Santiago Iturralde

I'm going to choose two paintings: 1) "Odio" (Hate), an oil on canvas, 50 x 40cm, 2001, 2) "El héroe y la bomba" (Hero and the bomb), 50 x 40cm., 2005. The first portrays a playmobil police man attacking a playmobil little girl. On one side, as colours fade out, there are cups that fall to the ground, and part of another playmobil, possibly dead. The background is red and degrates when superimposed with white. Shadows are luminous. The picture is part of a sort of 'pictonovel' that I entitled "The drama of the deceived innocents", in which a group of deceitful policemen abuse a playmobil family during a camping day. The story was originated on a real event that I read on the crime chronicles section of a newspaper, and found its characters in the smiling dolls made by Antex. The different scenes came up rapidly. I took pictures, made well-defined drawings and thought upon colour palettes to turn these into paintings. The second painting shows a yellowish and orange landscape quite textured. In the center, there is a shape of a man with some sort of red suit (the Hero), and a device in the form of a bicycle pump (the Bomb). On the horizon, there is a house and two little trees. Everyone speaks with each other using speech balloons with coloured circles to them. This painting grew up rather erratically and capriciously. Over an initial image, the Bomb appeared, saying something like: "I'm going to explode any time now". At the same time, the Hero thinks what would be the colour that would deactivate the device, and far away, inside the house, someone shouts that orange is the answer to the enigma of the upcoming explosion. Both paintings portray a victim, a possible pain and a saving hero. This is more or less the case in most of my paintings. Images are simple; there's always something happening and something that's about to happen. I don't seek for a theorical content in advance. What interests me the most is just the plastic aspect of it, that is connected to a certain dramatic purpose. Conflict and emotion are resolved within the pictorial field. Thus, in the Playmobiles series, palettes begin being naturalistic and very placid (for the scenes that take place in the countryside). When abusing cops erupt violently, colours begin to fragment the paintings, altering space and shapes. In "Hate", the victim retains its original colours, the abuser (which is unbeatable) isolates himself in a blue monochromy while the rest of the elements discolour and the sky turns red and very dense (textured and stained). A sort of battle takes place, between 'abusing forms' and 'innocent forms' trying to survive. As through the series, this is shown by a progression that sets the rhythm of the drama. In "Hero and the Bomb" there isn't a previous drawing to the painting, that was rather built as a summation of layers going forwards and backwards. I searched for a certain persuasion with the light, using three palettes at the same time in order for any surface to look smooth. What worried me the most was texture, because, unlike colour, it can not be fully systematized, and it's the one that gives the painting a certain corporality. I always use a texture with not so much matter to it. I like when forms and shapes drip or vanish, but at same time remain somehow solid. This is what gives the painting the possibility to be looked at, and 'looked deeply'. Thus, paintings change when the viewer is at a certain distance and when he or she comes nearer. I don't trust paintings that look better on a catalogue. Having said that, I must say that I generally paint about five paintings at the same time. Some of these follow pre-established situations (such as the Playmobiles) and some of them don't. So, according to my mood, I would work on the formers or the latters, balancing my anxiety. The process is always complex; sometimes I hate the painting, sometimes I'd fall in love with it.

I like paintings as precious and unique objects. I also like to see them put together in exhibitions, because, that way, they multiply themselves into polyptychs, but at the same time keeping their individuality. I suppose my paintings look for a viewer willing to coexist with them, someone that could look the during different moments of the day, with different states of mind. They require a certain intimacy or patience. I'm not sure.

I find it almost impossible to define what my position within the artistic field is, so as to be able to recognize myself as a part of any particular tradition or grouping (beyond the obvious ones). I even find it difficult to think of an artistic field that is not capricious and that may be, at the same time, artistic enough so as to fit into the concept of 'tradition'. There are many artists that influence me and inspire me. Some of them are also my friends. Among them: Carla Benedetti, Estanislao Florido, María Allemand, Martín Legón, Julio Alan Lepez, Patricio Larrambebere. In them, I cannot separate friendship from painting. Among the ones that I personally know, Germán Wendel, Eduardo Hoffman, Manuel Esnoz (some paintings that I saw some time ago, I don't know what he is up to now), Tomás Fracchia, Max Gomez Canle, Danielle Tegeder (I only saw her paintings through the internet). From previous times: Fortunato Lacámera. From books: Edouard Vuillard, Antonio López, Edward Hopper, Gauguin, Picasso's big book, Francis Bacon, David Hockney (a little), Basquiat (a little), Degas. Outside the world of painting, I admire the work of Julia Masvernat.

I rather not answer this question because my attendance to exhibition is very irregular and I have a very bad memory to link names, works and dates. Please excuse me.

It worries me that groupings or tendencies are defined by very reduced circles. I'm most concerned by the overestimation given to the Kuitca fellowship (from anywhere).