Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ARIAS MIGUEL SANZ ELENA TORRES JULIO LAFUENTE NGEL GMEZ MONTORO J.L. MARTN NOGALES PERE A. SERRA BAUZ
CaRLoS CiRiZa
1986 I 2011
ALEJANDRA COELLO DE PORTUGAL ERHARDT STEPHANE AMBROGI JOS JAVIER AZANZA LOPZ JAVIER BARTOS JAURRIETA AINA AGUIL BENNASSAR CLARA BORJA DE HINOJOSA FABIEN CASTANIER BEATRIZ BLANCH RODOLFO CASPARIUS MENCA FIGUEROA VILLOTA CONCEPCIN GARCA GAINZA JOAQUN MONTOLO DENIS IRIARTE RONCAL PEDRO LOZANO BARTOLOZZI ROSA MARTNEZ DE LAHIDALGA JOS MARA MURUZBAL VCTOR MANUEL ARBELOA EMILIO QUINTANILLA JESS TANCO LERGA IGNACIO URRICELQUI FRANCISCO J. ZUBIAUR MARIO VUILLERMOZ JUAN ZAPATER ALICIA EZKER ROMN FELONES REBECCA VERN ANDERSON
Comisario / Curator: J.M.Muruzabal del Solar Doctor en Historia y Licenciado en Filosofa y Letras. Organiza / Organizes: Ayuntamiento de Pamplona, Museo Can Planes, Museu Dart Contemporani de Mallorca, Prunera Museo Modernista, The Mexico Institute, Consulado General de Espaa en Houston. Colaboran / Collaboration: Fundacin Caja Navarra, Diario de Navarra, Propiedad Arnzano, Cmara Navarra de Comercio e Industria, Cinfa, M.Torres, Asociacin de Periodistas de Navarra. Coordinacin / Coordination: Luis Fermin Guerra Asesoramiento Tcnico / Thecnical Advising: ngel Arbe Seleccin y Localizacin de Obras / Selection and Art Work Localization: Estudio Carlos Ciriza Presentaciones / Presentations: Yolanda Barcina Angulo (Alcaldesa de Pamplona) Miguel A. Fernandez de Mazarambroz (Cnsul General de Espaa en AL, AK, LA, MS, NM, OK, TN, TX) Inocencio F. Arias (Diplomtico) Miguel Sanz (Presidente del Gobierno de Navarra) Elena Torres (Presidenta del Parlamento de Navarra) Julio Lafuente (Rector Universidad Pblica de Navarra) Angel Gmez Montoro (Rector Universidad de Navarra) J. L. Martn Nogales (Rector UNED Navarra) Pere A. Serra (Presidente de la Fundacin Es Baluard y del Museo de Arte contemporneo de Palma) Textos / Texts: Alejandra Coello de Portugal Erhardt, Aina Aguil Bennassar, Stephane Ambrogi, Victor Manuel Arbeloa, Javier Azanza Lpez, Javier Bartos Jaurrieta, Beatriz Blanch, Clara Borja de Hinojosa, Rodolfo Casparius, Fabien Castanier, Alicia Ezker, Mencia Figueroa Villota, Concepcion Garcia Gainza, Denis Iriarte Roncal, Pedro Lozano Bartolozzi, Rosa Martinez de Lahidalga, Joaquin Montolo, Jos Mara Muruzabal, Emilio Quintanilla, Jesus Tanco Lerga, Ignacio Urricelqui, Rebecca Vern Anderson, Mario Vuillermoz, Juan Zapater, Romn Felones, Francisco J. Zubiaur. Traducciones / Translations: Franziska Reinstaedtler Fotografas / Photographs: Eugenio Zuiga Mikel Muruzabal Carmelo Alcal, Jose Angel Ayerra, Luis Azanza, Clemente Bernard, Miguel, A. Bretos, Juan Caada, Manuel Castell, Ignacio Delgado, Merche Galindo, Jos Luis Nobel, Paco Ocaa, Luis Otermin, Patxi Paris, Fernando Parra, Cristina Ros, Javier Ibez, Phannaia Bun.
Edita / Editorial Production: Publicaciones CALLE MAYOR [cm@callemayor.es] Diseo y Maquetacin / Design and Layout: Publicaciones CALLE MAYOR (cm@callemayor.es) Impresin / Printing: Grficas Lizarra Coordinacin Exposicin / Coordination of Exposition: Teresa Lasheras Balduz, Angel Arbe Zugasti, Aina Aguil, Teresa Yates, Laura Gonzalez, Tania Tapia, Victor Morte, Rogelio Arajo, Gabriel Vanrell Diseo Montaje de Exposicin / Exhibition Design and Installation: Equipo Cuatro Montajes de Art y Estudio CC Transporte / Transportation: Arte Pamplona CARJUSAN Gras A.Burgui Seguro / Insurance: UBL Brokers S.A. AXA Seguros Video / Video: TAGOMEDIA Producciones 3E Multimedia De los textos y traducciones, sus autores / of the texts and translations, the their Authors. ISBN: 978-84-615-0424-4 Depsito Legal: NA-1.630-2011 Agradecimientos / Gratitudes: Nuestro especial agradecimiento a los autores de los textos, que con su particular visin nos permiten acercarnos a la obra y trayectoria de este autor, a cuantas personas, entidades, medios de comunicacin, instituciones y empresas han contribuido y apoyado la realizacin de este libro. Del mismo modo agradecemos el prstamo desinteresado de las obras presentadas (Coleccionistas, Galeras, Museos y Coleccin del autor) sin las cuales no hubiera sido posible la exposicin de estas muestras, como conmemoracin del 25 aniversario. Special thanks to the authors of the texts, who with their particular view give us the possibility to approach the work and career of the author. Thanks to all people, organizations, mass media, institutions and corporations that contributed and supported the creation and edition of this book. Also many thanks for lendingthe works presented by collectors, galleries, museums and also collections by the author; without them the exhibition of this samples would have not been possible in commemoration of the 25 anniversary.
por by
Debo comenzar con una frase del artista Danny Kaye "Me convert en un artista no porque quera sino porque yo estaba destinado a ello.", al ver hoy mi vida, creo que no tengo solamente un cuarto de siglo de trabajo, esa es solo la celebracin despus de mi primera exposicin, pero esto me ha hecho reflexionar sobre el avance del tiempo viendo el proceso de las obras y confieso que me siento todava como aquel nio que jugaba con barro formando figuras en un montn de tierra y que recordar es la nica manera de detener solamente un poco el tiempo. Despus de tantos aos luchando por este mi sueo, confieso abiertamente que no ha sido un camino fcil, que he vivido intensamente la dureza y la grandeza de la independencia e individualidad, de no estar sometido a nada ni a nadie, lo difcil que ha sido en ocasiones ir avanzando en esta carrera (espacios, vacios, volmenes y color) que se podran transpolar no solo al proceso creativo sino a la vida misma. I should start with a statement by the artist Danny Kaye "I became an artist not because I wanted, but because I was destined to it.", when looking to my life today, I do not think that I have only a quarter of century of work, this is just the celebration after my first exhibition, but it has made me reflect on the progress of time watching the process of works and I confess that I feel still as that child who was playing with mud forming figures in a pile of earth and that to remember is the only way of stopping just a little the time. After so many years fighting for this my dream, I confess openly that it has not been an easy way, I have lived intensely the hardness and greatness of independence and individuality, without being submitted to anything and anyone, the difficult way that has been sometimes to move forward in this career (spaces, volumes and color) that could be extended not only to the creative process but to life itself.
Mi lugar es creando, rodeado de esculturas de acero en oxidacin, hierros, de tubos de pintura que esperan ser partcipes de una visin plasmada en un papel, pizarra o tabla, forjando conceptos e ideas, materializando enfoques ya sea en pequeas piezas o en obras monumentales, ahora con cierta perspectiva y claridad veo el camino trascurrido y lo que me queda an por recorrer, experimentar y mucho que aprender. Hace poco tiempo en Houston el respetable y admirado Rodolfo Casparius escritor y colaborador del peridico La Opinin de Los Angeles, me comentaba en relacin a este aniversario que 25 aos no es mucho, a mis 92 aos y me estuvo contando sus experiencias vividas con diferentes personajes de la historia. A su edad y contando estas ancdotas de primera lnea, en primera persona con tanta ilusin, uno siente que la edad no est en los aos trascurridos, sino en la persona, sus experiencias y la intensidad con las que han sido vividas. La celebracin de este aniversario, me ha hecho meditar sobre el orden, la estructuracin de las cosas, el pensamiento y la reflexin como elemento esencial de la cultura y del arte, acerca de los grandes temas del ser humano, su evolucin, el constante aprendizaje donde el pasado, el presente y el futuro se unen en un mismo punto, en un espacio fsico pero construido sobre un espacio mental.
My place is creating, surrounded with steel sculptures in oxidation, irons, tubes of paint waiting to contribute to a vision reflected on paper, board or plank, forging concepts and ideas, materializing approaches either in small pieces or in monumental works, now I see clearly and with certain perspective the passed way and the one before me, experimenting and much to learn. Not long ago in Houston the respected and admired writer and collaborator of the newspaper The Opinion in Los Angeles, Rodolfo Casparius, said to me in relation to this anniversary that 25 years it is not much, at my 92 years and he told me about his experiences with different personages of the history. At his age and telling these anecdotes of first line, in the first person so thrilled, one feels that the age is not in the passed years, but in the person, his experiences and how intensive they have been lived. The celebration of this anniversary, has made me reflect on the order, the structure of the things, the thought and the reflection as essential element of culture and of art, about the big topics of the human being, its evolution, constant learning where the past, the present and the future join in one place, in a physical space but built on a mental space.
En el tiempo trascurrido, observo la dimensin del crecimiento, las distancias, tanto tangibles con intangibles en el trascurso de una obra mucho mas sintetizada, con madurez y claridad de conceptos y sigo con la necesidad primaria de plasmar en materia pensamientos y sensaciones en donde me expreso como quiero, como soy. Ya no hay que preocuparse por cundo sern realizadas las obras, no es una obra, ni dos, ni tres las que hacen a un artista, sino toda su trayectoria. Sigo intentando a travs del color o fragmentos de volmenes crear en el observador un impacto emocional. A travs de una concepcin muy libre del espacio, invitndole a que no se quede solo en la teora sino en algo vivido y sentido. Por ltimo que en realidad es lo primero, un reconocimiento a Merche que tanto apoyo me ha dado durante todos estos aos, a mis hijos Marta, Javier, Eduardo, Beatriz, Cecilia, Myriam y Jos Miguel que son el motor de mi vida, tambin a mi familia, amigos y a todos aquellos que con su apoyo y confianza han contribuido a que mis obras estn repartidas en diferentes pases. Espero que mi trabajo aporte algo nuevo, compartiendo el reto de los valores, la cultura y la libertad, sobrepasando conceptos, pensamientos y fronteras.
In the passed time, I observe the dimension of growth, the distances, as tangible as intangible in the course of a much more synthesized work, with maturity and clarity of concepts and I continue with the primary need to capture in matter thoughts and sensations where I express myself as I want, as I am. No more worrying about when the works will be finished, it is neither a work, nor two, nor three that make an artist, but his whole career. I keep on trying through colors or fragments of volumes to cause in the observer an emotional impact.Through a very free conception of space, inviting him to not remain only in the theory but in something lived and felt. Finally that in fact is the first thing, a recognition to Merche who has supported me during all these years, to my children Marta, Javier, Eduardo, Beatriz, Cecilia, Myriam and Jose Miguel who are the engine of my life, also to my family, friends and to all those who with their support and trust have contributed that my works are placed in different countries. I hope that my work brings something new, sharing the challenge of the values, the culture and the freedom, surpassing concepts, thoughts and borders.
PReSeNTaCioNeS PReSeNTaTioNS
PRESENTACIONES
25 ANIVERSARIO
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
Saludo
Constituye una gran alegra apreciar esta rigurosa recopilacin de algunas de las obras ms representativas del artista Carlos Ciriza, que durante las dos ltimas dcadas ha sabido conjugar con sutileza un tratamiento cercano de la escultura y la pintura con una clara apuesta por la experimentacin. Desde su estudio en el barrio pamplons de la Milagrosa, Ciriza es actualmente uno de los exponentes del arte en Navarra. Gracias a su excelsa dedicacin, ha conseguido traspasar fronteras con sus trabajos, abrindose paso en pases como Francia, Argentina, Chile, Mxico o Estados Unidos. Por ello, quiero aprovechar para felicitar a Carlos Ciriza por su trayectoria profesional, que le ha permitido alcanzar los 25 aos en el terreno de las exposiciones, y por la riqueza artstica de su obra, que queda de manifiesto en esta recopilacin, llena de recursos y matices. Estoy segura de que en los prximos aos, la escultura y la pintura navarra seguirn teniendo en este artista pamplons a uno de sus representantes fuera de nuestras fronteras, y que sus obras seguirn dando testimonio de sus creaciones en espacios pblicos y privados. Desde estas lneas, quiero trasmitirte mi ms sincera enhorabuena por este libro. Espero que tu trabajo sirva para seguir acercando la belleza de la pintura y la escultura a todos los pamploneses. Felicidades!
Greetings
It is a pleasure to acknowledge this rigorous compilation of some of the most representative works by this artist, Carlos Ciriza, who during the last two decades has combined with subtlety a close treatment of the sculpture and painting with a clear commitment to experimentation. From his workshop in the neighborhood of La Milagrosa in Pamplona, Ciriza is currently one of the prime examples of art in Navarre. Thanks to his excellent commitment, he has managed to cross borders with his works, breaking trough in countries such as France, Argentina, Chile, Mexico or the United States. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Carlos Ciriza for his professional career, which has enabled him to achieve 25 years in the field of exhibitions, and for the artistic richness of his work, which is reflected in this collection full of resources and nuances. I am sure that in coming years, the sculpture and the painting of Navarre will keep on having their representative out of our region Pamplona through this artist, and that his works will keep on bearing witness of his creations in public and private spaces. From these lines, I want to transmit you my most sincere congratulations on this book. I hope that your work will serve to keep on bringing the beauty of painting and sculpture closer to all locals of Pamplona. Congratulations!
Alcaldesa de Pamplona
Mayoress of Pamplona
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25 ANIVERSARIO
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
An infinite projection
Im very pleased to join with these lines this celebration that will undoubtedly set an important milestone in the history of the contemporary art in Navarre. Carlos Ciriza has already achieved, step by step, twenty-five years of artistic production that have been the firm consolidation of a career based in a singular way on the permanent search of the continuous expression of ideas and sensations, which led him to transcend, with his monumental pieces and also with small volumes, from local spaces towards a journey of endless creativity. His creation as an artist offers a wide variety of versions with which he has experienced the attractive force of space, in a game in which his sculpture explores and captures statements that overwhelm and make us to reflect. In any artistic work the author shows his way of seeing things, to face the deepest apex of existence. Carlos Ciriza also participates in the permanent internal investigation, which externally comes out in form of volume or color traces of his palette, reaching with inexhaustible strength a projection to infinity. He has shown a deep interest in the behavior of materials, allowing them to flow all these years, providing the significance of their true meaning and inviting to freedom of speech. Carlos Ciriza has grown artistically in these twenty-five years, he has developed tireless a creative activity with which he has carved his own place among sculptors of prestige, but at the same time I admire that he has done so without giving up his origins, his land and evocations of places that inspired him. Therefore, I am pleased to join this recognition of twenty-five years of artistic life of a great sculptor, Carlos Ciriza, who for sure initiates from today, as before each project, a new course open to the surprise that the call of art always awakens in those who do not stop observing the environment with the curiosity of a beginner. After having received so much with his work we only can hope that the source of inspiration will continue sprouting with the same passion and strength.
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PRESENTACIONES
25 ANIVERSARIO
Un genio creador
En la composicin de temas escultricos de Carlos Ciriza, su empleo masivo de ngulos y materiales masivos, afirmativos y decididos hay una sombra de lo que caracteriz y sigue personificando al estado de Texas, en el suroesta de Estados Unidos. Una similaridad que tampoco est ajena a los colores metalico mate, los ocres oscuros que forman la piel de las esculturas del artista navarro. Ese paralelismo me impresion desde el momento en que me familiaric con la obra de Carlos y con el paisaje ms autntico del Estado llamado de la estrella solitaria (Lone Star State), sobre todo en las inmensidades de colinas, llanuras y escarpados del oeste del Estado, desde San Antonio hacia El Paso. Quiero creer que Vzquez Coronado, Cabeza de Vaca, el marqus de Aguayo y tantos otros espaoles que recorrieron a caballo o a pie, a veces esclavizados por los indios nativos, estas tierras inacabables tambin habran encontrado un eco familiar de sus heroicas andaduras en las moles dramticas y pardas de Ciriza. Por eso, como Cnsul General de Espaa en ocho estados del suroeste de EEUU -el ms grande, rico y poblado Texas- favorec una exposicin de Carlos Ciriza en Houston, en el emblemtico Station Museum, el ao 2009, as como otras en la afamada galera Colton-Farb. Creo que Carlos descubri en Texas unos remanentes de la Espaa sobria y aguerrida que un da no tan lejano enarbolaba sus pendones en tierra tejana. En 2011 los amigos y admiradores de Ciriza celebran los 25 primeros aos de fuente creadora, en Pamplona su tierra natal, donde un espectacular grupo escultrico en todo el frontal de la plaza de toros deja constancia del buen hacer y el profundo navarrismo de nuestro artista. Estoy seguro que quienes le han conocido en Houston, y en Tejas en general, se unen de corazn a ese brindis por un escultor que debe mantener su promesa de regalarnos frutos de creacin por muchos aos venideros. Este ao 2011 esperamos que vuelva a exponer en Texas, en esta ocasin en la cosmopolita ciudad de Houston, corazn petrolero del pas y del mundo, y tambin en la primera capital de la Tejas espaola, es decir San Antonio, donde el histrico Fuerte del lamo queda ya en el mismo centro de la ciudad, fundada por un grupo de canarios en tiempo de Carlos III. Creo que la plasticidad, la monumentalidad y la fuerza del arte de Ciriza volver a impactar a esas dos ciudades y constituir una inmejorable presentacin de la originalidad, y genio creador de Carlos, ya cercano a ser ciudadano honorario de Texas.
Cnsul General de Espaa en Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Los Angeles Mississippi, Nuevo Mxico, Oklahoma y Tennessee
Ingreso en la carrera diplomtica en 1971, sus primeros destinos fueron las Embajada de Espaa en Bagdad y posteriormente en Dubln, regreso a Madrid donde se encargo de asuntos econmicos, agrcolas y de pesca hasta ser nombrado Embajador de Espaa en Angola, tras este puesto fue designado como Embajador en misin especial para Operaciones de Mantenimiento de Paz, sus siguientes cargos fueron Embajador de Espaa en Nicaragua,Venezuela y Sudfrica, actualmente es Cnsul General de Espaa en Houston.
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
A creative genius
In the composition of sculptural topics of Carlos Ciriza, his massive employment of angles and massive, affirmative and determined materials show a trace of what once characterized and keeps on personifying the state of Texas, in the southwestern of the United States. A similarity that is part of matt metallic colors, dark ocher that form the skin of the sculptures by the artist from Navarre. This parallelism impressed me from the moment I became familiar with the work created by Carlos and the most genuine landscape of the state called the Lone Star State, especially in the vastness of hills, plains and steeps of the western part of the state, from San Antonio to El Paso. I believe that Vazquez Coronado, Cabeza de Vaca, the Marquis of Aguayo and many other Spaniards who traveled on horseback or on foot through this land, sometimes enslaved by native Americans, also would have found a familiar echo of their heroic journeys in the dramatic and brown masses (blocks) by Ciriza. Therefore, as General Consul of Spain in eight states in the southwestern U.S., -the largest, richest and most populous Texas- I favored an exhibition of Carlos Ciriza in Houston, in the emblematic Station Museum, in 2009, as well as others in the famous Colton-Farb gallery. I think Carlos discovered in Texas a few remnants of the sober and hardened Spain that one day, not so long ago, was hoisting its flags in Texas. In 2011 Cirizas friends and admirers celebrate the first 25 years of creative source in his native home Pamplona, where a spectacular group of sculptures along the front of the bullring shows the good work and profound navarrism of our artist. I am sure that those who met him in Houston and in Texas in general, are pleased to join this toast to a sculptor who must keep his promise to give us fruits of creation for many future years. This year 2011 we hope that he exhibits again in Texas, in this occasion in the cosmopolitan city of Houston, oil heart of the country and of the world, and also in the first capital of the Spanish Texas, San Antonio, where the historical Fort Alamo is located, in the heart of the city, founded by a group of canaries in the reign of Carlos III. I believe that the plasticity, the monumental nature and the strength of the art by Ciriza will impress these two cities again and will constitute an excellent presentation of the originality, and creative genius of Carlos, who is close to become an honorary citizen of Texas.
Consul General of Spain in Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Los Angeles, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Tennessee
He joined the diplomatic career in 1971, his first destinations were the Embassy of Spain in Baghdad and later in Dublin, returned to Madrid where he was in charge of economic affairs, agriculture and fisheries till he was appointed Ambassador of Spain in Angola, after this position he was designated as Ambassador for peacekeeping operations, his next positions were Ambassador of Spain in Nicaragua,Venezuela and South Africa, at present he is Consul General of Spain in Houston.
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PRESENTACIONES
25 ANIVERSARIO
INOCENCIO F. ARIAS
Diplomtico espaol
Licenciado en Derecho por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Ha ocupado cargos en las Embajadas de Bolivia, Argelia, Portugal y Los Angeles. Fue Director de la Oficina de Informacin Diplomtica y portavoz del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Secretario de Estado para la Cooperacin Internacional e Iberoamrica. Embajador de Espaa ante la ONU. Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales en la Universidad Complutense y Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Ha participado en numerosas conferencias internacionales. Fue Director General del Club de Futbol Real Madrid durante el periodo 19931995. Recientemente retirado de su carrera diplomtica como Cnsul en Los Angeles (California). Escritor junto a Eva Celada del Libro La trastienda diplomtica: De Eva Pern a Barack Obama.
