Often what appears to be very strong, sturdy and unbreakable can be in another aspect, fragile and malleable and can be sculpted into various shapes.
Recently I was able to attend an art exhibition that I found absolutely marvellous, works made in steel. How many thoughts come to mind now about steel, the name of the art show, Fragility, and what it can mean in life.
I have seen many exhibitions of works of art in different materials and of course I have seen many sculptures made in steel. But working in this material must not be easy and even more so when the works are not large but rather small and with extreme detail.
Look at the well executed wings of a bird with its feathers and its face, as if waiting to take flight.
Or perhaps geometric figures where the precision of each part is essential. I enjoyed looking from different points of view at these works, which were all together forming a whole, as if they were made in series, as a whole they seem stronger.
In this section is my favourite work, the poet's hand, which together with the book forms a perfect duo. Every page, every finger of the poet, with every wrinkle of the hand. I was really surprised and amazed. I stayed a long time looking at this great work.
The artist's name is Juanjo Almeda and on one of the walls of the room he had written a poem that he made from his own art exhibition, which goes like this:
"It is the fragility of the beautiful and hard steel, as fragile as the body, as fragile as the soul.
It seems to be very cold and inane when it is calm, but everything is only aspect, tempered, grey, austere.
Its fragility is like that of the form it acquires with the fragile hands of an artist. It becomes rounded, wrinkled, hollow, hollowed, it is sculpted as life carves us with its mould.
It conveys, with static flow and with meaning, the living movement that is absent in it: the inert reality carved in a heartbeat,
the ephemeral truth that is in the present, the image of a concept that has already been lived in the vision of the soul and in the eyes of the mind."
Juanjo Almeda
This work was in the centre of the room, beautiful and wanting to fly like the bird, an angel of steel. Beautiful work.
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Further back the steel takes on another colour, a beautiful green colour that attracted attention more for that colour than for the structure itself. It's called Kryptonite, and I think everyone knows what it refers to.
This work is perhaps another angel, the one I saw at the beginning, but if you look closer you will see that the face and hands are leaves, then I went closer to see its name, ‘Still Life’.
There were also works with everyday objects like this glass with ice and a fried egg, very well done, by the way.
Not only hands are difficult to do in art, the tongue is not easy at all, but I have never painted it, so when I saw it I thought, how well done it is.
This work is made in a material called wolfram and I really didn't know it, it has beautiful yellow and ochre tones.
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These two works were together at the end of the room and they are related in a very delicate way. ‘The bow of Eros’ and “Autopsy of a lover”. I don't think it needs more words, but that arrow stuck in the heart is very significant. Very good realisation of the heart, I admired it for a long time.
Near these works there was a special one on one of the walls, a poker card of hearts, pierced by arrows, the arrows of the bow, a whole set of related works, but this one in particular is called ‘Don't play with my heart’.
It has been a visit and a tour through works of art in steel that I consider fabulous and spectacular. If you have any favourites you can mention them to me in the comments, I'd love to hear about them.
Thank you very much for joining me today, I wish you a very good Sunday. See you soon.
Amonet.
All photographs are my own.
