Page 26 - Studio International - August 1965

5 Spanish Painters by Marc Berkowitz
Before I went to Spain for the first time, I believed
in the rumour that modern art was flourishing there, and
that there were dozens of outstanding artists working
in Madrid, Barcelona, and other centres. What I saw of
Spanish art at the Sao Paulo Biennales of 1957 and 1959
strengthened this conviction-quite an erroneous one, only
as I was able to verify soon after my arrival in Spain
in 1963. It is true, there were Tapies, Munoz, Saura,
Millares, and several others. But there was not much else
of great value. It was no movement in depth, there
was no continuity. It was simply a relatively small
group of outstandingly gifted artists who happened to
belong to approximately the same generation. Of
course, one of the reasons this could happen was that
Spain did have a glorious tradition, that Velasquez and
Goya-to mention just two-had been Spaniards,
and the present Government, though in reality completely
'pompier' minded, nevertheless recognized the
propaganda value of a group of famous modern artists.
On my last and longest trip to Spain I realized that
there was no reason for me to modify my opinion. The
notes that follow are impressions of five of these Spanish
artists. I could of course have mentioned quite a few
more, and my selection of five does not represent an
attempt to single out the five best ones-at least, in my
opinion. They are simply the artists who interest me most
at the present moment, whose work I know well,
and whose development I have followed. Sometime in the
near future I hope to be able to write about a few
more of the contemporary Spanish artists-be they
painters or sculptors. Spain still is one of the
countries with the strongest national characteristics.
This applies to the people, the landscape, the food,
the wines, the music, the dancing and-last, but not
least-to all manifestations of the plastic arts.
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Manolo Millares (b. 1926 in Las Pal mas, the Canaries)
The work of Manolo Millares is an expression of our
time, of his time. This is not the truism it appears to be,
because most artists, though they obviously feel and
reflect the events and undercurrents of the time they
live in, are nevertheless concerned with many other
factors.
Millares, like his brilliant whites which so strongly
reflect the light, seems also to reflect the tragic aspects
of our time and of his country. White, above all white,
but also black and blood red are the constants of
Millares' work-these colours and torn, perforated and
stitched shapes. He does not try to please; he cries out,
he almost hits you in the face.
Los Muti/ados de la Paz, or the Victims of Peace. Peace
where? In Spain, after the Civil War? Throughout the
world, after the last war? There is Millares' endless pro­
cession of victims-mutilated, bloody, in pieces. Against
the sun-drenched all-pervading white of Millares'
paintings the blacks and reds become even more
threatening, the forms go beyond the -framework of the
canvases and invade the surrounding space. Are
Millares' works paintings, reliefs, sculptures? Or are
they outcries of a strong artist against what is going on?
Blond, blue-eyed and slight, Manolo Millares seems
the least likely person to produce works as strong as his.
But he is a man who is driven: by his convictions, by his
talent, by his sense of responsibility. There is much he
has to say-and he knows how to say it.
PHOTO, JUAN DOLCET