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
Anniversary of C. Ciriza
During my talks in various places in Spain it is not unusual that someone in the room asks me what a diplomat does exactly. Some "know-all" who yearns for saying a witty comment, which is quite usual for those of my profession, wants to know if it is true that a diplomat is a man sent to lie abroad for the benefit of his country. I quickly answer no, that's an occurrence said centuries ago by a writer who wanted to make a witty sentence. The truth is that an Ambassador who lies regularly is quickly discredited among his colleagues and the country in which he is accredited. It takes me longer to explain the daily work of a diplomat. They do not spend their lives, as some believe, jumping lazily from cocktail to cocktail dressed in a striped suit. The cocktails exist, sometimes to our dismay because they are often monotonously tedious, but there are many more hours of work, which can be enriching and exciting - the drafting of a report on the riot in an Arab country that is changing the course of history in the country in which you are destined, "but also merely bureaucratic routine. A diplomat with vocation, however, loves his profession, enjoys defending Spanish interests and to disseminate the achievements of Spain. That a Spanish company gets an important contract where you reside is something that nourishes you professionally a week long. That the Spanish football team wins a championship lasts for several months, but that a Spanish artist succeeds makes you feel a different satisfaction, a special delight. This is the case of Carlos Ciriza, a Spanish artist with a work beautifully intelligible in any latitude. I think that Ciriza is a persistent, tireless, smart sculptor, a creator who takes the utmost care of the quality of the materials he uses. His impressing pieces attract the interest and later the appreciation of different people. Ciriza tries and achieves that his work does not leave you indifferent. His proposal, serious or ludic, captivates you. The scenario you contemplate is savored with great relish with the incorporation of his creature. No one would like to discover in a landscape adorned and enhanced with a sculpture by Ciriza that the work suddenly disappeared. You would miss something essential forever. This is what a piece of Ciriza makes me feel, when I see it beyond our borders. A visual pleasure, instant and calm, but simultaneously the joy of this huge thing that has been given birth and conceived by the talent and the hands of someone who belongs to your nation, someone you are representing in this country and that makes you feel proud and honest. In short, it is something you can be very proud of.
INOCENCIO F. ARIAS
Spanish diplomat
Bachelor of Law at the University Complutense of Madrid. He served in the embassies of Bolivia, Algeria, Portugal and Los Angeles. He was Director of the Office of Diplomatic Information and spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Latin America. Ambassador from Spain at the UN Professor of International Relations at the University Complutense and University Carlos III in Madrid. He has participated in numerous international conferences He was General Manager of Real Madrid Football Club during the period 1993-1995. Recently retired from his diplomatic career as Consul in Los Angeles (California).Writer together with Eva Celada of the book The Diplomatic Back Room: From Eva Peron to Barack Obama".
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25 ANIVERSARIO
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25 ANIVERSARIO
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25 ANIVERSARIO
J. L. MARTN NOGALES
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
J. L. MARTN NOGALES
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25 ANIVERSARIO
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25
ReFLeXioNeS ReFLeCTioNS
REFLEXIONES
25 ANIVERSARIO
llegue la inspiracin o que alguien llame a su puerta y le ofrezca un encargo. Ciriza es un trabajador inagotable, y desde luego si se agota no lo hace notar, porque es de una pieza como sus obras. Una pieza con movimiento, eso s, con recovecos, con matices, abierta al mundo, pero slida, orgullosa y valiente. Y es as, en el trabajo, en su apertura y su bsqueda de soluciones, en su disfrute del proceso de intervenir en la materia y darle forma, cuando surgen los milagros y se encuentran respuestas inesperadas. Carlos va al encuentro de s mismo, al encuentro de su obra, al encuentro de las personas... y los encuentra a todos por supuesto. Quin no se rinde ante tal despliegue de energa y franqueza, de rotundidad en toda su forma? En el compromiso es donde se propicia el espacio para que surja la vida, para que las relaciones desarrollen todo su potencial. Y eso es precisamente lo que ocurre con las pinturas, las esculturas, las pizarras, los relieves y toda la produccin de este artista. l est encima de sus obras, siempre constante en el trabajo, pendiente de su evolucin en el taller, pero abierto a lo que ellas son y pueden llegar a ser. As se crea tambin el equilibrio entre la tensin del movimiento, de la transformacin de las superficies y el sosiego de la rotundidad de sus formas. As es l, pura energa y puro remanso en el que descansar, en el que confiar. Y por eso confi en que estos han sido los 25 primeros aos de una trayectoria de muchos ms aos, en que seremos testigo de nuevas soluciones, de una proyeccin aun mayor de su obra, y de un mayor reconocimiento de su aporte como artista. Es un lujo contar con personas como l, con su calidad humana y artstica. Y me alegro de po-
der participar en este homenaje que sin duda, y despus de tan tenaz trabajo y dedicacin, se merece con todas las letras. Los aniversarios son buenos momentos para echar la vista atrs y hacer balance, y a la vista de los resultados tan positivos como prolficos, no podemos por menos que esperar para l el ms prometedor de los devenires. Enhorabuena, Carlos, y gracias por tu obra, por tu amistad que perdura a travs del tiempo y la distancia, y por ser un ejemplo de cmo con fe, amor y constancia todo es posible. (*) Licenciada en Historia del arte por la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, habiendo ampliado su formacin acadmica en la Freire Universitt de Berln, ha desarrollado su actividad profesional en galeras de arte contemporneo como subdirectora en Madrid (GodoyWorld Art) y en la galera Deschler de Berln, despus de vivir en China y actualmente reside Colonia, Alemania.
hausted, he does not show it because he is straight as a die as his works. A moving piece, certainly with twits and turns, shapes, opened to the world, but solid, proud and brave. And that is how he is like in the work, in his opening and his search for solutions, in his enjoyment of the process of intervening in the matter and of shaping it, when miracles and unexpected answers arise. Carlos goes to find himself, to find his work, to find the people... and he finds all of them of course. Who does not surrender to such a display of energy and frankness, of vigor in all its form? The commitment is where the favorable space is created for life to emerge, so that relations develop their full potential. And this is precisely what happens with the paintings, the sculptures, the boards, the reliefs and the entire production of this artist. He pursues his work, he is always constant in his work paying attention to its evolution in the workshop, but open to what they are and can become. This also creates the balance between the tension of the movement, of the transformation of the surfaces and the serenity of the vigor of the shapes. Thats how he is like, pure energy
and pure haven in which to rest, in which to trust. And that's why he trusted that these were the first 25 years of a trajectory of many more we will witness new solutions, of an even major projection of his work, and of a major recognition of his contribution as artist. It is a luxury to count on people like him, with his human and artistic quality. And I am glad to participate in this tribute he absolutely deserves after such a tenacious work and dedication. The anniversaries are good times to look back and take stock, and in view of the results as positive as productive, we can only wish him the brightest future. Congratulations, Carlos, and thanks for your work, for your friendship that lasts through time and distance, and for being an example showing that with faith, love and perseverance everything is possible.
(*) Bachelor of Art History - University Computense of Madrid, with academic training at the Freie Universitt of Berlin. She developed her professional activity as assistant director in contemporary art galleries in Madrid (GodoyWorld Art) and in the gallery Deschler in Berlin, after live in China, now she is living in Cologne - Germany.
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pecialmente con el acero que lo tuerce, lo separa y complementa. Despus de estos aos de andadura, podemos hablar de gran madurez, nos sigue sorprendiendo con sus creaciones ms recientes, ya sean pequeas o monumentales, pequeos cuadros o tremendos murales escultricos. He podido apreciar durante estos ltimos aos y de manera especial obras en diferentes pases y siempre me hacen reflexionar, me atrae profundamente el sentido de su obra y yo que he vivido diferentes etapas de este proceso, con la experimentacin de la fragmentacin de la materia, sus texturas, el polvo de hierro, la bsqueda constante de las formas y sus espacios, ahora nos llega con la sntesis de los volmenes, la suspensin en la pared o en el aire, la poesa hecha volumen, vacios y llenos, lneas y macizos, geometra y complementariedad estructural solida hasta llegar a un dominio definitivo. Sus obras de gran formato desarrolladas con movimiento y equilibrio siempre con la fusin de su entorno ms cercano que diversifica y complementa su obra, en la que todas las tensiones se adaptan al equilibrio perfecto. Cabria destacar que en todo este camino se desarrolla en un mundo de vacios y llenos que le da la significacin ms expresiva en un esfuerzo de liberacin de la forma cerrada de los lmites establecidos que una concepcin clsica impona a la escultura. Se trata ahora segn Ciriza de reconstruir la forma pero tambin lo que hay ms all de la misma, el aire y la luz que la circundan, sus huecos, desplazamientos y equilibrios que las
hacen en cierta medida segn la perspectiva de donde se miren indeterminada, artista de gran sensibilidad a estas intenciones, autor de obras de grandes dimensiones que responden a valores estructurales y que materializan la bsqueda continua en una refinada percepcin, para poder captar la esencia del pensamiento y materializando un sentimiento concreto, complementando una buena arquitectura. (*) Comisario. Director Galeria Ambrogi Tonachella Paris.
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less concern and energy with a well learned profession. His works give good faith of it. In line with the composition and fulfillment of his works, Ciriza gives importance to the field of the artistic research, to the experimentation of new techniques, new materials and supports , the fulfillment of his own work is not enough for him, but he is constantly interested in the whole process prior to the completion of the work, whether it is painting or sculpture. It is important for me to mention the fact that for months, even years, this out-standing author selects supports, tools, inks, oxidations and different materials to continue surprising us. Over the years, we have been following and studying his trajectory observing his tremendous complementarity between the different fields. His passion for the volumes, spaces, shapes and textures constitute endless possibilities in the field of art and space. Serious, calm and tenacious, he is a methodical and demanding artist with himself, coherent and strong, it is enough for us to see how he handles the different heavy materials, especially with the steel that he warps, separates and complements. After all these years of journey, we can speak about great maturity, he keeps on surprising us with his most recent creations, whether small or monumental, small pictures or tremendous sculptural murals. I have seen in recent years and in a special way works in different countries and they always make me think, I am deeply attracted by the sense of
his work and I, who have lived different stages of this process, with the experimentation of the fragmentation of the matter, its textures, the iron dust , the constant search for shapes and their spaces, now he shows up with the synthesis of the volumes, the suspension in the wall or in the air, the poetry as volume , spaces and fullness, lines and massifs, geometry and solid structural complementarity up to reaching a definitive command. His larger works developed with movement and balance always with the fusing of their immediate environment that diversifies and complements his work, in which all the tensions are tailored to the perfect balance. It is worth mentioning that throughout this journey it develops in a world of spaces and fullness that gives the most expressive significance in an effort of liberation of the closed form of established limits that a classic conception was imposing to the sculpture. Now, according to Ciriza it is about to reconstructing the shape but also what exists beyond it, the air and the light that surrounds it, its gaps, displacements and balances that make them indeterminate, depending from where they are observed. He is an artist of high sensitivity of these intentions, author of works of big dimensions that correspond to structural values and that materialize the continuous search in a refined perception, to grasp the essence of the thought and materializing a particular feeling, complementing a good architecture.
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Excepcionalidad escultrica en la ruta jacobea: Los smbolos del camino, de Carlos Ciriza Jos Javier Azanza Lpez *
CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Y ESCULTURA PBLICA El peregrino que en pleno siglo XXI realice el Camino de Santiago por cualquiera de las rutas que, como si de arterias de fe y espiritualidad se tratase, surcan la geografa peninsular hasta alcanzar la tumba del Apstol, se percatar de inmediato de una realidad, como es la continua presencia de esculturas que jalonan el trayecto. Precisamente en este ltimo grupo se inscribe un proyecto escultrico que, en el marco de la
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marcada heterogeneidad de la escultura pblica jacobea, adquiere particular relevancia por su carcter excepcional y nico: el corredor escultrico Los Smbolos del Camino, concebido por Carlos Ciriza para la Autova A-12 que une Pamplona con Logroo, llamada tambin Autova del Camino al encontrarse estrechamente ligada en su recorrido a la ruta jacobea. EL CORREDOR ESCULTRICO LOS SMBOLOS DEL CAMINO: - Planteamiento general del proyecto Cuando en el ao 2002 el Gobierno de Navarra sac a concurso la construccin, conservacin y explotacin de la Autova Pamplona-Estella-
Logroo, el proyecto adjudicatario contemplaba en su memoria y exposicin grfica no slo los aspectos tcnicos del trazado, sino tambin la aportacin esttica a la Autova, que se concretaba en el corredor escultrico jacobeo Los Smbolos del Camino, de Carlos Ciriza. En su configuracin originaria, el corredor escultrico estaba formado por ocho esculturas realizadas a gran escala, interpretadas a partir del concepto de monumentalidad que caracteriza su escultura, de gran impacto visual y plenamente integradas en su entorno cultural y paisajstico que, a la vez que revertan en el patrimonio artstico navarro contemporneo, quedaban ntimamente unidas a la semntica del Camino. El objetivo del proyecto era conseguir una mayor potenciacin de
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25TH ANNIVERSARY
Exceptional sculpture in the pilgrims way: The symbols of the way of Carlos Ciriza Jos Javier Azanza Lpez *
ST. JACOBS WAY AND PUBLIC SCULPTURE The pilgrim who in the XXI century walks the St. Jacobs Way through any of its routes that are like arteries of faith and spirituality and that, plowing through the Peninsular geography up to reaching the grave of the apostle, will realize immediately the continuous presence of sculptures that mark the path. Precisely this last group includes a project of sculptures that, in the context of pronounced heterogeneity of the Jacobean public sculpture, is particularly relevant for its exceptional and uniquenature: the sculpture corridorThe Symbols of the Way, created by Carlos Ciriza for the highway A-12 that connects Pamplona with Logroo, called also Highway of the Waybecause it is closely linked to the Jacobean route. THE SCULPTURE CORRIDOR THE SYMBOLS OF THE WAY: - General exposition of the project When in 2002 the Government of Navarre put out to tender the construction, conservation and deve-
lopment of the highway Pamplona-EstellaLogroo, the project contractor contemplated in his report and graphic exhibition not only the technical aspects of the route, but also the esthetic contribution to the highway, implementing in the sculptural Jacobean corridor The Symbols of the Way, by Carlos Ciriza. In its initial layout, the sculptural corridor consisted of eight large sculptures, interpreted from the concept of monumentality that characterizes his sculpture, visual impact and fully integrated into its landscape and cultural environment that, while reverting in the contemporary artistic heritage of Navarre, were closely linked to the semantics of the road. The target of the project was to obtain a major promotion of the route of peregrination at national and international level, according to its road structure; and, in turn, to create a cultural and artistic modality in Navarre, attracting the attention of pilgrims and travelers longing to see this group of sculptural works placed throughout the Way, as well as crossing places. With his original and unique project, Ciriza builds an art route on another route of art, formed by a group of symbols linked to the St. Jacobs Way along the region; and he does it not only as an artistic and cultural challenge, but also as an expression of a deep and profound personal religious sense acquired in his first peregrination in 1985 and that accompanies him since then.
The group shared a series of common features that differentiate it and provided unit. First of all, its location was not accidental. The eight sculptures of the group were distributed in sequential form in intervals of approximately five minutes on the trip of the highway by car, to connect sothe sculptural corridor as if it were links of the Jacobean chain through Navarre.In turn, each of the parts were adapted to the landscape and monumental nature of the area, which in most cases inspired the artist; and all of them were taking part of a symbolic language linked to the St. Jacobs Way. In terms of material values, they were showing a monumental nature, between eight and fourteen meters high.The material used for its completion was mainly the corten steel, very strong and resistance to the inclemency of the weather and besides of being a typical material in the sculptural work by Ciriza, it is connected with the permanent and unchangeable nature of the Way. In addition to all this, it is adopting different chromatic shades during its oxidation process and that once settled, the action of the atmospheric agents (the sun, wind, rain) enriches progressively its polychromy and helps to integrate it gradually in its natural environment. Finally, the attraction of the sculptural corridorThe Symbols of the Way is that it is a singular and unique project designed specifically for the location it
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la ruta de peregrinacin a nivel nacional e internacional, atendiendo a su estructura viaria; y, a su vez, crear un referente cultural y artstico en Navarra que atrajese la atencin de peregrinos y viajeros deseosos de conocer este conjunto de obras escultricas en torno al Camino, as como los lugares que atraviesa. Con su proyecto original y nico, Ciriza construye una va de arte sobre otra va de arte, configurada por un conjunto de smbolos vinculados al Camino de Santiago a su paso por la Comunidad Foral; y lo hace no slo como reto artstico y cultural, sino como expresin de un profundo y hondo sentido religioso personal adquirido en su primera peregrinacin compostelana del ao 1985 y que le acompaa desde entonces. El conjunto participaba de una serie de rasgos comunes que lo diferenciaban y dotaban de unidad. En primer lugar, su emplazamiento no resultaba casual, sino que las ocho esculturas que lo componan quedaban distribuidas de forma secuencial, a intervalos aproximados de cinco minutos en el recorrido de la Autova en automvil, para enlazar as el corredor escultrico como si de eslabones de la cadena jacobea a su paso por Navarra se tratase. A su vez, cada una de las piezas se adecuaba a las caractersticas paisajsticas y monumentales del ncleo de poblacin inmediato a su ubicacin, los cuales en la mayora de las ocasiones sirvieron de inspiracin al artista; y todas ellas participaban de un lenguaje simblico vinculado al Camino de Santiago. En cuanto a sus valores materiales, mostraban carcter monumental, entre ocho y catorce metros de altura. Y el material empleado en su ejecucin era principalmente el acero corten, muy slido y resistente a las inclemencias del tiempo y que, adems de ser caracterstico en la produccin escultrica de Ciriza, entronca con la naturaleza permanente e inmutable del Camino; a todo ello
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se suma que durante su proceso de oxidacin va adoptando diversos matices cromticos y que, una vez instalada, la accin de los agentes atmosfricos (sol, viento, lluvia) enriquece progresivamente su policroma y contribuye a integrarla gradualmente en su entorno natural. En definitiva, el atractivo del corredor escultrico Los Smbolos del Camino radica en que se trata de un proyecto singular y nico, pensado de forma especfica para el lugar de su instalacin, por cuanto cada una de sus piezas tan slo adquiere pleno significado en el espacio histrico, geogrfico y cultural en el que se levanta, y a la luz del conjunto. De esta manera, no slo el Camino deja su impronta en los lugares que atraviesa a su paso por Navarra, sino que tambin estos se hacen presentes en el Camino, mediante un conjunto de referencias y smbolos plenamente integrados en la ruta jacobea. Desgraciadamente, el proyecto qued truncado y tan slo tres de las ocho esculturas inicialmente previstas se erigen hoy en otros tantos puntos de la Autova. Abogamos por la posibilidad de que el corredor escultrico pueda hacerse realidad en toda su extensin, por considerarlo un proyecto de entidad y relevancia para el patrimonio navarro y para la propia dimensin cultural, artstica y espiritual del Camino. SINGULARIDAD Y CARCTER EXCEPCIONAL DEL PROYECTO. EL CORREDOR ESCULTRICO COMO PROPUESTA ARTSTICA INTERNACIONAL
yecto de Ciriza en el contexto del Camino, excepcional referente artstico-cultural que ofrece igualmente posibilidades en otros mbitos como el de la didctica, dada la posibilidad de establecer comparaciones con la obra que inspira la pieza y comprobar su interpretacin desde la plstica contempornea. La idea de corredor escultrico se manifiesta as como una propuesta vlida en su capacidad de comunicacin de unas piezas con otras para crear un conjunto unitario que adquiere su pleno significado en la contemplacin global. Desde este punto de vista, Carlos Ciriza ha explorado las posibilidades de un Corredor Escultrico Internacional, con la realizacin de diversos conjuntos monumentales independientes, pero relacionados entre s mediante un hilo conductor que permita tender un puente escultrico de singular caligrafa numeral entre diferentes pases y continentes. Partiendo de la anterior premisa, las obras que configuran este proyecto internacional y transocenico surgen a partir de una fecha o evento significativos para la historia de la ciudad en la que est prevista su instalacin, que el artista traduce de forma plstica. Ciriza realiza una mirada reflexiva hacia el pasado de un lugar para conocer y entender cules fueron sus grandes acontecimientos y personajes histricos, y los reinterpreta a continuacin mediante el arte de vanguardia del siglo XXI; en su bsqueda, trabaja la materia y la forma a travs de una representacin caligrfica en la que las piezas, asentadas sobre un espacio natural, mantienen una constante comunicacin con el entorno por medio de diferentes volmenes, espacios y huecos, y estn abiertas a la interpretacin de cada espectador. El objetivo final es la creacin de un circuito artstico, cultural y turstico que interre-
Por su entidad, carcter secuencial y nmero de piezas, y por su simbologa vinculada al lugar al que est destinado, el corredor escultrico de Carlos Ciriza para la Autova del Camino no admite parangn con ningn otro proyecto que asome a la ruta compostelana. Queda por tanto de manifiesto el carcter nico y singular del pro-
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is placed, so that each of its parts acquire full meaningonly in the historical, geographical and cultural context were they emerge from, and in the light of the group. Thus, not only the Way leaves its trace in the places that it crosses along Navarre. They are also present in the Way, through a group of references and symbols fully integrated in the Jacobean route. Unfortunately, the project was cut short and only three of the originally eight planned sculptures are erected today in different points of the highway. We plead for the possibility that this sculptural project becomes true in its entire magnitude, as we consider it as a project of entity and relevancy for the Navarre patrimony and for the own cultural, artistic and spiritual dimension of the Way. SINGULARITY AND EXCEPTIONAL NATURE THE SCULPTURAL CORRIDOR
AS INTERNATIONAL ARTISTIC PROPOSAL
OF THE PROJECT.
