´s photos, it is possible to perceive the refined Josep Maria Sert´s work, his mental architecture and aesthetic that make him a truly modernist photographer. These photographs were the Sert´s study material for his murals.
Josep Maria Sert was born in Barcelona in 1875, part of a wealthy family of textile manufacturers. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona as well as in various private art schools. Despite his studies in painting and his famous virtuosity, he became part of the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolists, rejecting the academism in arts, because they considered that its dominant mannerism led arts to become empty, false and meaningless.
Most of his career took place in Paris, where he became part of the Nabi group, in which he was able to socialize and extend his ties with the Parisian art world. In 1999 he was asked to decorate the LÁrt Nouveau Pavilion at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. That same year, he was also asked to decorate the Cathedral of San Pedro de Vic in Barcelona.
Sert despite being part of the Pre-Raphaelites and having a background in mannerism, developed a personal style of painting. From Goya he picked up his taste for the traditional themes of popular roots with a special focus on the folklore and Spanish customs. During his long career he acquired a particular taste for naturism. In the 20´s he became part of art deco and in the decade of the 30´s turns to neo-baroque reminiscent Mediterranean.
While at the end of his career, he turned completely to the human figure; he was always interested in this theme. He was famous for painting popular stereotypes in gigantic sizes, showing the typical working class muscleman. For that reason, he used the grisaille technique, which produces the sensation of a sculptural relief. His work was marked by his particular taste for metallic tones, similar to the daguerreotype.
Sert left a lot of his legacy in public buildings, as in the Salón de los Pasos Perdidos in the Palace of Justice in Barcelona as well as the ballroom of the residence of the Marquis de Alella in La Rambla, among many other residences and churches in Europe and the States.
For more information http://www.artssantamonica.cat/EXP/EXPOSICIONS/tabid/128/language/es-ES/Default.aspx # exposicio45
Nancy Guzman
Josep Maria Sert was a deeply conservative, Catholic man, a reserved person in his personal life, but very modern in the photography world. The male nudes are a temptation for to the eyes and lascivious spirit that all humans carry in their skin and mind, so you cannot afford to miss this exhibition if you´re in apartments in Barcelona
Translated by: Hans
