Antonio Lopez Garcia
'Maria' ,1972, pencil on paper, 27.5 x 20.75 inches.
Born
in 1936 Antonio Lopez Garcia trained at art school in Madrid before becoming
internationally recognised.
I
really relate to what he said about his work-
“After
a few months practicing drawing statues for my entrance exam to Bellas Artes, I
asked my uncle to bring the Venus drawing to me. I pinned it to the wall next
to my own drawings. How different it seemed! I would look at my drawings trying
to understand why but I just couldn’t figure it out. I looked at his then mine.
Although mine were well crafted and good they seemed inexplicably dull. They
just looked empty whilst my uncles seemed to reach immense heights”.
Ref.. Antonoi Lopez Drawings..Published by T.F Editors 2010.
The same could be said of my own drawing. It sometimes lacks depth and feeling. Its something I need to concentrate on in my time at DMU.
'Venus De Milo' Antonio Lopez Torres, 1929
His
uncle was a very accomplished artist and Garcia looked at him for inspiration
and training, eventually building his own strong style and coming to the
conclusion that sums up, not only drawing as an art, but all forms of art-
“What
matters is the ability to express an emotion you first must feel, which is
separate from the skill and the accuracy that allows you to copy the real
world”.
'Kitchen at Tomelloso' 1975-1980, pencil on paper, 28.75 x 23.75 inches.
The 'kitchen at Tomelloso' concentrates on the shape, composition and build of the space but the attention to the grime, dirt, flaking paint and shadow do the most important job of bringing the image to life. It looks well used, lived in and worn out. It has a history of its own, described by the way he's drawn it.
He doesn't just draw what he sees, he draws what he feels, and more to the point, he draws what he wants 'us' to feel.
Garcias drawings are a great source of inspiration. Full of exquisite attention to
detail but drawn in a way or style that is far from photorealism.
The
works I like best are the drawings he makes in preparation for his paintings. These drawings are perfect examples of the way he sets about making a picture. Lines are drawn hard and direct to begin with then softened with erasers before just the right amount of detail is added. Some stop in a vignette, others are feint layers of delicate lines built through layers of tracing paper, paint and paper. Some are merely scribbles but with a touch of technical flair.
Each is brilliant.
'Quince Tree', 1990, Pencil on Paper, 40.5 x 46.75 inches.
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