creation of different independent monumental groups, linked between themby a connecting thread that allows building a sculptural bridge of singular numeral calligraphy between different countries and continents.Taking this premise as our starting point, the works that comprise this international and transoceanic project emerge from a date or event, significant for the history of the city where it is going to be placed, and that the artist translates in plastic form. Ciriza makes a thoughtful look into the past of a place in order to know and to understand its major events and historical personages, and then re-interprets them by means of the avant-garde art of the XXI century; in his search, he works the matter and the shape througha calligraphic representation in which pieces placed on a natural space, maintain a constant communication with the environment through different volumes, spaces and gaps, and are open for the interpretation of every spectator. The final target is the creation of an artistic, cultural and tourist circuit that link the different groups of sculptures designed as an interconnection between people, art and history; the ongoing dialogue between the pieces obeys this intention through the constant numerical process that the group is going to develop. Thus, appear qualities that the artist considers to be identifiable with todays society such as the communication, the mobility and the globalization. Coincidence or not, the starting point of this new sculptural corridor the artist from Navarre aspires, is in a town that crosses the Jacobean route, precisely there where The Symbols of the Way end. As if there existed a "road map" that contemplates the relation between the possible sculptural corridors, beginning the next one where the previous one ends. The monumental group 1507 (Fig. 16) was placed on the roundabout that leads to Viana from the highway of the Way on 12 Decem35
Due to its entity, sequential nature and number of parts, and for its symbolism linked to the place, the sculptural corridor of Carlos Ciriza for the highway of the Way does not admit comparison with any other project that appears in the route of Santiago de Compostela. Therefore, the unique and singular nature of the project of Ciriza becomes evident, within the context of the Way, exceptional artistic-cultural reference that also offers opportunities in other areas such as teaching, considering the possibility of drawing comparisons with the work that inspires the piece and of realizing its interpretation from the contemporary plastic arts. Thus, the idea of sculptural corridor shows itself as a valid proposal in its ability of communication of a few pieces with others to create a unitary set that reaches its full meaning in the global contemplation. From this point of view, Carlos Ciriza has explored the possibilities of anInternational Sculptural Corridor, with the
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lacione los diferentes conjuntos escultricos, concebidos como interconexin entre los hombres, el arte y la historia; a esta intencin obedece el dilogo continuo entre las piezas mediante el constante proceso numrico que el conjunto ir desarrollando. Asoman as cualidades que el artista considera identificables con la sociedad actual como la comunicacin, la movilidad y la globalizacin. Casualidad o no, el punto de partida de este nuevo corredor escultrico que ambiciona el artista navarro se encuentra en una localidad que atraviesa la ruta jacobea, precisamente en aqulla donde venan a concluir Los Smbolos del Camino. Como si existiera una hoja de ruta que contemplase la relacin entre s de los posibles corredores escultricos, inicindose el siguiente donde acaba el anterior, el 12 de diciembre del ao 2008 qued instalado en la rotonda de acceso a Viana desde la Autova del Camino, el conjunto monumental 1507 (Fig. 16). Se trata de una pieza de 6 x 4 x 3 m, de gran impacto visual y valor simblico, relacionada con la fecha de fallecimiento de Csar Borgia, personaje del renacimiento europeo y emblemtico en la localidad navarra como prncipe guerrero. Estas cuatro cifras sugirieron al autor volmenes en acero corten, de gran solidez y contundencia, que interpreta de forma esttica para convertirlas en una potente seal de identidad de Viana. La obra acierta a conjugar de esta manera modernidad artstica y apego al rico legado histrico vians. Se completa con una placa con la firma del personaje y las fechas de 1507 y 2007, sirviendo igualmente para conmemorar el V Centenario del acontecimiento histrico. El siguiente eslabn de esta cadena ha sido 1043 (Fig. 17), instalada en el mes de abril de 2010 en
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Tafalla para conmemorar el ao en el que el rey Garca el de Njera concedi a los tafalleses del ttulo de muy nobles, muy leales y esforzados; recoge por tanto Ciriza en estas cuatro cifras en acero corten de gran solidez y contundencia un episodio significativo de la historia medieval de la ciudad, para convertirlo en un monumento del siglo XXI que contribuye a enriquecer su patrimonio artstico y cultural. Sin duda, nuevos conjuntos se irn sumando en los prximos aos a este corredor histricoartstico invisible pero a su vez tangible, que traspasar fronteras y estrechar culturas. Y, seguramente, dentro de ese corredor escultrico Ciriza ha imaginado otras dos monumentales obras, formadas tambin por cuatro dgitos rotundos, simblicos e histricos, que l mejor que nadie sabe interpretar, pues ataen en esta ocasin a su propia trayectoria vital. Son dos piezas que ya ha finalizado y se inauguran ahora con la solemnidad que merecen. La primera de ellas es 1986, ao de su primera exposicin individual en la pamplonesa sala de Conde Rodezno de la Caja de Ahorros Municipal de Pamplona. La segunda es 2011, conmemorativa del XXV aniversario de aquella primera exposicin, que ahora celebramos. Por todo ello, a nuestra felicitacin se une nuestro ms sincero deseo de que en aos venideros siga enlazando nuevas obras en su corredor escultrico vital. (*) Doctor en Filosofa y Letras. Premio Extraordinario Doctorado en la Seccin de Historia. Subdirector del Departamento de Historia del Arte de la Universidad de Navarra.Vocal de la Junta Directiva de la Sociedad Espaola de Emblemtica.Autor de ms deVeinticinco Publicaciones en Relacin con el Arte. Forma parte del Comit Cientfico de la Revista IMAGO, Emblemtica y CulturaVisual de la Universitat deValencia y la Universitat de les Illes Balears.
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ber 2008.In a single piece of 6 x 4 x 3 m, of profound visual impact and symbolic value, related with the date of death of Csar Borgia, personage of the European Renaissance and emblematic in the Navarre locality as warrior prince. These four numbers suggested the author volumes of corten steel, strong and blunt, which interprets in an es-
thetic way, to turn them into a powerful sign of Viana's identity. The work combines modern art and adherence to the rich historical legacy of Viana. It is completed by a plaque with the signature of the personage and the dates of 1507 and 2007, serving also to commemorate the V Centenary of the historical event.
The next link of this chain is 1043 (Fig. 17), installed in April, 2010 in Tafalla to commemorate the year in which the king Garca granted to the people of Tafalla the title of very noble, very loyal and vigorous. Ciriza gathers, in these four numbers of corten steel of high strength and force, a significant episode of the medieval history of the city, turning it into a monument of the XXI century that contributes to enrich its artistic and cultural patrimony. No doubt, new groups will be included to this historical-artistic corridor in the coming years, invisible but in turn tangible, which will go beyond borders and strengthen cultures. And, of course, within this sculptural corridor Ciriza has imagined another two monumental works formed also by four strong digits, symbolic and historical, which he, knows better than anybody else to interpret, since they relate in this occasion to his own life trajectory. Two pieces have already been completed and they are inaugurated now with the solemnity that they deserve. The first one of them is 1986, year of his first individual exhibition in the room of Pamplona of Conde Rodezno in Caja de Ahorros Municipal (Municipal Savings Bank) of Pamplona. The second one is 2011, commemorating the twentyfifth anniversary of that first exhibition, whichwe arenow celebrating. For all this, our congratulation joins our most sincere desire that in coming years he keeps on connecting new works in his vital sculptural corridor.
(*) Doctor in Philosophy and letters. Extraordinary award in PHD of Section of history. Sub director of History Department in the University of Navarra. Member of the Board of the Spanish emblematic Society .Writer of more than 25th publication of Art. Member of Scientific Committee of the IMAGO Magazine, Emblematic and Visual Culture of Universitat deValencia and Universitat de les Illes Balears.
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Movimientos de masas y volmenes, arquitecturas habitadas por la luz Francisco J. Bartos Jaurrieta *
Conoc a CARLOS, hace muchos aos, por algunas de sus obras y por el amplio rastro meditico que precede a todos los artistas de xito. Me imaginaba un hombre grande, como sus colosales esculturas que jalonan la autova del Camino de Santiago. Lo presupona envanecido en su aureola triunfal, poco asequible, orgulloso, distante, absorto en grandes proyectos y selectas relaciones pblicas. No me equivocaba en lo que respecta a sus proyectos, pero si, y mucho en lo que se refiere a su condicin humana. Porque Carlos Ciriza es efectivamente un artista que ha conocido, y desde muy joven, las mieles del xito, la autoafirmacin y orgullo profesional de tener repartida su obra, en tantas e importantes colecciones pblicas y privadas de todo el mundo: (Espaa, Francia, Italia, Estados Unidos, Andorra, Ecuador, Eslovenia, Argentina, Filipinas, Armenia, Austria, Escocia, Alemania, Finlandia, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, Mxico, Portugal, Canad, Cuba y Suiza.), pero no olvida sus orgenes. Est en permanente contacto con ellos, con sus gentes, con su pueblo Estella, con su tierra, Navarra, y en toda su obra subyace una constante y recurrente referencia a estos slidos principios. Despus de or hablar, mucho y controvertidamente de l, como suele ocurrir con las figuras de xito, el azar quiso unir nuestro caminos profesionales y humanos, llevndome a dirigir por un corto pero inolvidable periodo de tiempo, el Museo Gustavo de Maeztu de Estella, que entre otras maravillosas experiencias, me permiti el placer de organizar una exposicin de sus ltimas obras. A pesar de que en mi currculum
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profesional figura una amplia experiencia en la organizacin de exposiciones, no puedo negar cierta preocupacin e inquietud ante este proyecto, experimentando un leve temor escnico frente al divo, frente al artista tocado por la fortuna. Todas esas sensaciones desaparecieron en el mismo instante de estrechar su mano y encarar esa mirada limpia, franca y noble, plena de inteligencia, que es lo primero que trasciende de su persona: Sencillez, bondad, proximidad, sinceridad. Nada del artista presumido e intolerante que haba presupuesto. Facilitador y cooperador, acepta de buen grado las imperfecciones e intransigencias propias del espacio, las limitaciones fsicas y presupuestarias de la Sala, las indicaciones de los montadores; coopera y no produce el menor desasosiego en el personal del Museo, ms bien se muestra satisfecho con las soluciones interpretativas y espaciales que se le ofrecen, en la puesta en escena de su obra, que entre preocupado y satisfecho, muestra por primera vez desde hace 10 aos, en el Museo Gustavo de Maeztu de su pueblo natal. Y es que Carlos es un hombre slido, como su tierra navarra, como los materiales que utiliza, pero a la vez dctil y maleable como sus composiciones. Sencillo y rotundo como sus volmenes genricos y verstil, como sus desplazamientos. Geomtrico y recndito en la forma, como difano en sus arquitecturas habitadas por la luz. Trabajador infatigable; generoso con el esfuerzo; ambicioso, yo dira casi avaricioso con el arte. Haba ledo mucho acerca de sus comienzos e influencias recibidas de artistas como: Julio Gonzlez, Chirino, Henry Moore, Chillida, Oteiza. Tambin conoca, a travs de su biografa, las investigaciones sobre la relacin entre materia, vo-
lumen, espacio, gravedad y equilibrio. Su preocupacin constante por el desplazamiento del volumen entre equilibrios, as como la circulacin de espacios y vacos. Su inquietud por el material y las tcnicas para doblegarlo y modelar sus posibilidades expresivas; sus preferencias histricas por el acero corten, que le emparentaban directamente con la escultura vasca y navarra contemporneas. Profundamente enraizado en su tierra, en su tradicin, perfectamente integrado en su paisaje, en la plenitud de la naturaleza, que devuelve a su tierra el tributo de lo recibido. ("La escultura est dentro del sentir, en la forma de ser de nuestra tierra") Su pintura se interrelaciona directamente con la escultura. Es en ella, donde el autor no solo plasma armnicamente formas y pequeos fragmentos volumtricos, sino que traslada sus postulados estticos y ticos al soporte plano. Con un profundo conocimiento de la ancestral alquimia pictrica, aplica los xidos procedentes del devastado de sus esculturas, utilizndolos como pigmentos, fijndolos al soporte por distintos y elaborados procedimientos mecnicos y qumicos; utilizando su sensible respuesta ante la luz y las condiciones climticas, crea efectos cromticos cambiantes, como los materiales fotosensibles de ltima generacin en la moderna arquitectura. La reutilizacin de estos restos de escultura como materia pictrica, constituye un acercamiento de la pintura a la escultura y viceversa, de la materia escultrica a la superficie pictrica, una simbiosis perfecta de materia y concepto sabiamente conjugado por el conocimiento y la experiencia artstica, pero es algo ms y en esa lnea de devolver a la tierra lo que en Arte ha recibido de ella. Traslada humildes depsitos, deshechos de la materia escultrica al papel, la ta-
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Movements of masses and volumes, architectures lived by light Francisco J. Bartos Jaurrieta *
I met CARLOS, many years ago, through some of his works and the extensive media trail that precedes all successful artists. I imagined a big man, like his colossal sculptures that mark the highway of the Camino de Santiago (St. Jacobs Way). I thought of him conceited in his triumphal aureole, little approachable, proud, distant, absorbed in big projects and select public relations. I was not wrong in relation to his projects, but very much in his human condition. Because Carlos Ciriza is really an artist, who has known, and this from an early age, the sweetness of success, the assertiveness and professional pride to have shared his work in many important public and private collections around the world (Spain, France, Italy, USA, Andorra, Ecuador, Slovenia, Argentina, Philippines, Armenia, Austria, Scotland, Germany, Finland, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Portugal, Canada, Cuba and Switzerland.), but he does not forget his origins. He is in permanent contact with them, with his people, his village Estella, and his land, Navarre, and all his works show a constant and recurring reference to these solid principles. After hearing a lot of and different things about him, as it usually happens with successful people, our fate wanted us to join our professional and human ways, leading me to direct in a short but unforgettable period of time, the Museum Gustavo de Maeztu in Estella, which among other wonderful experiences, allowed me the pleasure of organizing an exhibition of his last works. Although my professional rsum represents a wide experience in the organization of exhibitions, I cannot deny certain concern and anxiety with this project, experiencing a light scenic fear towards the star, to39
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bla, las pizarras, etc., elevndolos a la categora de arte, impregnando de tierra la composicin artstica. Animo desde aqu al espectador, a que se site ante la obra de CIRIZA, sin complejos planteamientos, ni preconcebidos teoricismos, sino con la motivacin y sencillez de un explorador abierto a nuevas experiencias; con los sentidos y el corazn atentos ante el festn de sensaciones que nos ofrece. Que sienta el colosalismo del Ciriza monumental, la grandeza de sus construcciones que crecen de la tierra, elevndose orgullosas y potentes, recortndose en el vibrante horizonte navarro; presentir la trepidante energa que late bajo la piel de acero, pugnando por salirse de su apariencia formal. Escuchar hasta el chirrido disonante del acero desplazndose sobre s mismo, para crear esos movimientos de masas y volmenes, que desafan el equilibrio; que se deje deslumbrar por los efmeros destellos de luz atrapada entre sus masas, que trate de adivinar el devenir, la trayectoria del movimiento cristalizado en el tiempo y el espacio. Que se deje envolver por la magia potica y por el misterio atrapado entre la forma y el espacio que la contiene, donde el artista ha intervenido, dejando que la percepcin del espectador culmine el proceso creativo. (*) Licenciado en Bellas Artes. Ex-Director del Museo Gustavo de Maeztu. Responsable del Departamento de Cultura de San Lucas de Barrameda, Cdiz.
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wards the artist touched by the fortune. All those feelings disappeared at the same moment I shook his hand and faced that clean, honest and noble look, full of intelligence, which is the first thing that transcends from his person: modesty, kindness, proximity, sincerity. No trace of the conceited and intolerant artist I first thought of. Helper and cooperator, he accepts the imperfection and normal intransigences of the space, the physical and budgetary limitations of the room, the indications of the set designers; he cooperates and does not provoke the minor distress in the personnel of the Museum, rather he shows to be satisfied with the interpretive and spatial solutions offered to him, in the staging of his work, which between worried and satisfied, he shows for the first time since 10 years in the Museum Gustavo de Maeztu in his native village. And the fact is, that Carlos is a solid man, like his Navarrese homeland, as the materials that it uses, but simultaneously ductile and malleable like his compositions. Modest and straight as his generic volumes and versatile as his displacements. Geometric and recondite in the form, as diaphanous in his architectures inhabited by the light. Tireless worker; generous with the effort; ambitious, I would say almost avaricious with the art. I read a lot of his beginnings and influences of other artists such as: Julio Gonzlez, Chirino, Henrry Moore, Chillida, Oteiza. Also, I knew, from his biography, the investigations on the relation between materials, volume, space, gravity and balance. His constant concern for the displacement of the volume between balances, as well as the circulation of spaces. His concern for the material and the skills to break it and to shape its expressive possibilities; his historical preferences for the corten steel, which associated him directly with the contemporary Basque and Navarrese sculpture. Deeply rooted in his land, in his tra-
chromatic effects, such as the photosensitive materials of last generation in modern architecture. The recycling of these sculpture remainders as pictorial material, constitutes an approach of the painting to the sculpture and vice versa, of the sculptural material to the pictorial surface, a perfect symbiosis of material and concept wisely brought together by the knowledge and the artistic experience. But it is something more, and following this trend, to return the land what he has received from it in form of art. He transfers humble deposits, sculptural material waste to paper, boards, etc., raising them to the art category, impregnating the artistic composition with land. From here, I invite the observer, to stay in front of the work by CIRIZA, without complex approach, nor preconceived theories, but with the motivation and simplicity of an explorer opened for new experiences; with open senses and heart before the celebration of sensations that offers us. To feel the greatness of the monumental Ciriza, the nobility of his creations that grow from the earth, rising proud and powerful, standing out in the vibrant Navarrese horizon; to sense the frenetic energy that beats under the steel skin, struggling to get out of its formal appearance. To listen to the dissonant screech of the steel moving on itself to create these movements of masses and volumes, which defy the balance. To get dazzled by the ephemeral twinkles of light caught between its masses, to guess the future, the trajectory of the movement crystallized in time and space. To be captivated by the poetical magic and by the mystery caught between the form and the space that contains, where the artist has intervened, allowing that the perception of the observer culminates the creative process.
dition, perfectly integrated in the landscape, in the fullness of nature, returning to his homeland the received tribute. ("The sculpture is inside the feeling, in the way of being of our homeland"). His painting is interrelated directly with the sculpture. It is, where the author not only captures harmonically forms and small volumetric fragments, but moves his esthetic and ethical postulates to the flat support. With a deep knowledge of the ancestral pictorial alchemy, he applies the oxides proceeding from the devastated of his sculptures, using them as pigments, fixing them onto the support with different and elaborated mechanical and chemical procedures; using his sensitive answer towards the light and the climatic conditions, he creates changeable
(*) Bachelor in Arts. Ex-Director of Gustavo de Maeztu Museum. Person in charge of Culture School of San Lucas de Barrameda, Cdiz.
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La finalidad del arte es dar cuerpo a la esencia secreta de las cosas, no el copiar su apariencia. Aristteles 384 a 322 a JC Aina Aguil Bennassar *
Nos satisface enormemente presentar en la planta noble del Museo de Arte Contemporneo de Mallorca la exposicin de Carlos Ciriza al cumplir 25 aos de vida profesional. Carlos Ciriza iniciado primero en la pintura, escultor a continuacin mostrar en esta exposicin las dos facetas de su obra que sentimos ntimamente ligadas. Esperamos conseguir dar a conocer en Mallorca la trayectoria de uno de los nombres esenciales de la escultura Navarra de los ltimos aos. Descubrimos la personalidad de un artista creativo, franco, sencillo, humano, trabajador enrgico, que ha llegado a la madurez. Tambin nos aproxim a su obra que apreciamos profundamente. De esta accin generosa nace una exposicin itinerante por la isla de Mallorca que esperamos memorable. Esta muestra se inscribe en el marco de las buenas relaciones y estrecha colaboracin que hemos conseguido. Quiero manifestar pblicamente que estoy muy ilusionada con esta experiencia. Adems le reitero mi ms sincero agradecimiento por su generosidad y le deseo otros 25 aos de avance en el mundo del arte. Slo cabe esperar que su visita a Mallorca de a conocer la slida lnea de trabajo de un creador coherente y fiel a sus principios estticos. Aprovecho la ocasin para agradecer el apoyo del ilustrsimo Sr. Pere A. Serra, presidente editor del Grup Serra, Medalla de Oro de la Co42
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munidad Autnoma de las Islas Baleares, presidente de la Fundaci Es Baluard, de la Fundaci Tren del Art y promotor de Can Prunera Museu Modernista de Sller. Destacado empresario, mecenas artstico, experto en arte y difusor de la historia y del patrimonio Balear. Agradezco del Sr. Rogelio Arajo, director de Can Prunera Museu Modernista de Sller, Mallorca y del Sr. Gabriel Vanrell propietario de la Galera Vanrell de Palma su participacin en el proyecto, creo que juntos podremos felicitarnos del xito de la exposicin. Estoy plenamente convencida de que resultar de inters para los aficionados a la pintura, la escultura y para el pblico en general. (*) Directora de Can Planes Sa Pobla. Museo de Arte Contemporneo de Mallorca.
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The purpose of art is to shape the secret essence of things, not copying their appearance. Aristotle 384 to 322 BC. Aina Aguil Bennassar *
We are delighted to present on the noble floor of the Contemporary Art Museum of Mallorca the exhibition of Carlos Ciriza on completing 25 years of professional life. Carlos Ciriza started first with painting, and continued with sculpture, and is showing in this exhibition two facets of his work that we feel intimately connected. We hope to make known, in Mallorca, the career of one of the main names of the sculpture from Navarre in recent years. We discover the personality of a creative, frank, modest, human, hard-working artist, who has reached maturity. He also approached us to his work we deeply appreciate. From this generous action resulted this traveling exhibition throughout the island Mallorca which we hope is going to be memorable. This sample is part of the frame of good relations and close collaboration that we have achieved. I want publicly express that I am very excited about this experience. Furthermore, I want to express again my most sincere gratitude for his generosity and I wish him another 25 years of progress in the world of art. We hope that his visit to Mallorca makes known the solid line of work by a creator who is consistent and loyal to his esthetic principles. I take the opportunity to thank for the support of the honorable Mr. Pere A. Serra, publishing president of Grup Serra, golden Medal of the Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, president of the Foundation Tren del Art and promoter of Can Prunera Modernist Museum of Sller. A prominent businessman, artistic sponsor, expert in art, who spreads the history and the Balearic heritage. I thank Mr. Rogelio Arajo, director of Can Prunera Modernist Museum in Sller, Mallorca and Mr. Gabriel Vanrell, owner of the Gallery Vanrell in Palma for their participation in the project; I think that together we can be pleased with the success of the exhibition. I am fully convinced that it will be of interest to lovers of painting, sculpture and the public in general.
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Su espritu inquieto, le ha llevado a viajar con cierta asiduidad y asimilar ciertas culturas, de tal manera que lugares como Francia, Italia, Holanda, Estados Unidos, Ecuador, Eslovenia y otros Pases del Este..., han constituido verdaderas fuentes de inspiracin. Adems desde que iniciara la actividad artstica en los ochenta, ha realizado una incesante labor expositiva. Museos, Instituciones y colecciones privadas de Espaa, Francia, Italia, EE.UU., Principado de Andorra, Ecuador, Eslovenia, Argentina, Filipinas, Escocia, Alemania, Armenia, Finlandia, Polonia, Venezuela y Mxico poseen obras de este autor.
