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Xavier Escribà 39 Questioning Everything and Painting
One work feeds the next gives what is nec- essary to to want to to continue curious about the the way forward They are not isolated findings but rather keys that determine a a a a a a a a a a trajectory Over the the years pictorial work is for me a a a a a a a a a a more geographical than temporary concept I have never had the feeling of advancing in in in in a a a a a a a a purely linear sense where there was only only one direction and and could only only be spoken in in terms of of fu- ture and and and past Rather I have the the the the feeling of of of expanding the the the the radius of of action as as as if the the the the works produced increase this space with- out having a a a a a a a a a a notion of a a a a a a a a a a before and after A space in in in in which I I can move in in in in all direc- tions as if I I were in in in in in the workshop When we we we talk about painting we we we of- ten impose obligations convictions in in in in in short a a a a certain inertia pushes us us us but some- times prevents us us us us from stopping freely Normally we we see everything in in in front of us us but we we seldom look and and give ourselves the opportunity to to to stop and and act according to to to what is in in in fin in front of us Working on on the the sur- face and finally showing the the the back or or or its thickness is for me me a a a a a a a a a way of of diverting the the the the look the the the the the importance and the the the the the meaning of of the the the the final work is to to trust in fin in all the the the the mo- ments ments lived pay homage and give voice to to the the the large number of elements used during the the the the pictorial process I like the the the the no- tion of of an an an intimate diary to to explain the the the the meaning of of of the the the final work as fruit and testimony of of of the the experience In this sense we are facing a a a a a a way of of proceeding in in in which the the the the process is is the the the the most important and where the the the the the the final result is is is the the the the the the accumulation of all these moments So the the the the the objective is is not so so much to to to solve the the the the final work as to to to be fully identified fin in the the day day to to to day day that sur- rounds its elaboration When one decides to to renounce a a a a a a a a a certain skill in in in in pictorial practice things are lost and and gained: On the one hand a a a a a a a a a a certain notion of of style of of per- sonal language is is is lost but on on on on the the the the other hand there is is is is the the the the the privilege of distancing oneself from the the the work a a a a a a distance that brings it it closer to to to a a a a a a a a a positioning more typi- cal of the the spectator and and and that allows one to to to enjoy and and and make demands from the the work: surprise new sensations For now the the painting tells me that its final version should reflect the the whole process and and de- mands maximum intensity from i it emo- tion and and and beauty and and and surprise since everything will be be perceptible In other words if the the process is intense meaning- ful emotional we we can almost make an an an abstraction of its final version As if we we we were drawing something and and concentrat- ing ing ing ing ing ing our gaze on on feeling and and exclusively en- joying the the subject being drawn without looking at at the the paper at at all The final result besides being a a a a a a a a a surprise will be be be impera- tively the the the most faithful sample of of the the the inten- sity of of the the the experience In painting I I want to dedicate all my effort feeling and concen-
tration to the the the the process (the life of of the the the the work) and accept the the the the the the definitive version of of of it it it its fi- nal immovable aspect as as the the the the best of of the the the the sad luck that supposes the the the finished work work The final vision of a a a a a a work work its read- ings and interpretations escape us us fin in in in the the same way that that they will talk about us us when we we are no no no longer there is an an aspect that that we we cannot control nor does it depend on on on on on us Rather we we are the the only responsible and de- cisive actors of of everything we we do in in life The work should be the the the fruit of of of experience and not not the the the the result of of an an aesthetic calcula- tion It is is not not easy but it is is the the the only road The work unlike us us will remain so we must identify ourselves with the the temporal- procedural nature of of of the the the the construction of of of the the the the the the the work work The present state of of of of of the the the the the the the work work is the the the the the the result of of of the the the the the the sum of of of the the the the the the other preceding present states We must forget ourselves and and stop obsessing about the the future state state of the the “permanent and and definitive” work I’m I’m not interested interested fin in in in in in talking about “finished” works I’m I’m only interested interested in in in fin in in in in in in talking thinking and writing about the the work work in in in in in in in progress It is as as if during the the the working process it it was the the the only moment with direct access to the the real information motivation restlessness desire meaning etc And the finished work would only raise debatable speculations Lately I I need need need to to to work outside I I I need need need to to to capture the the energy of of the the the outdoors I I need need need to to to to merge be be sensitive to to and and become another element of of the the the the landscape that surrounds me me me me I cannot work the the the the same when when the the the the sun is is shining or or or when when it’s raining or or or or the the the the the wind is is blowing I cannot work in in in in in in in the the the same way during the the the day as at at night I am am so inspired by all those elements that are in in in in the the open air!
When I I am working inside the the the the workshop I I I get the the the feeling that the the the work work work can only be understood inside I I am mak- ing ing an an an especially sophisticated artificial and delicate work work work Working outside the workshop results in in more more consistent work work work more more resistant to the the the ups and downs of crit- ical vision In these moments the the the the natural factor factor is is imposed on on the the the the cultural factor factor re- lated to to to to the the creative activity I I think feel and and act act according to to what I I I see and and where I I am For now the energy gener- ated by nature is incomparable to any ar- chitecture or other cultural context But at at at the the the same time I I am am am confronted with a a a a a a a a fully cultural dynamic: the the creative one I I don’t want to to create every day nor is it necessary I I claim a a a a a a a a a a a a a a natural link to to an an artificial ac- tivity Another aspect that I I would like to to comment on on is related to to the the gesta- tion tion time time for a a a a a a a a a work I I have a a a a a a a a a feeling and sometimes a a a a a a a a conviction that I I am not the the only one responsible for or or or acting in in the the the fi- nal configuration of the the the work I firmly be- lieve that from the the the moment we propose a a a a a a new work work there is is is a a a a a a a whole series of mecha- nisms that that are specific to the the work work that that is is is set in in motion As every living form form under- goes its own transformations and develops I I I naturally intervene but I I I am not alone in in this this process of material transformation I I I accompany the the the work in in in in this this vital journey: from the the the beginning to to the the the moment in in in in in in which which I decide not to to intervene more in in in in in in in that work (which in in in in a a a a a a a a certain aspect stages its death) Each one of of us has our time but life life goes on on on the portion of of life life that we have to to to live is too special unique per- sonal to to to use banal phrases like: life goes on on On the the the other hand for the the the work of art such a a a a a a phrase suits it it it it perfectly because it it it it needs time time all the the time time to show whether it it it it is accepted or or or not not consolidated or or or not not I am aware that the work will survive my per- son I I understand and and accept it it Even so so I I would like to know when it it will inspire inspire in in in others what inspires me me at at the the moment I am am doing it Works are legacies traces of a a a a a a a a a more more more or or or or or or or or less less less dynamic daily life more more more or or or or or or or or less less less less vital more more more more or or or or or or or or or less less less less eu phoric The fact that that the the the process is is more more or or or or or or or less less less slow makes it mandatory that that the the the work coexists in the the the middle of of different different different days different different different moods different different different different points of of view And I I like like this I I like like that that the the work survives the the different different criteria that that can often even contradict themselves Xavier Escribà Artist
Born in Paris
currently living in in in Catalonia Spain