Cunto bien nos hara en esta ciudad de Dallas, que el ao pasado agreg nuevos edificios en el distrito artstico, tener la obra del Maestro Ciriza ya que expresa paradjicamente la fuerza y fragilidad de nuestra humanidad. Felicidades Carlos! Que sigas creando y compartiendo tu gran talento por otros 25 aos ms. (*) Directora fundadora del Instituto de Mxico Dallas,Texas.
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As sculptor he concentrated also on the public spaces, creating numerous works for urban spaces and open sceneries, in which the formal rotundity and the creative force of their profiles are revealed in all its fullness. His restless spirit, has led him to travel quite often and to assimilate certain cultures, so that places as France, Italy, Holland, the United States, Ecuador, Slovenia and other Eastern countries..., have become real sources of inspiration. Also since he started the artistic activity in the eighties, he has carried out a constant exhibition work. Museums, institutions and private collections from Spain, France, Italy, the USA, Andorra, Ecuador, Slovenia, Argentina, the Philippines, Scotland, Germany, Armenia, Finland, Poland, Venezuela and Mexico have works by this author. How good it would be for us, in this city, Dallas, where last year new buildings were added to the artistic district, to have the work by the Master Ciriza since it expresses paradoxically the strength and fragility of our humanity. Congratulations Carlos! Keep on creating and sharing your great talent for another 25 years.
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correr, como una unidad comprometida con su investigacin previa ms ntima. Esa culminacin es mas para descubrirla que para posteriormente admirarla o mejor dicho para admirarla despus de descubrirla. Autor que nos enriquece el paisaje y los espacios artsticamente con sus obras aadiendo nueva savia, imprescindible en un camino en cre-
cimiento. A travs del tiempo y sobre todo con la evidente especializacin, el artista ha ido creando distintas reas dedicadas a la realizacin de ese ideal de percepcin y perfeccin, en una constante aspiracin a transformarse y transformar su entorno, en el amplio mundo de los sentimientos. (*) Comisario de Exposiciones. Galeria Jean de Merry Los Angeles.
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espacios abiertos, arte paisajstico, intervenciones en el entorno social medioambiental, e incluso en arquitectura, como el Museo Guggenheim en Bilbao de Frank Gehry. Dentro de este amplio campo de aplicacin de la escultura actual, prevalece todava su naturaleza ms pura, ese ncleo esencial que no ha perdido su fascinacin y encanto, y que incluso ha ganado ms significancia. La materia, la pre-
sencia tctil de obras escultricas que forman parte de nuestro entorno ms prximo, acta en contraposicin al mundo individual y voltil cada vez ms fomentado por los medios de comunicacin. Un encuentro con la escultura provoca en el espectador una interaccin con la obra, ya que le invita a contemplarla en su totalidad, apreciarla desde todos sus ngulos, relacionando as su propio cuerpo con el objeto tridimensional. (Marc Wellmann). Carlos Ciriza es uno de esos artistas que no ha perdido su fascinacin. Totalmente involucrado con lo tctil, palpable presencia de la escultura, su obra se incluye en el grupo de artistas que investigan la materia, el espacio y la forma como fuente primordial de exploracin creativa. Sus numerosas obras expuestas reflejan fielmente su amor por dicha materia y dominio del espacio, al tiempo que se adentra en una profunda bsqueda personal. Desde su inicio, la filosofa de Sculpture Network ha sido crear una red de conexiones en torno a nuestro comn inters por la escultura. Esto nos ha impulsado a organizar regularmente simposios internacionales examinando la escultura en diversas ubicaciones e interpretaciones. La arquitectura, el paisaje y los espacios pblicos han sido un tema constante de debate, con participacin de reconocidos conferenciantes, curadores, historiadores, artistas y coleccionistas. Sin embargo, los escultores constituyen el ncleo principal de nuestra asociacin. Nos enorgullece contar con Carlos Ciriza entre ellos y deseamos ardientemente disfrutar de sus futuros proyectos. (*) Sculpture-Network. Miembro de la Junta Directiva.
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Recomiendo al viajero que si, al recorrer algn rincn del mundo, encuentra una de las obras de este gran escultor, no solo la vea, sino que la piense y la sienta. Ese impresionante equilibrio imposible que el logra en sus grandes esculturas, muestran que buscando, como el lo ha hecho con el metal, que la humanidad puede encontrar caminos y soluciones para equilibrar sus grandes problemas. si es capaz de dejar a un lado su egosmo y materialismo.
Hasta ahora solo los grandes, cada quien en su campo, dejan huellas para ser ledas en el futuro y las de Carlos seguirn viviendo en sus obras. que son muchas y excepcionales todas y que yo no intento describir, porque no puedo hacerlo; son expresiones en hierro de un alma. Hay que verlas hay que sentirlas hay que admirarlas y pensar lo que Carlos nos quiere decir en cada una de sus esculturas (*) Diario La Opinin Los Angeles, California. Columna Burbujas. Novelista. Presidente Nacional Emeritus,Asociacion Mexicana.
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I recommend the traveler if during his journey he finds one of the works by this great sculptor, not only to look at it, but to contemplate it and feel it. This impressive and amazing balance that he achieves in his big sculptures, show that searching, as he has done it with the metal, mankind can find ways and solutions to balance its big problems... if it is capable of leaving aside its selfishness and materialism. Till now only the great ones, everyone in his field, leave traces to be read in the future and those by
Carlos will keep on living in his works.... that are many and all of them are exceptional and I do not try to describe them, because I cannot do it; they are expressions in iron of a soul. It is necessary to see them it is necessary to feel them it is necessary to admire them and to think what Carlos wants to tell us in each of his sculptures
(*) Diario La Opinin Los Angeles, California. Column Burbujas Newspaper. Novelist. National president Emeritus, Mexican Association.
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sus esculturas que se acomodan tambin, por su carcter monumental, en las perspectivas urbansticas ciudadanas y en los fondos de los paisajes. Sus pequeas esculturas en hierro, latn y roble, que describen curvas y contracurvas, desarrollos rectos, que juegan con el vaco exterior e interior en forma de dentellones o en particiones sinuosas, parecen requerir la escala monumental. Sus construcciones con desarrollo de formas, varillas, etc., concretan los estudios del artista sobre las formas geomtricas esenciales en el espacio. Hay en ellas vigor y fuerzas tensinales que las conducen en su despliegue que el artista parece captar intuitivamente. Ciriza cuida extraordinariamente los materiales, sus texturas y sus contactos. Ancla las esculturas de hierro y latn en pedestales de roble. Trabaja las superficies trabajadas de manera casi artesanal. Pese a la inclinacin esencial de Carlos Ciriza por el expresionismo abstracto, el artista no renuncia a lo figurativo cuando le es preciso si bien es sta una figuracin pasada por la abstraccin. Artista de gran creatividad, Ciriza es ya autor de una obra importante, pese a su juventud, no slo en nmero sino en la riqueza y diversidad de sus manifestaciones que superan los lmites de las artes. (*) Catedrtica de Historia del Arte en las universidades de Sevilla y Murcia. Acadmica correspondiente de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando de Madrid y de la academia de Santa Isabel de Hungra de Sevilla. Catedrtica emrita del Departamento de Historia del Arte de la Universidad de Navarra. Presidenta de la Ctedra de Patrimonio y Arte Navarro. Premio Prncipe deViana de la Cultura.
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grated, due to their monumental nature, in the civil town-planning perspectives and in the background of the sceneries. His small sculptures of iron, brass and oak, which describe convex and concave curves, straight developments, playing with the exterior and interior space in form of dentils or in sinuous divisions, seem to demand the monumental scale. His constructions with development of forms, rods, etc., define his studies of geometric forms that are essential in space. There is vitality and tensile strengths in their development the artist seems to grasp intuitively. Ciriza takes specially care of the materials, its textures and its contacts. He anchors the sculptures of iron and brass on oak pedestals. He works the elaborated surfaces in an almost artisanal way. Despite the essential tendency of Carlos Ciriza for the abstract expressionism, the artist does not renounce to the figuration, when necessary, although this is a figuration passed through the abstraction. Artist of high creativity, Ciriza, despite his youth, is already an author of an important work not only in quantity, but in richness and diversity of his manifestations that go beyond the limits of arts.
(*) Professor of Art History in the Universities of Seville and Murcia. Academic of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid and the Academy of Santa Isabel de Hungra in Seville. Professor Emeritus of the Department of Art History in the University of Navarre. Chief of the Professorship of Patrimony and Navarrese Art. Rewarded with: Prince ofViana prize for Culture.
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Carlos Ciriza: el poder de las manos y del trabajo a travs del fuego Joaqun Montolo Salvador *
Estamos, sin duda alguna, ante un trabajador infatigable, polifactico, disciplinado y meticuloso, caractersticas no demasiado comunes entre los artistas, en la actualidad.... Exultante y triunfante me parece la forma como han resuelto, la importante y densa trayectoria artstica de Carlos Ciriza, presentndonoslo, mediante un asombroso recorrido artstico, por el universo potico de sus ideas, de sus sueos, del color, de las formas y del deseo, convertido a travs de sus manos y del fuego en obras artsticas, todas ellas han sido meticulosamente escogidas de entre los mltiples espacios y diferentes pases por donde Carlos Ciriza tiene esparcidos sus magnficos trabajos. Tanto sus esculturas, como las pinturas o sus piezas en cermica han sido captadas de forma verdaderamente activa, sino tambin los valores plsticos y las mltiples sugerencias que se nos aparecen a travs de cada representacin. Como el fruto de una obra bien realizada con toda esa potencia expresiva gestual que el artista imprime a sus trabajos y que sin duda Carlos Ciriza prepara de forma precisa, como si de una frmula magistral se tratara elaborada por un experto farmacutico, combinando armnicamente, en justa proporcin y con escrupulosa seleccin, los materiales y los procedimientos tcnicos adquiridos a travs de los innumerables recursos y conocimientos que posee, conseguidos tras una minuciosa composicin intelectual y sosegada bsqueda investigadora, a lo largo de toda su vida.
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manos de Carlos Ciriza-; sus obras hablan por ellas; unas veces nos aparecen y se nos presentan a travs de deliciosas esculturas que desparraman belleza armona y gusto exquisito, como son esas obras pequeas llenas de delicadeza, de exquisitez, y otras como expresin de la explosin expresionista ms potente, consiguiendo que el gesto irrumpa violentando casi siempre los espacios o al menos imponiendo su diccin mediante esas gigantescas y colosales esculturas para zonas pblicas o privadas o para parques o espacios abiertos. Estamos delante de uno de los mejores escultores espaoles del Siglo XXI, no existe ninguna duda, solamente quiero, reiterarle el consejo de este veterano profesor y crtico de arte: Carlos sigue presentndote como eres a travs de tus creaciones, sigue manteniendo ese estado de vigilia que mantiene alerta t espritu, y viva, y en evolucin constante tu obra, y sigue con ese amor al trabajo al que no ves como castigo, sino como medio para conseguir las cosas bien hechas, por ese don y por esa magia que posees, pues queremos seguir disfrutando y deleitndonos de tu buen hacer, de tus ideas, proyectos, e ilusiones que van y vienen por tu cabeza, ya que como deca el gran maestro Picabia, la tenemos redonda para que las ideas puedan cambiar de direccin libremente. Felicidades, Carlos Ciriza por este reconocimiento a tu trabajo y enhorabuena por ir llenando con tus obras a lo largo y ancho del mundo, ese vaco dejado por aquellos grandes y admirados artistas compaeros tuyos y amigos mos, que fueron Eduardo Chillida y Jorge Oteiza. (*) Profesor Titular de la Universidad de Zaragoza. Historiador y Crtico de Arte Contemporneo.
Queda reflejado fehacientemente, esta finalidad nica de Carlos Ciriza de hacer buen arte sin que se advierta el mnimo temor al complicado pulso diario que se supone ha de mantener con cada obra y con cada uno de los elementos puestos en accin: con el fuego, con la resistencia de los materiales a doblegarse a su creatividad, con la consecucin a travs de una ejecucin esmerada para conseguir de esta manera la perfeccin del acabado, como hace pocos das lleg a advertir admirado, el gran maestro Nstor Basterrechea. A los procedimientos tcnicos que nos presentan hay que aadir pues tambin estn -las
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Carlos Ciriza: the power of hands and the work through the fire Joaqun Montolo Salvador *
We are, without doubt, before a tireless, versatile, disciplined and meticulous worker, all features that are not too common among the artists today.... Elated and triumphant seems to me the way they have resolved the important and dense artistic trajectory of Carlos Ciriza, introducing him to us, through an amazing artistic journey, across the poetical universe of his ideas, of his dreams, of the color, of the shapes and of the desire, turned through his hands and the fire in artistic works, all of them have been carefully chosen from the different spaces and different countries where Carlos Ciriza has placed his magnificent works.
Both his sculptures, and the paintings or his ceramics pieces have been captured in a truly active form, but also the artistic values and the different suggestions that appear to us through each performance. As the result of a well done work with all this creative force of gestures that the artist prints on his works and that certainly Carlos Ciriza prepares accurately, as if it were a magic formula developed by a pharmaceutical expert, combining harmonically, in right proportion and with careful selection, materials and technical procedures acquired through the countless resources and his knowledge, obtained after a thorough intellectual composition and quiet research, throughout his life. It is obvious, Carlos Cirizas purpose of doing good art without noticing the minimal fear of the complicated daily
struggle that it is supposed he has with each work and with each of the elements put in action: with the fire, with the resistance of the materials to give in to his creativity, with the achievement through a careful implementation to obtain the perfection of the finish, as a few days ago the great master Nstor Basterrechea realized. To the technical procedures it is necessary to add as they also exist - the hands of Carlos Ciriza-; his works speak for them; sometimes they appear to us and show up through delightful sculptures that spread beauty harmony and exquisite taste, as these small works full of delicacy, of exquisiteness, and others as expression of the most powerful expressionist explosion, achieving that the gesture burst breaking almost always the spaces or at least imposing its diction by those gigantic and colossal sculptures for public or private areas or for parks or open spaces. There is no doubt that we are before of one of the greatest Spanish sculptors of the XXI Century; I just want to reiterate the advice of this veteran teacher and art critic: Carlos keep showing yourself as you are through your creations, keep on maintaining this state of wakefulness that keeps your spirit alert and alive, and your work in constant evolution, and keep up this love to the work that you do not feel as punishment, but as a means to get things right, for this gift and for this magic that you possess, because we want to keep on enjoying your good work, "your" ideas, projects, and illusions that come and go in "your" head, since as the great teacher Picabia said, It is round so that the ideas can freely change direction. Congratulations, Carlos Ciriza for this recognition to your work and congratulations for filling with your works throughout the world, the gap left by those great and admired artists, your colleges and my friends, Eduardo Chillida and Jorge Oteiza.
(*) Professor at the University of Zaragoza. Historian and Critic of Contemporary art.
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realizado de manera magistral un verdadero elogio a la ingravidez. Recurrentes son, en cierto modo, durante los prolegmenos de la abstraccin los estudios sobre movilidad de Calder o Naum Gabo pero ciertamente no es habitual encontrar esculturas que correspondan a volmenes tales, instaladas sobre nosotros sin un punto de apoyo terrestre. En este caso son las slidas formas ondulantes las que hacen referencia a ideas como la continuidad y discontinuidad. Como deca Bancusi al observar su propia obra monumental La columna sin fin: Cuando me acerqu pens que en realidad pareca seguir hacia los cielos sin de-
tenerse; pues algo similar parece suceder al observar esta obra, teniendo la misma sensacin de continuidad infinita. En el caso de las esculturas colgantes del WFC, es la proyeccin junto con el conjunto artificial de palmeras en el interior, el que enfatiza aun ms este dilogo de las formas verticales en los troncos y la horizontalidad de la pieza. Tambin queda implcito este discurso en la relacin entre las diferentes partes que comparten la instalacin, una de gran tamao que llega a los 16 metros y dos de formato ms pequeo. Tambin es palpable la tensin entre conceptos como peso y ligereza que, unidos al de grave-
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to such volumes, installed above us without a terrestrial support. In this case the solid undulating forms are referring to ideas like the continuity and discontinuity. As Bancusi said when observing his own monumental work column without end: "When I approached, I thought that in fact it seemed to continue towards the skies without stopping; something similar seems to happen observing this work, having the same sensation of infinite continuity. In case of the hanging sculptures of the WFC, it is the projection to-
gether with the artificial collection of palm trees inside, which emphasizes even more this dialogue of the vertical forms in the trunks and the horizontality of the piece. Also this speech remains implicit in the relation between the different parts that share the installation, one of 16 meters and two smaller ones. It is also tangible the tension between concepts like weight and lightness that, joined to that of gravity, transform our classic way of understanding the sculptures and the space. This sensation is produced
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dad, desarticulan nuestra manera clsica de entender las esculturas y el espacio. Esta sensacin est producida en gran manera no solo por el permetro abarcado por la instalacin, sino tambin por la tonalidad rojiza del metal. Dentro del amplio universo de formas y colores de los que se sirve Ciriza para representar el mundo, siempre ha sido ese intenso ocre del xido de hierro en constante evolucin el que ms ha perdurado. Aunque presente en casi todas sus facetas artsticas tanto escultricas como pictricas y en los diversos encuentros entre ambas disciplinas, ha sido un medio recurrente al que volver tras sus investigaciones plsticas del color y espacio. Frente a esta, aparentemente cmoda, manera de regresar al origen a travs del color, Ciriza durante estas dcadas nunca se ha dejado llevar por la autocomplacencia que en ocasiones genera la experiencia en el artista, sino que no ha cesado de investigar nuevas tcnicas y medios para llegar a maneras de expresin artstica ms complejas y personales. Como en el caso de la serie Expansion Works de Anthony Gormley finalizada en 1994 y formada por grandes volmenes de metal circulares flotantes, sorprende tambin la sensacin de calidez generada en el espectador al contemplar dichas esculturas monumentales, pese a la frialdad al tacto del metal fundido. Este efecto, al igual que en el artista ingls, no solo procede de la ausencia de brillos y reflejos del acabado que dotan a estas formas de una profundidad y un mayor dinamismo, sino que este intenso tono resalta la intemporalidad del propio metal, la piedra y el medio que lo cobija. Ciertamente es la armona con el entorno la que da lugar a esta integracin total en el espacio que nos traslada a recuerdos no vividos pero intrnsecos al ser humano.
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Por el contrario, las obras realizadas para el Saln Principal de Palacio de la Vega el artista retoma sus formas ms tradicionales. stas parecen provenir de antiguos objetos compactos y cbicos que, desencajndose como si despertaran de un largo letargo, van revelando sus sinuosas formas curvas. El conjunto consta de cinco esculturas de acero distribuidas por la sala; parecen mantener un dialogo silencioso mientras observan atentas, las vivencias cotidianas del ser humano. Gracias al estudio y desarrollo de cada pieza y su peso, el fino y sutil tensor que las sustenta enfatiza la sensacin de levitacin y ligereza volviendo a crear en nosotros una sensacin contradictoria al confrontar volumen, materia y peso. Esto provoca, al ser observadas de manera cenital, una instintiva sensacin de autoproteccin al tiempo que de admiracin ante sus imponentes magnitudes. Ciriza, por lo tanto, consigue con su intervencin que un espacio trivial y fun-
cional dedicado al ocio sea tambin un lugar donde tengan cabida la reflexin y el arte a travs de las sensaciones. Realmente podemos ver que pese a la persistencia de tcnicas, colores y soportes, Carlos se encuentra ante un apasionante nuevo camino por desarrollar lleno de matices y posibilidades. Un cambio profundo que modifica la percepcin visual, las dimensiones de la propia obra y en consecuencia el dilogo entre objeto y espectador. Donde el sujeto deja de ser un mero visitante para pasar a formar parte activa de la obra, deambulando hasta integrarse en toda una coreografa magistralmente orquestada. Todo esto llega en un momento de madurez esttica y tcnica del artista que garantiza con serenidad que convertir toda su nueva produccin en mucho ms que metal y oxido en suspensin. (*) Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Barcelona.
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mainly not only by the dimension of the facility, but also by the reddish tonality of the metal. Within the wide universe of shapes and colors Ciriza uses to represent the world, it has always been the intense ocher of iron oxide in constant evolution the one that more has lasted. Although, it is present in almost all his sculptural and pictorial artistic facets and in the diverse encounters between both disciplines, it has been a frequent instrument used after his plastic investigations of color and space. Given this apparently comfortable way to return to the origin through the color, Ciriza, during these decades, has never been carried away by self-satisfaction that sometimes generates the experience in the artist, but he has continued to investigate new techniques and instruments to achieve more complex and personal ways of artistic expression. As in case of the series Expansion Works by Anthony Gormley finished in 1994 and formed by huge volumes of circular floating metal, it surprises also the sensation of warmth generated in the spectator when contemplating the above mentioned monumental sculptures, despite of the coldness by touching the molten metal. This effect, as in the English artist, not only is due to the absence of gleam and reflections of the finish that provide these forms with a depth and a major dynamism, but this intense tone brings out the timelessness of the metal, the stone and the place that shelters it. Certainly, it is the harmony with the environment that provides this complete integration in the space and that takes us back to unreal memories but intrinsic to the human being. On the contrary, the works carried out for the main Lounge of Palacio de la Vega, the artist takes up again his most traditional forms.
They seem to come from ancient compact and cubic objects that, when separating them as if they were waking up of a long lethargy, are revealing their sinuous curved forms. The set consists of five sculptures of steel placed throughout the room; they seem to hold a silent dialogue while they observe the daily experiences of the human being. Thanks to the research and development of every piece and its weight, the fine brace that sustains them emphasizes the sensation of levitation and lightness, creating in us a contradictory sensation again by confronting volume, material and weight. When observing them in a zenithal way, this provokes an instinctive selfdefense sensation and of admiration at the same time, when staying in front of their imposing magnitudes. Therefore, Ciriza achieves with his intervention that a trivial and functional space dedicated to leisure is also a place for reflection and art through sensations. We can really appreciate that despite the persistence of techniques, colors and supports, Carlos is before a new and exciting way to be developed, full of nuances and possibilities. A deep change that modifies the visual perception, the dimensions of the work and consequently the dialogue between object and spectator. Where the individual stops being a mere visitor to become an active part of the work, wandering till get integrated into a masterfully orchestrated choreography. All this happens in a moment of esthetic and technical maturity of the artist ensuring, with serenity, that he will turn all his new productions into much more than metal and oxide in suspension.
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California? Nada, Pedro, nada que yo sepa. Y con los periodistas? Esto si lo puedo responder. La Asociacin instituy el premio Teobaldo para sus galardones y homenajes, encargndome a m que realizase la figura que luego servira de trofeo. Cmo la copa del mundial de Sudfrica? Ms o menos, pero no es de oro. Ms tarde en el acto que tuvimos en Olite se entregaron distintas efigies del rey trovador a otros tantos premiados e incluso yo fui sorprendido con una magnfica corbata que curiosamente llevaba, en tamao discreto y reducido, un guerrero a caballo, que lgicamente representaba al monarca navarro. Todo este largo prlogo sirva de introduccin a los prrafos que siguen para glosar, de modo bastante informal e inesperado, el genial hacer escultrico de mi amigo Carlos Ciriza. Siempre he pensado que las grandes esculturas pretenden sujetar los cuatro elementos de
la Naturaleza que ya describieron los filsofos presocrticos: el Fuego, el Aire, el Agua y la Tierra. Para explicar la formacin de las cosas, Anaximandro propone un proceso de separacin o diferenciacin de los contrarios. Dentro del caos o la masa confusa, agitado por un movimiento eterno se producen remolinos, que dan por resultado su separacin en porciones, de cada una de las cuales se forman otros tantos cosmos esfricos. Esta contraposicin entre lo ilimitado y lo limitado, es decir la oposicin fundamental entre finito e infinito es el secreto oculto de la escultura de Carlos Ciriza. Su Santo Grial, el choque y la ruptura del Fuego, el Aire, el Agua y la Tierra. Asistimos al maridaje entre la infinitud en abstracto y la materia slida de las esencias, del ser y del vaco. Hay una mirada interior que descubre lo homogneo en lo heterogneo, lo indeterminado en lo sustancial, lo perecedero en lo
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From Teobaldo to California or the Secret of Carlos Ciriza Pedro Lozano Bartolozzi *
The stump of the castle in ruins of Tiebas was looking as a tragic sculpture, seen from the window of the bus that was driving us up to Olite, to participate in the celebration that the Journalists' Association had organized due to the festivity of Santa Teresa of Avila. Carlos Ciriza was contemplating also the scenery and he mentioned me the arrangements for the edition of a new book on his work. I was listening, without suspecting the assignment Carlos was going to offer me taking the opportunity of this secret, while I was looking at the silence of the scenery of that evening. Would you write for me a short work? About what? For the book, man! About Teobaldo? You decide the topic. And before answering him, Carlos told me that he was going to Los Angeles the next day. To California? Of course. Looking for gold or Apaches? No, man, he answered laughing, I go with my sculptures. Do they fit in the plane? Well, this is another story. As the one about Teobaldo? That is very easy. Miguel ngel Barn ordered last year a sculpture of this king of Navarre, who as you know, was a Count of Champagne and apart from bringing to our land grape Chardonnay he was also a poet, a troubadour. He succeeded his uncle Sancho the Strength, who died without direct descent, heading this way a new dynasty that was linking us more or less with France. Yes, I know, they say that he was the most fecund of the French troubadours in the language of the oil. He also went to the Crusades. But what has Teobaldo to do with California? Nothing, Pedro, nothing that I know. And with the journalists? I can answer this. The Association instituted the Teobaldo award for its prizes and tributes, asking me to create the figure that la-
ter would be the trophy. Like the world cup of South Africa? More or less, but it is not of gold. Later at the event we had in Olite, different effigies of the troubadour king were handed over to some other prize-winners and I also was surprised by a magnificent tie that curiously had on it a small and discreet warrior on horseback, who logically was representing the Navarre monarch. This long prologue serves as an introduction to the next paragraphs to comment, in a quite informal and unexpected way, the sculptural brilliance of my friend Carlos Ciriza. I have always thought that the big sculptures try to hold the four elements of the Nature that the pre-Socratic philosophers already described: the Fire, the Air, the Water and the Earth. To explain the formation of the things, Anaximander proposes a process of separation or differentiation of the opposites. Among the chaos or the confused mass, waved by an eternal movement eddies take place, which result in their separation in portions, forming each of them other spherical cosmos. This contrast between the unlimited and the limited thing, that is to say the fundamental opposition between finite and infinite is the secret of the sculpture by Carlos Ciriza. His Holy Grail, the shock and the rupture of the Fire, the Air, the Water and the Earth. We are witnessing the close connection between the infinity in abstract and the solid matter of the essence, of the being and of the space. There is an interior look that discovers the homogeneous thing in the heterogeneous thing, the indeterminate thing in the substantial thing, the perishable thing in the eternal thing, the changeable thing in the unchangeable thing, the ethereal thing in the firm thing and also in a single proteiform gesture, generator of possible and impossible worlds, tangible, telluric worlds and opposite, oneiric.
His hidden beauty opens before the gaze of the spectator. To be in front of Cirizas sculptures is to glimpse Himalayas mountain ranges emerging from oceanic horizons in a rainbow of ideas, forms and spaces. The materic is bridled and the hidden is revealed with the identical force and identical delicacy as the cut of a sword in a silk tunic. The message is as clear as the divine command: "to dominate the Earth. Challenge that is common to any great work that leads to the kingdom of the spirit from the effort to break and to reconstruct the matter. It does not matter in bronze than in mud, in marble than in iron, in wood than in glass, if one can transform the amorphous mass into constructal form. Again, the Ying and the Yang, the chaos and the cosmos, the being and the non-being. Here I make a short stop as a scriptwriter and I toast with a glass of Champagne Taittinger, the champagne of Teobaldo. I close my eyes and see the nuggets of gold and multicolored feathers of Apaches awaiting the arrival of the sculptures by Carlos Ciriza to California, where curiously also Chaplin is waiting, shooting The Gold Rush in the snow of Alaska. I open my eyes again and see the simple shapes, but emphatic in their volumes and textures. Would he have stolen from Vulcan his anvil? For sure as it did Velzquez painting the forge god, Ciriza invents mythologies throwing rays of Jupiter to break all the shadows and to show us the light and shape. Sailing as Ulysses is going to sail across the stormy sea of the thunderstorms and get to the thousand white islands, in the Hellenic blue of the space in all its metamorphosis. Is this another secret of him? Yes, I believe that now we are right, from the work, from the fact it offers us the space, the silence, the non-being.
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eterno, lo cambiante en lo inmutable, lo etreo en lo firme y adems en un solo gesto proteiforme, generador de mundos posibles e imposibles, tangibles, telricos y a la contra, onricos. Su belleza escondida se abre ante la mirada del espectador. Situarse ante las esculturas de Ciriza es vislumbrar cordilleras de Himalayas emergiendo de horizontes ocenicos en un arco iris de ideas, formas y vacos. Lo matrico esta embridado y lo oculto desvelado con la idntica fuerza e idntica sutileza que el corte de una espada en una tnica de seda. El mensaje es tan claro como el mandato divino: dominar la Tierra. Reto que es comn a toda gran obra que lleve al reino del Espritu desde el esfuerzo de romper y reconstruir la Materia. Da igual en broce que en barro, en mrmol que en hierro, en madera que en cristal, si se sabe transformar la masa amorfa en forma constructa. De nuevo el Ying y el Yang, el caos y el cosmos, el ser y el no ser. Aqu hago un alto en el camino del escribidor y brindo con una copa rubeniana de champn Taittinger, el champagne de Teobaldo. Cierro los ojos y veo las pepitas de oro y las plumas multicolores de los apaches esperando la llegada de las esculturas de Carlos Ciriza a California, donde curiosamente tambin aguarda Chaplin rodando su Quimera de Oro entre la nieve de Alaska. Vuelvo a abrir los ojos y a ver las formas simples, pero rotundas en sus volmenes y texturas. Habra robado a Vulcano su yunque? Seguramente al igual que lo hizo Velzquez pintando la fragua del dios, Ciriza inventa mitologas lanzando los rayos de Jpiter para romper todas las sombras y mostrarnos la luz y la forma.
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Navegando como Ulises va a surcar el proceloso mar de las tormentas y topar con las mil islas blancas, en el azul helnico del vaco en todas sus metamorfosis. Ser este su otro secreto? S, creo que ahora hemos acertado, desde la obra, desde lo hecho nos ofrece el vaco, el silencio, el no ser. No es un vaco nico sino mltiple y dialogante. Es un archipilago de vacos en una pleamar de llenos. Entre Escila y Caribdis no hay nufragos ni pecios, monstruos marinos o sirenas, estn, como rocas negras entre la espuma rugiente, las esculturas de la certidumbre frrea. Es su particular Odisea, Carlos persigue la anttesis y la sntesis del espacio que le rodea y del tiempo en el que traza lneas de experimentacin. Unas veces estamos ante el bloque macizo, tal vez oxidado, otras ante lo circundante y lo hiriente, siempre dominando las dentelladas con su buril asirio de escritur5a cuneiforme. El martillo wagneriano de Thor o las mrbidas curvas de la Venus de Botticelli? Ni lo uno ni lo otro, el viento entre los riscos, la geometra enclidiana, la cuadratura del crculo. Esto s y adems con emocin, con tesn, con pasin. Vuelvo a cerrar los ojos y veo cabalgar a Teobaldo, el rey trovador que regresa a Tierra Santa con su mesnada de lanzas y gallardetes. De nuevo ante la obra de Ciriza, entiendo ya sus vacos no externos, tan obligados en todo arte, sea arquitectnico, pictrico, escultrico e incluso musical y potico, sino sus vacos internos que se incluyen en lo slidos. Sus vacos internos. Repitmoslo una vez ms, sus vacos internos. A veces ondulados, a veces rgidos, a veces sesgados, a veces sugeridos en el plano, en el friso, en el bulto.
Los expertos, crticos, estudiosos y sabios en estas lides, lo catalogan, me parece en la abstraccin expresionista. Creo que aciertan. Otro rasgo es su monumentalidad. Por ello evoqu antes la cordillera del Himalaya, pero ojo, ese rasgos no se debe solamente al tamao, tambin es fruto de sus formalizaciones. Y adems parecen surgir de la tierra y completar el paisaje, como los olivos que regal Palas Atenea a los mortales. Tambin hay ciertas referencias a lo figurativo y al color que da el paso del sol y de la lluvia. Sugerencias y turgencias enmascaradas de oratoria jeroglfica y conceptual. No hay que olvidar que nuestro hombre es por aadidura pintor. O es escultor por aadidura a pintor? No lo se, aunque el maridaje enriquece al conjunto de su obra. Como experimentador de tcnicas y materiales avanza desde la cudriga de la intuicin, la imaginacin, la racionalidad y la abstraccin, en veloz y desigual carrera. Y llega la hora de las preguntas. Es un artesano o un labrador? El color, la forma, el vaco, la textura, el espritu, la materia, los sentidos Fuego, Aire, Agua, Tierra. Levantemos la copa de champn y brindemos con el rey trovador, por el arte grande de Carlos Ciriza. (*) Doctor en Derecho y Licenciado en Ciencias de la Informacin. Titular de Redaccin Periodstica de la Universidad Complutense. External Examiner de la University ofWhales. Autor de libros sobre Poltica Internacional y Periodismo. Miembro de la International Association for Mass Communication Research,de a Sociedad de Estudios Histricos de Navarra y laWorld Association for Public Opinion Research. Medalla de Plata de la Universidad de Navarra y Medalla de la Sociedad de Estudios Internacionales.
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It is not a single space but multiple and dialogist. It is an archipelago of spaces in a high tide of fillings. Among Escila and Caribdis there are no castaways nor flotsams, marine monsters or mermaids, they are, like black rocks between the roaring froth, the sculptures of the iron certainty. In his particular Odyssey, Carlos chases the antithesis and the synthesis of the space that surrounds him and of the time he traces experimentation lines. Sometimes we are in front of the massive block, perhaps rusty, others in front of the surrounding and the offensive, always dominating dentils with its Assyrian chisel of cuneiform script. The Wagnerian hammer of Thor or the morbid curves of the Venus by Botticelli? Neither one nor the other, the wind among the cliffs, the Euclidian geometry, squaring the circle. Thats it and with emotion, with firmness and passion. I close the eyes again and see riding Teobaldo, the troubadour king, who returns to Holy Land with his retinue of spears and pennants. Again before the work by Ciriza, I now understand its nonexternal spaces so forced in any art, however it is architectural, pictorial, sculptural and even musical and poetical, but its internal spaces that are included in solids. Its internal spaces. Let's repeat once again its internal spaces. Sometimes undulate, sometimes rigid, sometimes crooked, sometimes suggested on the plan, on the frieze, in the shape. The experts, critics, students and wise men of these subjects, catalog it I think in the expressionist abstraction. I believe that they are right. Another feature is its monumental nature. That is the reason why I mentioned earlier the mountain range of the Himalayas, but be careful; this feature is not only due to the size, but also to its completions. And also they seem to emerge from the earth and complete the scenery, like the olive trees that Palas Atenea gave to the mortals.
Also there are certain references to the figurative and to the color giving way to the sun and the rain. Suggestions and hidden rigidity of hieroglyphic and conceptual oratory. It should be mentioned that our man is also a painter. Or is he in addition to sculptor a painter? I do not know, although the combination enriches his work. As explorer of techniques and materials he advances from the chariot of the intuition, the imagination, the rationality and the abstraction, in a fast and uneven race. And now the moment of the questions is upon. Is he a craftsman or a farmer? The color, the form, the
space, the texture, the spirit, the matter, the senses Fire, Air, Water, Earth. Let's raise the champagne glass and let's drink a toast with the king troubadour to the great art by Carlos Ciriza.
(*) Lawyer and Bachelor of Information sciences. Director of Journalistic Editorial of the University Computense. External Examiner of the University ofWhales.Author of international books about politics and Journalism. Member of International Association for Mass Communication Research, of the Society of Historical Studies of Navarre and World Association for Public Opinion Research. Silver medal of the University of Navarre and Medal of the Society of International Studies.
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Carlos Ciriza la cristalizacin del pensamiento en la obra de arte Rosa Martnez de Lahidalga *
En las obras de Oteiza y Chillida, como en la del escultor navarro Carlos Ciriza, prximo en la geografa y en el espritu que anima a su plstica, a ambos maestros, el espacio se revela como elemento esencial e imprescindible que es en la escultura del siglo XX, llamada a hacer de la forma una metamorfosis constante que mutar, rotundidad en flotacin; gravidez en ascensin etrea; dispersin en contencin y sntesis. En ella predominan dos corrientes que se hallan en confluencia y en contraste entre s. Una persigue en todos los terrenos la composicin esttica y con preferencia rgida de las formas que recuerdan las construcciones fundamentales de la geometra, en tanto la segunda tiende a quebrantar la inmovilidad sugerida por elementos simples y fijos, usando curvaturas que simulan el lanzamiento, la trayectoria, la espiral del muelle, etc. Si se observa y compara a un Brancusi con un Gabo o un Oteiza, se reconocer la continuidad en la escultura de la lnea intelectual apegada al dominio de la plstica pura, con una audacia cada vez ms alejada de la realidad. Pero en cada una de esas etapas hallamos en oposicin, una manifestacin de la lnea vitalista, que pasa con la misma facilidad de la realidad estilizada, como es visible en Pevsner y en el otro Oteiza, el de los rostros expresionistas, tan suyos y tan innovadores como su desocupacin de la esfera y el cubo. La escultura de Carlos Ciriza se halla instalada en el dominio evocador de las grandes fuerzas que sustentan al hombre. Dentro de una profunda unidad de voluntad expresiva, tiene cabida la variedad estilstica de su obra. Hay piezas, tal vez las
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Carlos Ciriza the crystallisation of the thought about art Rosa Martnez de Lahidalga *
At Oteiza and Chillida s pieces of art, as well as at Carlos Cirizas- close in geography and spirit to themthe space is revealed as the essential and unavoidable element of the sculpture of the XX century, called to make the form change continuously, roundness in flotation; gravity in ethereal ascension; dispersion in contention and synthesis. There are two artistic lines in confluence and contrast between them. One of them follows the static function with rigid preference of the forms that remind us of the elementary geometrical constructions, as well as the second one tend to break the inmovility suggested by these simple and fixed elements, using waves that simulate the launch, the trajectory, the spiral... If we compare a Brancuse with a Gabo or a Oteiza, we will recognise the continuity of the intellectual line of the sculpture next to the dominion of pure plasticity, with a audaciousness each day further from reality. But in each of these stages we find, on the other side, a manifestation of vitality, that passes through the stylised reality, as we can see in Pesvner and the other Oteiza, one of the expressionists figure, so personal and innovating like his forgetness of the sphere and the cube. Carlos Cirizas sculpture is placed in evoking domain of those great strengths that support human beings. Within a deep expressive aim unity, there is space for a wide stylistic variety in his work. There are pieces of work, maybe in his elder times, in which the material, wood or iron, give notions of place, tradition or even habits, there is also an element changed into form that leaves constancy of life. Carlos Ciriza offers in his sculpture a wide register of formal and expressive intentions. Works the iron, wood, mar-
ble, bronze... Everything is born around the mystery of form itself and the space that owns it or pierces it. We find ourselves in front of the search of a formal simplification and a constructive rigour, but also forehead a poetic sign dimension. Cirizas develops since many years ago an intense artistic activity as painter and sculptor. In his last years as sculptor he appears as a consolidated artist whose plenitude gets revealed in his forms. We assist to a proposal of tensions between the tellurian and the architectonic, the dynamic and stabilized; the objectionable and the conceptual. The interests in such a coherent, honest and strong sculpture created by Carlos Ciriza represent all that. As time passes by Ciriza sculpture has developed a reduction in his number of elements and is reoriented to the chase of rigorous structures whose formal content transcends the constructive. We are in front of the archaeology of some forms that belong, paradoxically, to the future. Accumulators of energy, at their formal reduction they impel extreme austerity and show their expression in that same contention which limits them. However there is and intrinsic hidden symbolism in them that make them grow and be opened to new and unceasing projections. One of the prevailing features in the contemporary sculptural art is its faith in form. The artists need of new expressive ways leads him to achieve forms which are more significant than mimetic and more transcendent than representative. During the first years of the XX century, the dominance of geometric abstraction confirmed the statement coined by L. Kassk: Our era is that of constructivism. Initially, abstract art was aimed at geometry but this was not the only way it used, since it was open to organic morphology in order to reach
the formal sign par excellence. There were artists such as Tatlin, Malevich, Gabo or Pevsner, representatives of the former constructivist thinking; but there were also those like Brancusi who, through the essential roundness of volume without edges, searched for the energy contained in the form; from a found object pebble or tree root others blazed the trail of a povera (poor) poetics, and some would finally open the organic volume to space like Henry Moore did, or achieve the cubes emptying, like Jorge Oteiza did. Abstract sculpture renounces the rigour of logics and defends the values of personal experience whose fragments make up symbols. In the domestic environment, Julio Gonzlezs vigorous iron works, Oteiza, Chirino and Chillida have contributed to the achievement of a language expressing the long-searched truth. The work by the Navarrese sculptor Carlos Ciriza, whose power of expression and research restlessness make him a prominent figure within the current artistic panorama, is not alien to the spirit which inspires the modelling of those who blazed a trail in the sculptural form, where space is revealed as the essential and unavoidable element of the 21st century sculpture. It is bound to make forms change continuously, from roundness to flotation; from gravity to ethereal ascension; from dispersion to contention and synthesis. Carlos Ciriza acknowledges himself as a painter and sculptor. In his artistic beginnings he first took up painting, but soon shifted from canvas to the study of wood carving, carrying out ceramic or plaster works modelling, and eventually discovering his passion for forging and foundry. This allowed him to understand the behaviour of each material and deepen his command of different language registers which led him,
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ms lejanas, en las que la materia, madera o hierro, da nocin de lugar, de tradicin e incluso de costumbres, pero tambin de elemento transformado en forma que deja constancia de la vida. No imitativo por temperamento, Carlos Ciriza en su escultura ofrece un amplio registro de intenciones formales y expresivas. Trabaja el hierro, la madera, el cobre, mrmol, bronce... Todo surge en torno al misterio de la forma misma y del espacio que la contiene o la penetra. Nos hallamos ante una voluntad de simplificacin formal y un rigor constructivo patente, pero tambin ante una dimensin del signo potico. Ciriza desarrolla desde hace varios aos una intensa actividad artstica como pintor y escultor. En la obra que como escultor ha realizado en los ltimos aos se revela como un artista consolidado, de cuya plenitud hablan las propias formas. Asistimos a una propuesta de tensiones entre lo telrico y lo arquitectnico; lo dinmico y lo estable; lo objetual y lo conceptual. En todo ello radica el inters de una escultura coherente, honesta y potente como la que realiza Carlos Ciriza. Con el paso del tiempo la escultura de este autor ha experimentado una reduccin de elementos y se orienta a la bsqueda de estructuras rigurosas cuyo contenido formal transciende lo constructivo. Nos hallamos ante la arqueologa de unas formas que paradjicamente pertenecen al futuro. Condensadoras de energa, en su reduccin formal pulsan la austeridad extrema y potencian su expresividad en la contencin que las limita. No obstante, subyace a ellas un oculto sentido simblico que las fecunda y abre a nuevas e inquietantes proyecciones. Una de las caractersticas que ha dominado el arte escultrico contemporneo es su fe en la forma.
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La necesidad que el artista tiene de buscar nuevas formas expresivas, le ha conducido al logro de unas formas ms significativas que mimticas y ms trascendentes que representativas. En los primeros aos del siglo XX, el predominio de la abstraccin geomtrica confirm la frase acuada por L. Kassk de que "nuestra poca es la de la constructividad". El arte abstracto se dirigi inicialmente a la geometra pero no fue sta la nica va por la que discurri, sino que se abri a su vez a la morfologa orgnica hasta conseguir el signo formal por antonomasia. Hubo artistas, desde Tatlin, a Malevich, pasando por Gabo y Pevsner, representantes del primitivo pensamiento constructivista, pero tambin quienes buscaron en la rotundidad esencial del volumen sin aristas, como Brancusi, la energa contenida en la forma; otros que, a partir del objeto encontrado, la piedrecilla o la raz arbrea, iniciaron la senda de una potica povera, y quienes acabaran por abrir el volumen orgnico al espacio como hiciera Henry
Moore, por lograr la desocupacin del cubo, como Jorge Oteiza. La escultura abstracta renuncia al rigor de la lgica y defiende los valores de la experiencia personal con cuyos fragmentos crea sus smbolos. A ello han contribuido sobre nuestro suelo, tanto Julio Gonzlez con sus hierros vigorosos, como Oteiza, Chirino y Chillida, en la consecucin de un lenguaje expresivo de la verdad siempre buscada. La obra del escultor navarro Carlos Ciriza, cuya fuerza expresiva e inquietud investigadora hace que figure entre lo ms significativo del momento artstico actual, no es ajena al espritu que anima a la plstica de quienes fueron innovadores de la forma escultrica, en cuyas obras el espacio se revela como elemento esencial e imprescindible que es en la escultura del siglo XXI, llamada a hacer de la forma una metamorfosis constante que mutar, rotundidad en flotacin; gravidez en ascensin etrea; dispersin en contencin y sntesis. Carlos Ciriza se reconoce pintor y escultor. En su iniciacin artstica primero fue la pintura, pero pronto pas del lienzo al estudio de la talla en madera, a realizar trabajos de modelado en cermica o en escayola y a descubrir despus la pasin por la forja y la fundicin. Ello le ha permitido conocer el comportamiento de cada material y profundizar en el dominio de un registro de lenguajes que le han llevado en cada caso y segn su necesidad de comunicacin, a elegir el medio ms adecuado a la voluntad de construccin formal que anima su obra. Su escultura, tanto en pequeo como en gran formato, posee un sentido claro de la monumentalidad. En su produccin, hay momentos en que se
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and the role of the space that contains it or pierces it. We find ourselves in front of the search for a formal simplification and clear constructive rigour, but also before a poetic sign dimension which will examine forces attached to the Earths rumour, thus registering the flow of history. Throughout various studies, Roland Barthes has reflected on how the artistic form builds up a place for desire and interpretation. In the light of his reflection and in view of the forms by Carlos Ciriza, it is clear to what extent they contain a specific conceptual charge whose meaning is multiplied by the viewer with his own interpretations. Julio Gonzlezs heritage can still be traced in some of his early iron forms. Some of these evoke ploughs which once drew furrows on the land and winnowed sleep and fatigue. Others gather materials such as steel, bronze and oak for constructing forms that suggest closed structures struggling to get out of an almost impregnable secretiveness. We have observed large size forms which, like dolmens, draw a new alphabet of silhouetted profiles, suggestive in their statement that it is the surrounding space that models them. The formal alternation of undulations and curvatures, some invented, some evocative of ancestral signs inspired perhaps in the rich Romanesque iconography of which beautiful examples exist in his native land. Encounter and dis-encounter of curves and spirals, sometimes evoking industrial and forging tools. Be that as it may, these forms bearing such expressive charge belong to and build up the artists own code. Alert for the law of contrasts, his work is rich in achieving different patinas and profiting from qualities and formal suggestions offered by the wide range of materials used. His latest works reveal an artist whose plenitude is stated by the forms themselves.
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in accordance with his communication needs, to choose the most appropriate way in line with the formal construction will that inspires his work. His sculpture, in small as in large format, has a clear sense of monumentality. Throughout his production, pure geometric forms and space as measurable reality sometimes prevail, while other times his work is inspired by concerns of another nature, such as dimension before Earth or even some transcendent symbolism. Iron, steel, bronze, marble and wood forms speak about the cosmographic and geographic man, subject to the tensions of a space and a time which
make him solve in harmony new sculptural approaches open to the future. There are two artistic trends in confluence and contrast with each other: One of them follows the static function with rigid preference for the forms that remind us of the elementary geometrical constructions. The second one tends to break immobility by using curvatures which offer volume sensitised to space. Non-imitative by temperament, Carlos Ciriza offers a wide range of formal and expressive intentions throughout his sculptural evolution. Everything arises around his concern for the sculptural form itself
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imponen las formas geomtricas puras y el espacio como realidad mensurable, mientras que en otros, son inquietudes de otra ndole, como la dimensin frente a la Tierra e incluso una simbologa de tipo trascendente, las que animan su obra. Formas en hierro, acero, bronce, mrmol y madera, hablan del hombre cosmogrfico y del hombre geogrfico tambin, sujeto a las tensiones de un espacio y un tiempo que le llevan a resolver en armona nuevos planteamientos escultricos abiertos al futuro. En su hacer confluyen dos corrientes: de un lado, aquella que persigue la composicin esttica y con preferencia rgida de las formas que recuerdan las construcciones fundamentales de la geometra, y de otro, la que tiende a quebrantar la inmovilidad usando curvaturas que ofrecen el volumen sensibilizado en el espacio. No imitativo por temperamento, Carlos Ciriza ofrece a lo largo de su evolucin escultrica un abanico de intenciones formales y expresivas. Todo surge en torno a la inquietud por el logro de la forma escultrica y la intervencin del espacio como parte de la misma que la contiene o la penetra. Nos hallamos ante una voluntad de simplificacin formal y un rigor constructivo patente, pero tambin ante una dimensin del signo potico que ahondar en fuerzas apegadas al rumor de la tierra y registradoras del paso de la historia. Roland Barthes ha reflexionado en diversos estudios sobre cmo la forma artstica construye un lugar para el deseo y para la interpretacin. A la luz de su reflexin y a la vista de las formas de Ciriza, se hace patente hasta qu punto son conte70
nedoras de una carga conceptual especfica, cuyo significado multiplica el contemplador con sus propias interpretaciones. La herencia de Julio Gonzlez an puede rastrearse en algunas de sus formas en hierro de ayer. Las hay evocadoras de arados que trazaron surcos en la tierra y aventaron al aire sueo y fatigas. En otras aparecen aunados materiales como el acero, el bronce y el roble, en la construccin de formas que sugieren estructuras cerradas que pugnan por salir de un hermetismo casi inexpugnable. Hemos contemplado formas de gran tamao que, a manera de dlmenes, trazan un nuevo abecedario de perfiles silueteados, sugerentes en su rotundidad de que es el espacio circundante el que las modela. La alternancia formal de ondulaciones y curvaturas, inventadas unas y evocadoras otras, de signos ancestrales alimentados tal vez en la rica iconografa de un romnico del que tan bellos ejemplares hay en su tierra natal. Encuentro y desencuentro de curvas y espirales y en ocasiones, alusin al utillaje industrial y de la forja tambin. En todo caso, formas dotadas de una carga expresiva que pertenecen y configuran el propio cdigo del artista. Atenta a la ley de los contrastes, su obra es rica en el logro de ptinas diversas y en el aprovechamiento de calidades y sugerencias formales que la diversidad de materiales que utiliza le brindan. La produccin reciente revela a un artista de cuya plenitud hablan las propias formas. Asistimos a una propuesta de tensiones entre lo telrico y lo arquitectnico; lo dinmico y lo estable; lo objetual y lo conceptual. La rotundidad plstica de sus creaciones, en las que se impone la je-
rarqua debida al vano y a la oquedad y el contraste entre lo slido y lo vaco redundan en el inters de una escultura coherente y potente. Nacida de una disciplina reflexiva y planteada desde el dominio de la razn, su escultura es exponente de quien se siente vocacionalmente llamado a dar respuesta a una incesante voluntad creadora. En ella se da una mezcla de sensualidad refinada y de organizada potencialidad donde la materia, ms all de s misma, se transforma y cumple su proceso consolidando y elevando el volumen al orden de los grandes smbolos de expresin y gesto. En el curriculum de Carlos Ciriza hay numerosos viajes a puntos neurlgicos del arte, premios y un elevado nmero de exposiciones celebradas. Otros viajes, exposiciones y premios han de continuar enriqueciendo una trayectoria que es vvida desde la inquietud y el esfuerzo. Su vida tiene al arte como norte y al mismo consagra una disciplina reflexiva de pensamiento que le lleva a plantear la escultura desde la razn y a resolverla bajo la palpitacin del sentimiento. Toda su obra obedece a una sincera voluntad creadora de formas en las que deja constancia de su vida y su tiempo. Dada la capacidad investigadora que posee y a la vista de su laboriosa trayectoria, no es aventurado afirmar que el tiempo ha de consolidar una obra anticipadora de nuevos entronques formales. (*) Presidenta de la Asociacin Espaola de Pintores y Escultores. Ex presidenta de la Asociacin Espaola de Crticos de Arte y Miembro de la Asociacin Internacional. Miembro de la Academia Europea de Artes y Letras. Premio Internacional de Ensayo de la Academia Europea de las Artes. Premio Literario Raymon Bar del Ministerio de Cultura Francs.
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We witness a proposal of tensions between the tellurian and the architectonic, dynamism and stability; the object and the concept. In the plastic boldness of his creation we observe the prevailing hierarchy of the vain and hollow, the contrast between solidity and emptiness. Hence the interest of a coherent and powerful sculpture. Born to a reflexive discipline and rational approach, his sculpture obeys a vocational will to satisfy a truly aim of creation. It features a mixture of refined sensuality and organised potentiality where matter, beyond itself, is transformed and accomplishes its task consolidating and raising volume to the power of the great expression and gesture symbols. At Carlos Ciriza creation there are many trips to the centre of art, prizes and a high number of exhibitions. Other trips, expositions and awards will keep on existing to enrich a trajectory lived from restlessness and effort. His life has the art as goal and at the same time rehearses a reflexive discipline of thoughts that makes him observe the sculpture from his rationality but to solve it under the bits of his feelings. All his work obeys to a truly aim of forms creation where he leaves proofs of his life and time. Given his talent for research and in view of his proven track-record, it can be said that time will consolidate his far-sighted work as a sign of new formal links to come.
(*) President of the Spanish Association of Painters and sculptors. Ex- President of the Spanish Association of Art Critics and Member of the International Association. Member of European Academy of Letters and Arts. International Awards of European Arts Academy. Literature Raymon Bar awards of French Culture Department.
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ciales de su obra. Estamos ante un artista que crea formas grandiosas, esculturas que parecen demandar espacios y ubicaciones. No se trata slo de una mera cuestin de tamao sino ms bien de propio concepto de sus obras. Incluso cuando trabaja obra de pequeo formato, ella misma est realizada con ese concepto monumental que sealamos. Por eso mismo, la prctica totalidad de sus obras encajan magnficamente en el paisaje, al aire libre, rodeadas de la hierba, de rboles y de medio ambiente, ejecutadas en gran formato. Y de ello nace esa vocacin, apetencia e inters que siempre ha demostrado este artista por acercarse y trabajar la escultura pblica. Comenz su formacin trabajando la madera y otros materiales que la podan complementar. Pasado el tiempo, Carlos Ciriza acab decantndose por el acero, en especial el acero corten, que es el material que trabaja habitualmente en la actualidad. Este material encaja tambin de manera magnfica con esa idea de monumentalidad que comentbamos anteriormente. Y el propio material se adapta de manera singular para la escultura pblica del artista, dotando adems a la obra de ptinas, reflejos, luces y sombras, etc. En su produccin, funcionan las formas geomtricas, los espacios, los juegos de formas y volmenes, los contrastes en definitiva. Su obra escultrica huye del estatismo y busca siempre romper el estatismo con movimientos y deslizamientos, utilizando curvas y espacios. Los vacos juegan siempre un importante papel en esa produccin escultrica, en especial esos vacos internos heredados de los grandes maestros de la escultura contempornea, como son Oteiza y Chillida. Adems de ello, suelen captar
el espacio circundante, con movimientos de ondulacin, con formas que salen del cuerpo principal y que inician la aprehensin de nuevos espacios en el exterior. Estamos ante un artista que siempre ha sentido la vocacin por la obra pblica. La escultura pblica que el artista tiene instalada en las calles, parques y carreteras de Navarra, que ms adelante tratamos, puede dar fe de lo que decimos. Inters, adems, por sacar el arte a la calle, ponerlo en contacto con el ciudadano, que ste se lo encuentre en sus paseos urbanos o cuando va a sus ocupaciones laborales, que termine existiendo una interrelacin entre obra escultrica y ciudadanos annimos, de toda clase y condicin. La monumentalidad de Carlos Ciriza tiene siempre una interpretacin propia que emana del artista, un sentido profundo y coherente. Pero ello no elimina el que cada espectador aporte su propia idea o interpretacin. La Escultura Pblica que el artista estells tiene en Navarra es muy importante en nmero y en calidad. A pesar de la juventud del artista son veinte las obras de Ciriza que se incluye en el catlogo de Escultura Pblica en Navarra, entre 1800 y 2008, que he presentado recientemente como tesis doctoral. Si adems incluimos obras de los aos 2009 y 2010 elevaramos el nmero hasta veinticuatro esculturas. Con ello viene demostrado lo que decamos anteriormente, que estamos ante un escultor muy preocupado y volcado hacia la obra pblica. Adems, es necesario consignar como dato destacado el hecho de que ha conseguido ubicar ese elevado nmero de esculturas en un espacio de tiempo muy corto, que no llega a los quince aos. Su primera obra data de 1996, la escultura titulada Mundo de los toros e instalada en el exterior de la Plaza de To-
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Carlos Ciriza, from the monumentality to the public sculpture Jos M Muruzbal Del Solar *
To write about a current artist is always complicated. When the artist, is also important in the national sculptural scene and is at the same time a friend, it gets harder. A few years ago, when Carlos Ciriza asked me for a collaboration, I drew the portrait of a versatile man of the art (in Carlos Ciriza, Ed. Godoy. 2000). In the same one I mentioned a restless man, with a personality that grows in the artistic, creative and cultural process. At this point, I am asked again for a collaboration, I feel obligated to center on some aspect in relation to his artistic production, that is to say, on his sculptures. Carlos Ciriza is a man with great interest and perseverance in the work, an artist who doesnt stop looking for new ways of expression, looking for new forms to transmit his inner longing and his ideas. A sculptor, who likes the patinas, the contrasts, to study carefully the location of his works, the best use of the qualities , A man of own code, the sculptural work by Ciriza is part of the expressionist abstraction. Abstract because the figuration, although not lost completely in many of his works, plays always a secondary role. This abstraction always seeks to awake sensations, ideas, and suggestions in the observer of his work The sculpture of Carlos Ciriza is always filled with a clear monumental vocation. I believe that this is one of the essential features of his work. We are before an artist, who creates great forms, sculptures that seem to demand spaces and places. It is not a question only of mere size but rather of own concept of his works. Even, if he is working on small formats, the work is created with this monumental concept
terial fits also magnificently with the idea of monumentality that we mentioned before. And in a particular way, the material itself suits for the public sculpture of the artist, providing the work with patinas, reflections, lights and shadows, etc. In his production, operate the geometric forms, the spaces, the play of forms and volumes, in one word the contrasts. His sculptural work flees of the statism and always is looking for breaking it with movements and slides, using curves and spaces. The spaces always play an important role in this sculptural production, especially these internal spaces inherited from the great masters of the contemporary sculpture, such as Oteiza and Chillida. In addition, they tend to capture the surrounding space, with movements of undulation, with forms that go out of the main body and that start taking new spaces outdoors. We are before an artist, who has always felt the vocation for the public work. The public sculpture that the artist has placed in streets, parks and highways of Navarre, which we are going to mention later, can prove what we say. Interest, also, to take out the art to the street, to put it in touch with the citizen, who is going to find them during his urban walks or on his way to work ending up in an interrelation between the sculptural work and the anonymous citizens, of any class and condition. The monumental character of Carlos Ciriza always has an own interpretation emanating from the artist, a deep and coherent sense. But this does not exclude the fact that every observer contributes with his own idea or interpretation. The Public Sculpture that the artist from Estella has in Navarre is very important in quantity and in quality. Despite of the youth of the artist there are twenty works by Ciriza that are included in the catalog of Public Sculpture in Navarre, between 1800 and 2008, which I have recently presented as doc75
that we mentioned. That's why, almost all of his works fit perfectly in the scenery, outdoors, surrounded by grass, trees and environment, created in big format. And from it this vocation is born, desire and interest that this artist has always shown to approach and to work the public sculpture. He started his career working the wood and other materials that could complement it. After a time, Carlos Ciriza opted for the steel, especially for the corten steel, that is the material he uses today. This ma-
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ros de Pamplona. A partir del ao 2000 Carlos Ciriza desarrollar en este terreno una actividad, dentro de la escultura pblica, que podemos catalogar como de frentica. Del total de las veinticuatro esculturas catalogadas, nueve obras se localizan en la ciudad de Pamplona; dos de ellas se encuentran en portales de Comunidades de vecinos, dos ms en el Convento de San Pedro Extramuros, de los Padres Capuchinos (una de ellas especialmente interesante como es el Monumento al Centenario), una en el hall de la Clnica Universitaria de Navarra, una en un jardn privado y tres ms en la va pblica, junto a la Plaza de Toros (la ya mencionada anteriormente), en la Plaza de Santiago y, la ltima, en la Plaza Jimeno Juro del Barrio de la Rochapea, titulada Construyendo espacios. Quince obras ms se diseminan por diferentes lugares de Navarra, en el Polgono industrial de Agustinos, en Puente la Reina titulada El puente, paso de Europa, en una finca privada de Sangesa con el ttulo Mirando el Universo en equilibrio, en Baraain titulada Abrazo entre pueblos, en Javier que responde como Espacios de luz, en el Perdn titulada Va lctea, caminos paralelos, en Lazagurra, Red de caminos, una ms en Sumbilla, como es el extraordinario Basajaun, otra en Lecumberri titulada LekuBerra, en Viana con el ttulo 1507, en Sarriguren, en el Colegio Maristas, en Fontellas, en Tafalla que responde al ttulo 1043 y, finalmente, dos ms en su localidad natal de Estella, destacando especialmente la titulada Stella, concebida como homenaje a la ciudad. De entre todo el amplio conjunto queremos destacar dos obras autnticamente monu76
mentales y que ejemplifican muy bien la esttica del autor, a la par de tratarse de esculturas significativas y de calidad. La primera de ellas es la titulada Basajaun, ubicada en trmino de Sumbilla, con sus seis metros de altura y en un emplazamiento absolutamente maravilloso, sin duda uno de los ms logrados de toda la Comunidad. La escultura quiere simbolizar a un personaje de la mitologa vasca que habita en los bosques y las cavernas, que posee forma humana, con el cuerpo cubierto de pelo y una melena muy larga y que es el genio protector de los rebaos de ovejas y stas indican su presencia con una unnime sacudida de cencerros. Realmente la escultura emerge como un gigante, con sus perfiles abstractos en medio de las montaas, con unas formas geomtricas detrs de las cuales podemos entender el cuerpo y las extremidades del personaje. La segunda escultura que queremos destacar obedece al ttulo de Stella, una obra simblica para su Estella natal, con cinco metros de altura y un diseo muy atractivo. La escultura est compuesta por dos perfiles enfrentados, a modo de dilogo, dejando un espacio entre ambos, dentro del cual emerge una estrella como smbolo de la ciudad. Estamos ante un diseo muy caracterstico del artista, planteado con dos volmenes enfrentados, en relacin o dilogo y entre ambos un vaco que acaba siendo muy trascendente para el conjunto y el significado de la obra escultrica. Queremos destacar tambin como obras emblemticas, a pesar de ser un proyecto inacabado, el corredor escultrico de la Autova del Camino, que une Pamplona con Logroo. Dicho proyecto, titulado Smbolos
del Camino ha sido tratado recientemente por el doctor Jos Javier Azanza en el VII Congreso de Historia de Navarra. De las obras planteadas en el proyecto, inicialmente ocho, nicamente tres se han llevado a efecto. Se trata de Va lactea caminos paralelos localizada en la entrada oriental del tnel del Perdn, El paso Puente de Europa, a la altura de la localidad de Puente la Reina y, finalmente, Red de caminos en la salida de la autova hacia Lazagurra. Esperamos que el paso del tiempo ayude a la conclusin del proyecto que, sin duda alguna, redundara en bien del patrimonio artstico de la Comunidad Foral de Navarra. Actualmente el artista se halla enfrascado en diferentes proyectos que seguramente le permitirn ubicar prximamente nuevas obras en Navarra. Varias localidades navarras trabajan tambin con proyectos futuros. Todo ello, unido a la juventud de este inquieto artista, nos hace pensar que estamos ante un escultor con gran proyeccin de futuro y que, aunque actualmente se encuentre abriendo nuevas vas de trabajo en Estados Unidos, est llamado a ubicar, en un futuro prximo, un importante nmero de obras en nuestra Comunidad. (*) Licenciado en Filosofa y letras (seccin Historia) por la Universidad de Navarra. Doctor en Historia con la tesis Escultura Publica en Navarra: Catalogo y Estudio, dirigida por D Concepcion Garcia Gainza y calificada con sobresaliente cun laudem. Promotor del centro de documentacin sobre artistas navarros contemporneos, dirigido por la institucin Prncipe deViana. Comisario de Exposiciones y catalogador de pintura en la Sala de Subastas Appolo de Pamplona y Bilbao. Autor de diferentes publicaciones y artculos sobre pintores y escultores navarros (Monografas sobre Basiano, Lasterra, Gua de escultura urbana de Pamplona).
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toral thesis. If we include also works of the years 2009 and 2010 we would raise the number up to twentyfour sculptures. This proves what we were saying before, we are before a sculptor, who is very concerned and turned to public work. Also, it is necessary to mention, as an out-standing fact, that he has managed to locate this high number of sculptures in a very short period of time, which is less than fifteen years. His first work dates back to 1996, the sculpture with the name Mundo de los Toros (World of the bulls) and placed outside of the bullring of Pamplona. From the year 2000 Carlos Ciriza develops in this field, in the public sculpture, an activity which we can classify as of frantic. Of the twenty-four catalogued sculptures, nine works are located in the city of Pamplona; two of them are located in portals of neighbourhood associations, two more in the Convent San Pedro Extramuros, of the Capuchin order (one of them especially interesting as it is the Monumento al Centenario (Monument to the Centenary)), one in the entrance hall of the University Clinic of Navarre, one in a private garden and three more in the public road, close to the bullring (mentioned before), in the Square of Santiago and, the last one, on the Square Jimeno Juro in the quarter of Rochapea, with the name Construyendo Espacios (Building Spaces). Fifteen more works are located throughout Navarre, in the Industrial park Agustinos, on the Bridge Reina, titled El puente, paso de Europa (The bridge, path to Europe), in a private farm in Sangesa with the name Mirando el Universo en equilibrio (Looking at the Universe in balance), in Baraain Abrazo entre Pueblos (Hug between People), in Javier like Espacios de Luz (Spaces of Light), in Perdn titled Va Lctea, Caminos Paralelos (Milky Way, Parallel Ways, in Lazagurra Red de Caminos (Network of Ways), one more
in Sumbilla, such as the extraordinary "Basajaun", another one in Lecumberri titled Leku-Berra, in Viana with the title 1507, in Sarriguren, in the school Maristas, in Fontellas, in Tafalla with the title 1043 and, finally, two more in his home town Estella, especially the one titled "Stella" designed as a tribute to the city. Of all the wide range of works, we want to mention specially two masterpieces that are good examples of the esthetic of the author, besides of being significant sculptures of high quality. The first of them is Basajaun, located in Sumbilla, six meters high and in an absolutely wonderful emplacement, no doubt, one of the most interesting of the whole community. The sculpture wants to symbolize a character of the Basque mythology, who lives in the forests and the caverns, who has human form, with the body covered with hair and with very long hair and that is the protective genie of the flocks of sheeps, which show his presence shaking all together their cowbells. The sculpture emerges really like a giant, with its abstract profiles in the middle of the mountains, with some geometric forms behind that represent the body and the extremities of this character. The second sculpture that we want to highlight has the title Stella, a symbolic work for his native Estella, five meters high and a very attractive design. The sculpture is composed by two profiles facing each other, as dialogue, leaving a space between both and from which a star emerges as symbol of the city. We are before a very typical design by the artist, raised with two facing volumes, in relation or dialogue and between both a space that ends up being very transcendent for the set and the meaning of the sculptural work. We want to mention also other emblematic works, and although it is an unfinished project,
the sculpture at the highway Autova del Camino that joins Pamplona with Logroo. The above mentioned project, titled Smbolos del Camino (Symbols of the Way) has been treated recently by doctor Jos Javier Azanza in the VIIth Congress of History of Navarre. Of all the works included in the project, initially eight, only three of them have been carried out. These are, Va Lctea Caminos Paralelos (Milky Way Parallel Ways) located in the oriental entry of the tunnel of Perdn, El Paso Puente de Europa (The Path Bridge of Europe), near to the town Puente la Reina and, finally, Red de Caminos (Network of Ways) in the exit of the highway to Lazagurra. We hope that with the time the project will be fulfilled, as it would enrich the artistic patrimony of the Foral Community of Navarre. Nowadays, the artist is working on different projects that, of course, will allow him to place soon new works in Navarre. Several Navarrese towns work also on future projects. All this, together to the youth of this restless artist, makes us think that we are before a sculptor with a bright future projection and that an important number of works will be placed in our Navarrese community in the next future, although today he is opening new working channels in the United States.
(*) Bachelors degree in Philosophy and Literature (History section) from the University of Navarre. Ph.D. in History with a thesis titled "Public Sculpture in Navarre: Catalogue and Study, " directed by Ms. Concepcion Garcia Gainza and qualified with distinction cum laude. Promoter of the documentation center on contemporary artists from Navarre, directed by the Prince ofViana Institution. Exhibition curator and cataloguer of painting in the Auction Room Appoloof Bilbao and Pamplona. Author of several publications and articles on painters and sculptors from Navarre (Monographs on Basiano, Lasterra Guide of urban sculpture in Pamplona ...).
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obras infinitamente ms que el pblico; es as tambin cmo la belleza de ciertas obras es una belleza escondida, accesible slo a pocos". Es ya sabido que el arte contemporneo, relevado de su funcin de representar de la realidad por la aparicin de la fotografa, busca no slo (a veces, incluso, en vez de) la belleza, sino tambin la comunicacin. Por eso, ante una obra de Ciriza: grande, pues as lo son todas, hasta las pequeas, monumental, simple, solemne, est claro que no vamos a encontrarnos con una representacin directa de algo concreto, sino otra cosa, una sugerencia, un recuerdo, una va que nos conduzca a la realidad que busca plasmar el escultor, un paralelismo. Algo as como lo que nos deca Platn sobre la relacin entre el mundo sensible y el mundo superior de las ideas; las formas monumentales de Ciriza pueden ser las formas simples en las que se esconden las de la vida corriente. Si nos preguntan que qu son, diremos que conceptos de volumen, sugerencias de espacio rotundo, invitaciones a no quedarse en la apariencia concreta sino de ahondar en los planos, colores, volmenes y texturas que vemos. Colores o texturas que florecen una esencia de otra realidad, aspectos visuales de la materia. En estas esculturas, en su aspecto, se descubre un mundo nuevo, una esencia florecida de otra realidad. La bsqueda del concepto de la que hablbamos antes, la realidad trascendida que se hace visible, tiene un color diferente, nuevo, el propio de un mundo que no es exactamente el real, que s, procede de l pero se mueve en otra dimensin, como las figuras que provocaban las sombras de la caverna platnica.
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Colours which bloom with the essence of another reality. Colours or textures, visual aspects of matter. In these sculptures we discover a new world, an essence blossoming through from another reality. In search of the concept mentioned earlier, reality transcended and made visible, we find a new and different colour that of a world which is not exactly the real one yet proceeds from it, and moves in a different dimension like the figures which cause the shadows in the platonic cavern. This is about strong colours with a personality of their own: green or gold bronze, rust, polished iron, stonecolours that open up a new parallel reality rich in suggestion, blooming. Dominating the uncertainty of the vacuum The internal vacuum is the one found in the interior of the sculptures, since some of they are not solid. This is one of the achievements of contemporary art. It is said that Picasso, in the early years of the last century, claimed that he did not want to create one volume from another, since it was possible to do this using only planes which would capture the air between them. This path has been followed by the majority of the vanguard of sculptors in the twentieth century, especially those with their roots in cubism. So Archipenko, Lipschitz, Julio Gonzalez, or Gargallo all have in common their use of hollow sculpture in which the vacuum has achieved exactly the same protagonism and value and even weight, metaphorically speaking, as the solid. The external vacuum is on the contrary that which surrounds the three dimensional image and it has also been used to create movement, a relationship with the medium, expansion and meaning in the
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ce of Cirizas work, great or small, monumental, simple or solemn, it is clear that we will not find a direct representation of a concrete object, but something quite different a suggestion, a memory, a path which leads to the reality the artist intends to form, a parallelism. This reminds us of Platos reflections on the relationship between the world of sensation and the higher world of ideas; the monumental forms of Ciriza could be those simple forms within which those of everyday life hide. Asked what they are, we will say concepts of volume, suggestions of rounded space, an invitation to go beyond the concrete appearance and deeper into the colours, planes, volumes and textures.
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Se trata de un color fuerte, propio, con personalidad: el del xido, el del bronce, verde o dorado, el del hierro pulido, el de la piedra, el azul Colores que inauguran una realidad distinta, paralela, rica en sugerencias, florecida. Dominando la incertidumbre del vaco, el vaco interno es el que se encuentra en el interior de las esculturas, pues algunas no son macizas se trata de uno de los logros del arte contemporneo. Se dice que Picasso afirmaba, en los primeros aos del siglo XX, que no quera hacer un volumen con otro volumen, pues era posible hacerlo slo con planos que capturasen el aire que haba entre ellos. Ese camino ha sido el seguido por la gran mayora de la vanguardia escultrica del siglo XX, en especial la que tuvo su punto de partida en el cubismo. Y as Archipenko, Lipchitz, Julio Gonzlez o Gargallo, tienen todos en comn el uso de la escultura hueca, pero en la que el vaco ha conseguido exactamente el mismo protagonismo y valor, incluso peso, metafricamente hablando, que las partes slidas. El vaco externo es, por el contrario, el que rodea a las imgenes tridimensionales, y ha sido tambin utilizado para el movimiento, relacin con el medio, expansin y significacin de la escultura desde que sta existe, y de manera consciente y buscada por Rodn en los Burgueses de Calais, y de ah en adelante. Existe un tercer vaco: el incorporado. La escultura puede hacer suyo no slo el espacio que la rodea, sino otro que ella misma puede delimitar: por medio de un abrazo, con huecos en su interior, sugiriendo paralelismos o simetras no trazadas, slo imaginadas en el espacio, o forzando la referencia arqueolgica, como ocurre en las esculturas clsicas, mutiladas, pero
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tan completas como si realmente poseyesen las partes que le faltan. Carlos Ciriza, hijo de su tiempo, comparte, aprende y hace suyas esas bsquedas espaciales y lneas de experimentacin. Esa es la intencin que se aprecia en muchas de sus obras, que se desplazan, o parecen hacerlo, con movimientos ondulados, captando el espacio circundante, a veces de una forma ms abrupta, por medio de dentellones o perfiles zigzagueantes; presentan aberturas en su perfil, a veces huecos que conservan en negativo la forma que se les ha extrado, unida en otro lugar, esculturas que se geminan y siguen relacionndose, conservando cada parte el perfil de la otra; brazos y apndices que salen del cuerpo principal como buscando algo o aprendiendo su trozo de espacio y un largo etctera de formas experimentales que inciden en esa bsqueda, que ha resultado tan fructfera, en la relacin y la comunicacin entre el hueco y lo macizo. El resultado, el triunfo mximo del artista: la solucin y orden del caos; dominar la incertidumbre del vaco. Todas las consideraciones anteriores nos acercan a Carlos Ciriza hoy, quien ha llegado, despus de un periodo de formacin y bsqueda, a una evidente madurez esttica, que adems, se nos anuncia fecunda al ser una madurez dinmica, en permanente proceso de prueba y superacin. Y por ltimo, y as se explica el adjetivo de "expresionista" que acompaa al de abstracto, el deseo de sugerencias implcito a las formas tridimensionales. Ciriza no pretende mostrar formas vacas de contenido, que se conformen con su carcter conmemorativo o de sealizacin. Tienen
una doble carga, conceptual y expresiva. Conceptual en tanto que esconden un significado, al que hay que llegar por la va de la sugerencia. Por medio de lo que nos sugiere el material utilizado, el color, las formas, la conexin o no de planos, la aparicin de curvas o rectas, las referencias figurativas (cruces, objetos de la cultura tradicional, partes del cuerpo, animales, plantas, letras), se puede llegar a la comprensin de una idea, ya sea de fuerza, de trascendencia, de conexin con las races de uno mismo, con la tierra, etctera. Y expresiva porque, si bien la carga conceptual es muy fuerte, no falta alguna referencia al sentimiento del escultor frente al concepto que quiere sugerir; las esculturas comparten algo del alma, de los afectos de su autor, y puede por ello rastrearse un resto de subjetividad en las obras. Todo lo cual nos hace considerar a Carlos Ciriza como un artista implicado en la vanguardia y en los movimientos actuales ms fecundos del arte contemporneo. Lejos de seguir otras tendencias donde prima lo multidisciplinar, lo efmero y el fenmeno transitorio, y, por lo tanto, se alejan de lo propio de la escultura, Ciriza mantiene y consolida una manera de hacer en la que se respeta y mantiene la fuerza matrica de la escultura y su tridimensionalidad y perdurabilidad esenciales. (*) Doctor en Historia del Arte por la Universidad de Navarra. Licenciado en Geografa e Historia seccin Arte por la Universidad de Sevilla. Profesor asociado del Departamento de Historia del Arte de la Facultad de Filosofa y Letras. Forma parte de distintos proyectos de investigacin en el Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas. Comisario de Exposiciones.Vocal de Artes Plsticas del Ateneo Navarro. Fundador y Presidente de la Asociacin de Amigos del Museo Navarra. Miembro de las Asociaciones Madrilea y Nacional de Crticos de Arte. Miembro de La Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Luis.
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sculpture ever since this has existed in the conscious manner sought after by Rodin in The Bourgeois of Calais. A third vacuum exists: the incorporated. The sculpture can make its own not only the space around itself, but also that space which it defines itself: via an embrace with gaps in its interior, suggesting undepicted parallelisms and symmetries that are imagined in the space; or by forcing the archaeological reference as in classical sculptures, mutilated yet as whole as if they really possessed those missing parts. Carlos Ciriza, child of the times, shares, learns and makes his own these spatial searches and lines of experimentation. This is the intention which one can appreciate in many of his works; they shift, or appear to do so, with a rippling motion, capturing the surrounding space. This is occasionally done in a more abrupt manner, through zig-zag or tooth shaped profiles; one sees openings in their contours, and at times gaps which conserve in negative the outline of the forms extracted from them, united elsewhere; sculptures which twin one another, and continue to be related, each part conserving the profile of the other; arms and appendices that sprout from the main body as if looking for something or exploring their part of space and the long etcetera of experimental forms influencing this search, which is so fruitful in the relationship between solid and hollow. The result, the maximum triumph of the artist, is the solution and ordering of chaos; dominating the uncertainty of the vacuum. All the preceding considerations bring us closer to the Carlos Ciriza of today, who, after a long period of training and searching, has arrived at an evident aesthetic maturity, which also shows itself to be fe-
cund as it is a dynamic maturity, permanently in the process of testing and overcoming. Lastly, to explain the adjective expressionist which accompanies abstract in describing Cirizas work, we refer to the desire for suggestion implicit in threedimensional forms. He does not wish to show forms empty of content which are satisfied with their commemorative or indicative character. They are double-edged: conceptual and expressive. They are conceptual in that they hide a meaning which must be arrived at via suggestion. Through what is suggested to us by the material, colour, forms, connection or not of planes, appearance of curved or straight lines, figurative references (crosses, traditional objects, parts of the body, animals, plants) one can arrive at the comprehension of an idea, be it strength, transcendence, connection with ones own roots or with the earth etc. And they are expressive because even if the conceptual load is great, there is always reference to the feelings of the sculptor towards the concept he wants to suggest; the sculptures sha-
re something of their authors soul and affections, so one can detect a trace of subjectivity in his work. All this leads us to consider Carlos Ciriza as part of the vanguard and of the most creative movements in contemporary art. Far from following other tendencies where, along with ephemeral and transitory phenomena, multidisciplinary techniques predominate, which move away from the essence of sculpture, Ciriza maintains and consolidates a way of working in which the material strength of the sculpture, and its essential three-dimensionality and durability are respected and maintained.
(*) PHD in History of the art in the University of Navarra. Licentiate in Geography and History art section in the University of Sevilla. Teacher of History of art Department in the School of Philosophy and Letters. Member of different project of Investigation in the Spanish National Research Council. Curator in Expositions. Member in Plastic Arts of Ateneo de Navarra. Founder and President of Friends of Navarra Museo Association. Member of Madrid and International Association of Critics of art Member of Real Academia of Bellas Artes in San Luis.
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comprehension of the current language in art, to generalize and to let the whole world know. If we move forward a few leagues more, he has another significant work in this Estella that if it didnt see him born he is a cradle native from Pamplona it saw him crawling, playing and snooping during his childhood, a critical age in human life. The emblematic star that is a sign of hospitality, at this stop and a small restaurant that the city Ega needs. Carlos is a man of roots, who knows that it is always necessary to have the heart in his origin. Estella of the sixties, parodying the most ancient Jacobean brotherhood that exists, in the years of the development and transformation of the rural society into industrial and laborious, it is for him, a school of virtues and of growth. I remember him, very young, in the cultural environment of poets, of veteran painters, of impenitent speakers, listening and giving original ideas. The familiar sawmill where he saw the transformation of the wood from forests, together with the craftsmen more abundant than now, despite of the official promotions that are done in the sector, were for him a reason to observe and learn. If we continue along the ancient Roman roadwayLuquin - lucus - Barbarin barbarus - Urbiola urbis - later medieval roadway, main road, road and highway, always pilgrims footpath, in Torres we have another work by Ciriza. The interlaced sections of the vault of the Holy Tomb, this Romanesque and octagonal jewel, that joins us, the Jacobean people with the Holy Land watered with the redeeming and martyrial blood. It is a sample of his deep spirituality, of being able to relate what he does with what he is and means what wants to be evoked. The constant come and go throughout the Way, during the walk perhaps in a hurry and worry, makes that the sculpture placed outdoors is an im-
portant contribution of this artist. When someone creates in art, it is done addressing to someone, to a human group that is going to be the one that permanently finds in the immortalized shapes a sense, some suggestion that communicates and finally improves it. Carlos Ciriza has changed a lot from that pioneering exhibition of 1986 in the mythical exhibition hall of the Caja Municipal, in Pamplona, at the square Conde Rodezno. It is logical because if evolution is not inevitable, it is advisable, in any artistic career. That exhibition fussed over by the directors of the bank the former director and soul of public announcement, Faustino Corella by Jos M Muruzbal who was encouraging the whole artistic movement of his social work, by Miguel Javier Urmeneta and his right-hand person, Javier Castejn, anyway, by the human teams behind the institutions. It was a painting and sculpture exhibition, of figuration and abstraction, and although it seems daring to say, of anthology. The prime work uses to influence the authors, and I believe, that this event offered in 1986 to those who frequented halls and exhibitions, has been an important milestone in his life. A lot has happened since then, Carlos Ciriza is a mature young man, he enjoys a familiar full life with Merche and his septenarius stela, he is known and recognized in the world. He does not need to strive for recognition but simply to continue the way he started. From his workshop of creation, this necessary refuge in the quarter of La Milagrosa, the Virgin of the Open Hands, in the former traditional quarter of Pamplona of Mochuelo, he keeps on working hard. The life of the artist is not easy, eternally unsatisfied, always inspiring and observing, proposing and experimenting, it is not easy, but it is the only life that a great soul and a sensitive heart that has decided to go this way, has to do.
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de pintar o esculpir como parte del lenguaje crptico que slo una minora puede entender. Algo histrico y minoritario. Creo que por el contrario, la obra de Carlos Ciriza, hombre de y para su tiempo, contribuye precisamente a ese deber esencial de comprensin del lenguaje actual en el Arte, a generalizar y divulgar a los cuatro vientos. Si avanzamos unas leguas ms, en esa Estella que si no le vio nacer es pamplons de cuna, s le vio gatear, juguetear y curiosear en la infancia, edad decisiva de la vida humana, tiene otra obra bien significativa. La estrella emblemtica que a pie de camino es signo de hospitalidad, de esa parada y fonda que la ciudad del Ega requiere. Carlos es hombre de races, de saber que por muy larga que tenga la mirada, siempre hay que tener el corazn asido a su origen. La Estella de los Sesenta, parodiando la ms antigua cofrada jacobea que existe, en los aos del desarrollo y transformacin de la sociedad rural en industrial y laboriosa, es para l, una escuela de virtudes y de crecimiento. Yo le recuerdo, jovencsimo, en el entorno cultural de poetas amigos, de pintores veteranos, de tertulianos impenitentes, escuchando y aportando ideas originales. La serrera familiar, donde vio la transformacin de la madera de bosques merindanos, junto a los artesanos ms abundantes que ahora, a pesar de las promociones oficiales que se hacen en el sector, fue para l motivo de observacin y aprendizaje. Si continuamos por la antigua calzada romana Luquin -lucus-, Barbarin barbarus-, Urbiola urbis-, despus calzada medieval, camino real, carretera y autova, siempre senda de peregrinos, en Torres tenemos otra obra de Ciriza que sale al paso. Las crujas entrelazadas de
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la bveda del Santo Sepulcro, esa joya romnica y octogonal, que nos une a los jacobeos con la Tierra Santa, regada con la sangre redentora y martirial. Es una muestra de su profunda espiritualidad, de saber relacionar lo que hace con lo que es y significa aquello que se quiere evocar. El incesante ir y venir por el Camino hace que la escultura al aire libre, al paso del que transita, quiz con prisa y preocupacin, es una gran aportacin del artista que hoy glosamos. Cuando en el arte se crea, se hace pensando en dirigirse a alguien, a un grupo humano que va a ser quien permanentemente encuentre en las formas inmortalizadas un sentido, algo que le sugiera, que le comunique y en definitiva, que le mejore. Carlos Ciriza ha cambiado mucho desde aquella pionera exposicin de 1986 en la mtica sala de exposiciones de la entonces Caja Municipal en la pamplonesa plaza del Conde Rodezno. Es lgico porque la evolucin es si no inevitable, s aconsejable, en toda trayectoria artstica. Aquella exposicin, mimada por los rectores de la entraable Caja qu recuerdos del que fue director y alma de Pregn, Faustino Corella-, por Jos M Muruzbal que animaba todo el movimiento artstico de su obra social, de Miguel Javier Urmeneta y su mano derecha, Javier Castejn, en fin, de los equipos humanos que hay tras las instituciones, aquella exposicin fue de pintura y de escultura, de figuracin y de abstraccin, fue aunque parezca osado decirlo, de antologa. La obra prima suele marcar a los autores, y yo creo, que esta convocatoria que nos hizo en 1986 a los que frecuentbamos salas y exposiciones, ha sido un hito importante en su vida. Ha llovido mucho desde entonces, Carlos Ciriza es un joven ma-
duro, tiene una vida plena familiar con Mercedes y su estela septenaria, es conocido y reconocido ms all que aqu, como por desgracia infalible ocurre, y no necesita hacer mritos sino simplemente seguir el camino emprendido. Desde su laboratorio.taller de creacin, de ese refugio necesario que tiene en el barrio de la Milagrosa, la Virgen de las manos abiertas, en el castizo otrora barrio pamplons del Mochuelo, sigue trabajando duro. No es fcil la vida del artista, eternamente insatisfecho, siempre inspirando y observando, proponiendo y experimentando, no es fcil, pero s es la nica vida que un alma grande y un corazn sensible que ha decidido ir por ese camino, tiene que hacer. S adems de su continuo afn de mejora, de ese universitario sentido de estar ofreciendo lo mejor a quien de l quiere aprender, de recordar lo mejor para seguir en la brecha de avanzar en formas y estilos. Este libro que en recuerdo de las Bodas de Plata de tan seera exposicin, ofrece una ocasin de tener a nuestro alcance una obra en perspectiva, que lejos de ser ya acabada, abre horizontes nuevos al arte y a la cultura, que desde Navarra se proyectan al Mundo, de la mano de un artista, de un creador, que con naturalidad, nos habla en cualquier rincn del mundo a travs de su obra original, moderna y significativa. (*) Licenciado y doctor en ciencias de la Informacin por la Universidad de Navarra. Actualmente responsable de Relaciones Externas delVicerrectorado de Comunicacin Institucional. Ex-subdirector de Educacin,Turismo y Cultura Popular (Gobierno de Navarra). Ex-presidente de la Asociacin de la Prensa de Pamplona de la Asociacin de Amigos del Camino de Santiago y de Accin Familiar Navarra. Autor de varias obras de Historia y de artculos publicados en revistas y peridicos.
25TH ANNIVERSARY
I know about his continuous effort to improve, of this university sense of offering the best thing from whom he wants to learn, of remembering the best thing to continue to stay in the thick of things to move forward in shapes and styles. This book in memory of the silver weddings of such an unique exhibition, offers an occasion to have at our disposal a work in perspective, which far from being finished, opens new horizons for the art and for the culture, which from Navarre is projected to the world, by the hand of an artist, of a creator, who speaks naturally to us in any corner of the world through his original, modern and significant work.
(*) Bachelor and Doctor of Communication Science for the University of Navarra. Responsible for External Affairs of Institutional CommunicationVice-chancellorship. Former sub-director of Education, Tourism and Popular Culture (Navarra Government). Former President of Pamplona Press Association,Amigos del Camino de Santiago Association and Accin Familiar of Navarra. Author of several History books and sections published in reviews and newspapers.
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bas de 1984, dotan a la madera y al metal de un valor metafrico sustentado en un trabajo de ensamblado y tallado de tcnica tradicional y de un amor sensible a la tierra y al medio rural. No es casual que un creador que utiliza un medio tan expresivo como la madera tienda al informalismo como lenguaje plstico pictrico, con el que la lnea adquiere personalidad constructiva y expresiva, como trazo que ordena un catico y emocional universo, en obras como Fuego, de 1987. Sus series pictricas Homenaje a Nelson Mandela (1989) y Nueva York (1990) culminan un proceso de bsqueda plstica, concretndose el lenguaje expresivo que caracterizar su obra en los aos inmediatos. Personalmente, creo que el cenit de este perodo llega con las pinturas de otra serie, titulada Latidos desde el fondo de la Tierra (1992), donde lnea y color se funden y confunden difuminndose en formas de armoniosa policroma que cautivan estticamente aunque tambin nos sensibilizan sobre el problema medioambiental. La Tierra que vive, la Tierra que sufre, la Tierra que inspira al artista. ...y se transform en volumen; En la dcada de 1990, pervive an en la obra de Ciriza ese valor tnico, a modo de referente terico-plstico, y el metal, como material creativo, adquiere entonces pleno significado, enriquecindose tcnicamente con el forjado y la soldadura. No me cabe duda de que es correcto expresar que Ciriza delinea el metal y que, cuando lo hace, su tcnica lo flexibiliza sorprendentemente, transformndose en expresin personalsima la rigidez propia y natural del soporte. Obras como Elementos en construccin (1993) o Luna del tiempo (1994) plantean en su forma y en el tratamiento del metal soldado una deuda tcnica que se re-
monta a Picasso, Julio Gonzlez o Gargallo, aunque desde el recuerdo potico de Chillida. Hay un momento clave en la obra de este artista, a principios de dicha dcada, cuando decide ahondar de un modo ms decisivo en la bsqueda del volumen. En su faceta pictrica, este momento coincide con una nueva serie, La luz: una ventana a los sentidos (1991), que, en mi opinin, es una de sus propuestas ms sugerentes y uno de sus mayores logros en el terreno experimental plstico. En las obras de esta serie se profundiza con agudeza, entre otros aspectos, en el valor de la luz que, emergiendo del espacio oscuro de la noche, del subconsciente humano, avanza con fuerza vital, definiendo y construyendo volmenes a su paso. Ese inters por la luz, en contraposicin a la no-luz, bien puede extrapolarse a su atencin por el dilogo entre volumen y vaco que alcanza su tono ms sugestivo en su faceta escultrica. Algunas acuarelas de entonces, elaboradas en un lenguaje informalista, en gamas ocres, verdes pardos, malvas y expresivos trazos en negro, insisten en este sentido constructivo sobre el fondo del papel, que destaca o matiza partes. Este tema continuar en muchas otras obras, acrlicos sobre lienzo, madera, cartulina, papel e, incluso, en una serie grabada. A partir de este momento, Ciriza conquista el volumen de un modo ms preciso y abre una senda sobre la que evolucionar reflexivamente tanto en pinturas como en esculturas. Despus, el volumen se transform en metfora... La poca de Basajaun (2000) significa el entendimiento pleno del volumen en su relacin con el espacio. Hay pocas obras que subyuguen tanto al espectador como este coloso totmico del Panten mitolgico local, delineado sobre el verde de la bos-
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Ciriza: line and volume, metaphor and scenery J. Ignacio Urricelqui Pacho *
Not longer than a decade ago, I was lucky to meet Carlos Ciriza, an artist with big personality, who has not stopped creating and forging his name in the contemporary art scene. It is indeed, a great pleasure to be part of this book dedicated to the inspiring creative universe of a singular and passionate painter - sculptor where in a harmonious way the creative artist and the craftsman of workshop, aware and hardworking, are conciliated. My proposal is to go on a trip across the formal and conceptual facts that, in my opinion, define his creations of the last 25 years. And therefore, we will start from the roots of the artist that, of course, are in the land that saw him born. In the beginning, the line was born from the land... In his beginnings, Ciriza looked for his inspiration in the local visual and cultural tradition, in the local ethnos, and as Caro Baroja said: the triad of materials of the Navarrese traditional culture are: stone, wood and metal, he tended to them with natural inclination, particularly towards the last two mentioned. Then, the line of his works was sturdy and austere, emanating from the earthly epidermis and from the intimate awareness of the people. Ethnological artist, such as Chillida, Oteiza, Ulibarrena, Mendiburu and some others, who have seen in the environment called the anthroposphere - their source of inspiration and their reason of being, and that through an endocultural process has absorbed the vitality of their ancestors. Sculptures such as El Paso de los Tiempos (The passage of times) or Espacios (Spaces), both of 1984, provide wood and metal a metaphorical value sustained in a work of assembling and carving of traditional technique and a sensitive love for the land and rural environment.
It is not a coincidence that a creator, who uses such an expressive material as it is the wood, tends to unformalism as pictorial plastic language, with which the line acquires constructive and expressive personality, as a line that arranges a chaotic and emotional universe, in works such as Fuego (Fire) of 1987. His pictorial series Tribute to Nelson Mandela (1989) and New York (1990) culminate a process of plastic search, materializing the expressive language that will characterize his work in the next few years. Personally, I believe that the zenith of this period comes with the paintings of another series, called Latidos desde el fondo de la Tierra (Beats from the Bottom of the Earth) (1992), where line and color melt and confuse fading away into forms of harmonious polychromy that captivate esthetically and make us aware of the environmental problem. The Earth that he lives, the Earth that he suffers, the Earth that inspires the artist. ... and it transformed in volume;
In the 90s, this ethnic value still remains in the work of Ciriza, as theoretical - plastic modality, and the metal, as creative material, takes a relevant role, technically enriching itself with the forging and welding. For me, there is not doubt that it is correct to express that Ciriza delineates the metal and that, when he does it, his technique makes it surprisingly flexible, transforming into a highly personal expression the natural rigidity of the support. Works as Elementos en Construccin (1993) ( Elements in Construction) or Luna del Tiempo (1994) (Moon of the time) suggest in their form and in the treatment of the welded metal a technical debt that goes back to Picasso, Julio Gonzlez or Gargallo, although from the poetical memory of Chillida. There is a key moment in the work of this artist, at the beginning of the above mentioned decade, when he decides to deepen in a more decisive way into the search of the volume. In his pictorial facet, this moment coincides with a new series, La luz: una ventana a los sen-
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cosa montaa navarra y erigido en acero de rojiza y clida epidermis. Visto desde la lejana, Basajaun es silueta, dibujo curvilneo recortado sobre el lienzo del paisaje; visto de cerca, Basajaun es mole de poderoso volumen y formas colosales. Y, en su conjunto, se torna en metfora del lugar en el que se erige... Basajaun, el seor de los bosques, que de nuevo ana madera y metal en la obra de Ciriza; materiales que se reencuentran aqu de manera metafrica. Se confirma as la relacin simblica entre la escultura y su entorno: la escultura como icono del lienzo paisajstico, de donde nace la idea de la escultura como tema pictrico, dilema que el artista resuelve en sus obras coetneas. Hay un icono de entonces que me cautiva especialmente y en el que encuentro una elegancia de formas magistrales. Se trata de la bella escultura titulada Horizonte 1, en acero y bronce, cuya silueta, de gran fuerza visual, pervive en otros trabajos, como en el collage sobre madera titulado Espacios y horizonte o en el acrlico sobre tabla Formas y color, ambas obras pertenecientes a la serie Fragmentos (2000). Algn apunte al carboncillo, tambin de esa poca, ahonda en el icono. En todas ellas, a travs de esta novedosa experiencia, la pintura y la escultura se han enriquecido mutuamente: la escultura aportando sus formas y su preocupacin y reflexin por los espacios y volmenes, y la pintura, por su parte, ofreciendo un contexto a la escultura y concretando a sta en un espacio a modo de marco. Esta serie, adems, patentiza la tendencia hacia la tridimensionalidad en su obra, tal y como advirtiera Zubiaur Carreo, autorizado experto sobre el artista. ...y la metfora se hizo paisaje. De acuerdo a una idea comnmente aceptada, el
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paisaje es el pedazo de territorio que abarca la vista junto con los elementos (naturales, humanos, artificiales, etc.) que lo integran. De ello se desprende, en primer lugar, que el paisaje precisa de un observador, de alguien que lo considere con la mirada; y, en segundo lugar, que el paisaje puede ser de naturaleza diversa. Desde esta consideracin, la idea del paisaje queda integrada en una visin ms amplia, de ndole patrimonial, pudindose hablar as de un paisaje cultural. Sin duda, el paisaje hace al hombre, y define tambin la cultura de aquel; pero sin duda tambin, el hombre hace al paisaje interviniendo en l. Y este hacer el paisaje es, o debe ser, una accin responsable para garantizar que lo que se haga hoy no afecte a lo que se pueda hacer en l el da de maana. Todo esto puede parecer balad, pero creo que tiene sentido, como reflexin razonada, al considerar la faceta escultrica pblica de Ciriza, en definitiva, sus monumentos, en sentido patrimonial. Porque Ciriza, adems de pintor y escultor, se nos aparece desde hace ya algunos aos como monumentalista o monumentalizador, en el sentido de quien crea e instala monumentos en el espacio, e, incluso, paisajista o arquitecto de paisajes, en el sentido de quien interviene en el paisaje o, directamente, construye paisajes con sus obras monumentales; intervencin que deja un imperecedero poso cultural. As pues, el entorno de Sumbilla ya no sera el mismo sin Basajaun, que vigila en silencio nuestro trayecto; ni las vas de comunicacin navarras significaran lo mismo si quedasen desprovistas de los homenajes al paisaje que, en forma de monumentales esculturas, disea e instala Ciriza. La obra de Ciriza es orgnica, no organicista, en el sentido brancusiano sin que este tenga nada
de malo-, sino en el de vitalista. Una obra que nace y evoluciona, que se comunica con el espectador y, de un modo especialmente ntimo, con el espacio en el que vive. Y al vivir, avanza en el tiempo y conquista la cuarta dimensin, espacial, volumtrica y conceptualmente. Ciriza ha comprendido e interpretado la idiosincrasia de los paisajes y entornos navarros, enriquecindolos con sus obras, cuyas lneas y cuyos volmenes forman ya parte de nuestra cultura visual, que como espectadores del paisaje, vemos a su vez, enriquecindonos. Y as Ciriza, que comenz en la tierra, regresa a ella a travs del paisaje, como escultor metafrico, en la senda de Chillida, que encuentra la inspiracin en su entorno afectivo y emocional. (*) Doctor en Historia del Arte por la Universidad de Navarra. Profesor ayudante del Departamento de Historia del Arte y Tcnico de la Ctedra de Patrimonio y arte navarro. Autor de varias publicaciones sobre investigacin del arte navarro contemporneo entre ellas el libro La pintura y el ambiente artstico en Navarra. Comisario de exposiciones.
25TH ANNIVERSARY
tidos (1991), (The light: a window to the senses), which, in my opinion, is one of his more suggestive and greatest achievements in the plastic experimental area. In the works of this series it goes into greater depth, among other aspects, in the value of the light that, emerging from the dark space of the night, from the human subconscious, advances with vital force, defining and constructing volumes in its path. This interest in the light, in contrast to the non-light, can be extrapolated to his attention to the dialogue between volume and space that reaches it most suggestive point in his sculptural facet. Some watercolors of that time, prepared in an unformalist language, in shades of ochres, brownish-green, mauves and expressive lines in black, insist in this constructive sense on the background of the paper, which emphasizes or blend parts. This topic will continue in many other works, acrylic on linen, wood, cardboard, role and, even, in engraving series. From this moment, Ciriza conquers the volume in a more precise way and opens a path on which he will evolve thoughtfully both, in paintings and in sculptures.
Later, the volume transformed in metaphor...
cape canvas, from where the idea of the sculpture as pictorial topic arises, dilemma that the artist resolves in his contemporary works. There is an icon of that time that specially captivates me and in which I find an elegance of master forms. It is the beautiful sculpture with the name Horizonte 1 (Horizon 1), in steel and bronze, which silhouette, of big visual force, prevails in other works, as in the collage on wood titled Espacios y Horizonte (Spaces and Horizon) or in the acrylic on wood Formas y Color (Forms and Color), both works belonging to the series Fragmentos (2000) (Fragments). Some mention to the charcoal, also of this epoch, deepens into the icon. In all of them, through this new experience, painting and sculpture have been enriched by each other: sculpture providing forms and concern and reflection for the spaces and volumes, and the painting offering a context to the sculpture and limiting it in a space in form of frame. This series, also, shows the tendency towards the tridimensionality in his work, as, the official expert, Zubiaur Carreo, stated about the artist. .. and the metaphor turned into scenery.
All this can seem trivial, but I think it makes sense, like reasoned reflection, considering the public sculptural facet of Ciriza, and in one word, his monuments in a patrimonial sense. Because Ciriza, in addition to painter and sculptor, appears for some years now as a monumentalist or monumentalizer, in the sense of someone who creates and erects monuments in the space, and, even, landscape painter or architect of sceneries, in the sense of someone who intervenes in the scenery or, directly constructs sceneries with his monumental works; intervention that leaves an everlasting cultural background. And so, the surroundings of Sumbilla would not be the same without Basajaun, that watches in silence our trajectory; Not even the Navarrese roads would be the same without the tributes to the scenery that Ciriza designs and places in form of monumental sculptures. Cirizas work is organic, not organicist, in the Brancusian sense there is nothing wrong with it but in the sense of vitalism. A work that is born and evolves, that communicates with the observer and, in a very special intimate way, with the space where he lives. And living, he advances in time and conquers the fourth dimension, in a spatial, volumetric and conceptual way. Ciriza has understood and interpreted the idiosyncrasy of the sceneries and Navarrese environments, enriching them with his works, which lines and volumes are already part of our visual culture, which as observers of the scenery, we see in turn, enriching us. And this way, Ciriza, who began in the land, returns to it through the scenery, as metaphorical sculptor, in the path of Chillida, that finds the inspiration in its sensitive and emotional environment.
The epoch of "Basajaun" (2000) represents the full understanding of the volume in its relation with the space. There are few works that captivate the spectator as this colossus totemic of the local mythological Pantheon delineated on the green of the wooded Navarrese mountain and erected in steel of reddish and warm epidermis. Contemplated from the distance, Basajaun is a silhouette, curvilinear drawing trimmed on the canvas of the scenery; Seeing it up close, Basajaun is a mass of powerful volume and colossal forms. And, as a whole, it turns in metaphor of the place, where it is erected... Basajaun, the lord of the forests, that again joins wood and metal in the work by Ciriza; materials that meet again here in a metaphorical way. So, the symbolic relation is confirmed between the sculpture and its environment: the sculpture as icon of the lands-
According to a commonly accepted idea, the scenery is the piece of territory that encircles the sight together with the elements (natural, human, artificial, etc.) that integrate it. From this can be deduced, first of all, that the scenery needs an observer, someone who considers it with the look; and, secondly, that the scenery can be of diverse nature. From this consideration, the idea of the scenery remains integrated in a broader view, of hereditary nature, being able to talk about a cultural landscape. No doubt, the scenery makes the man, and defines also his culture; but also the man makes the scenery intervening in it. And this making the scenery is, or it must be, a responsible action to ensure that what is done today does not affect what can be done in it tomorrow.
(*) Bachelor in Art History from Navarra University.Teacher assistant in Art School of Navarra University.Technician in the school of Heritage and Navarra art Author of several research about Navarras Contemporani Art some of they are book of paint and artistic environment in Navarra.
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o polvo de mrmol mezclados al pigmento graso, yendo ms lejos an al incorporar otros objetos como el tarro mismo de las mezclas de la pintura, o los pinceles que aparecen enhiestos, y hasta zapatos y otros objetos aprovechables para dar sensacin de vida y libertad absoluta. Este apropiacionismo exceder pronto del marco limitado del bodegn, en que los primeros objetos ya han sufrido una primera esquematizacin, reducida mediante plantillas a su mera impronta, para, cinco aos ms tarde, entrar decididamente en la abstraccin expresionista, aunque con inserciones figurativas temporales, fase en la que todava se encuentra. Sus investigaciones se centrarn en el valor expresivo del color, que es algo que al contemplador de sus obras interpela inmediatamente, y en la difusin espacial de aqul, pudindosele situar estilsticamente por ello en la tendencia observada desde 1975 en Estados Unidos y en Francia por recuperar la especificidad de la pintura, algo tan necesario despus de dcadas de vertiginosa experimentacin. En los que adopta el pintor ante la obra una actitud analtica y reflexiva, sin perder por ello la libertad de su trazo gestual. Hombre sensitivo, los cromatismos de Ciriza se originan en hechos concretos de los que extrae sensaciones, sea la lucha contra el racismo o su encuentro con los imponentes rascacielos de Nueva York. stas y otras experiencias originan sus series Vinculaciones en el espacio, que da a conocer en la ciudad italiana de Evoli; frica, que estrena en Madrid; La luz, una ventana a los sentidos, que presenta en Burdeos; Latidos desde el fondo de la tierra, fruto de su experiencia en Ecuador; Vivencias en Nueva York, tras su estada en la metrpoli norteamericana
bos procedimientos, lo que en la actualidad llega a su punto lgido. Dejando a un lado la vertiente escultrica de su obra, que evoluciona sin cesar desde entonces, en la pintura de Ciriza hay desde sus orgenes una inquietud por dotar a la superficie plstica de un contenido, ya no solo formal, sino fsico, con una tendencia clara hacia la tridimensionalidad, que explica por qu este autor se ve impulsado a superar en ocasiones los lmites del cuadro en pos de una mayor libertad de ejecucin. Ya a fines de 1980 opta por emplear materias como el cartn y la chapa de madera encolada al soporte, o mezclas espesas de aserrn
25TH ANNIVERSARY
Ciriza or the unceasing search in three dimensions Francisco Javier Zubiaur Carreo *
Since 1985, at Carlos Cirizas plastic creation we can detect the approximation of those two manifestations he had worked with distantly and intermittently: paint and sculpture. By then he is an artist in his twenties, but his boldness already seems direct. He experiments with techniques and materials driven both by intuition and rationality, so to capture his thoughts in an ambivalent way -characteristic which can still be found in his art. Ciriza comes from an urban world still close to a rural one, as the Navarrian city of Estella was during the sixties/ seventies. This world that surrounds him will make him receive those two influences which will impel his art: firstly the familiar sawyery where he gets in touch with wood, iron and the techniques to transform them. Here is where he exercises those hand skills that will be needed at his work, and from this first moment in his childhood he feels the aim to create. Secondly there is the countryside, laboured by farmers with those old tools that will soon disappear with the imminent appearance of technology. He will adopt parts of these mechanisms using them for symbolic transformations in his sculptures. This can be seen in the sculpture-painting at the Museo de Navarra entitled Nuestra tierra (Our land) in which the grating of a plough, watched from a figurative bottom of the earth peel, cracks his surface. This 1988 work already announces the artist goals to fuse the interest he shows in both camps, which is nowadays at his highest point. Leaving for a moment the work as sculptor aside (which growths since then), we can find in his paintings from the very first moment an aim to procure contents to the plastic surface, contents given
both to the form and the image, always tending to the three dimensions. This explains how the author sometimes has to cross the borders of his pictures searching more freedom of action. By the latest eighties he chooses to use materials such as pasteboard and wood sheets matched to the base, or sawdust mixes or marble powder mixed with oily pigment, going still further when including objects such as the very same tap of tincture mixes, or those erected paint-brushes, and sometime even shoes and other objects to cause the feeling of life and total freedom. This wish of placing things will soon exceed a mere still life when reducing things to the first scheme and then once more and so on until, five years later, become definitely an abstract expressionist but inserting figures as he still does.
His investigations will be focused on the expressive value of colour and his spaced diffusion (which is something that quickly attracts the viewer). This way we might place him artistically in that tendency from the United States and France of 1975 that tried to rescue the specific aspect of painting, something really necessary after so many years of experiments. Is where the painter adopts an analytical and reflexive attitude, as well as freedom in his layout. Being such a sensitive man, the colours from Ciriza are born in real facts from which Ciriza adopts impressions: the fight against racism or the come upon New York skyscrapers. These and many others experiences origin his series Vinculaciones en el espacio, in which he shows the Italian city of Evoli; Afri-
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perficie pictrica componentes extraos a ella o se la ha utilizado con intencin decorativa al servicio de la arquitectura. Indudablemente, la modalidad pictrica de Ciriza tiene que ver con la Abstraccin Expresionista Norteamericana, a la que recuerdan las tcnicas empleadas de campo coloreado sobre el que se superponen veladuras de color temperamentales en ocasiones, como en la pintura de Clyfford Still. Tambin la atmsfera de espiritualidad lleva a pensar en la Escuela del Pacfico (Rothko, Newman). El planteamiento de Ciriza al incorporar la representacin de su escultura a la pintura es en buena medida novedoso. La transicin abrupta de la representacin lineal de sus esculturas rompe la unicidad de la imagen tpica de la Escuela norteamericana.
Esta obra va desnudando sus elementos formales hasta seleccionar progresivamente las combinaciones de tonos posibles, que se extienden por el espacio desvelando dimensiones semiocultas por veladuras de color, en principio oscuras, traduciendo la negritud africana, y ms tarde iluminadas. Del mismo modo, a la adicin al soporte de colas, polvo de mrmol y aun tornillos, siguen la proyeccin del color desde la altura y su derrame espontneo, y termina por aplicar con rodillo planos de color continuo y liso, donde juega con la ruptura de los espacios mediante formas circulares en relieve, encoladas, que ritman la superficie, de tal manera que hasta consigue crear un clima de quietud evocador de la naturaleza.
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Sus series pictricas coinciden con una evolucin escultrica paralela, que no es por completo ajena a la indagacin espacial y formal que plantea en su pintura, pues en sus lienzos y tablas, desde el ao emblemtico de 1985, ya se representan vstagos, palancas, formas espirales, incluso estructuras geomtricas con truncaduras, como en la escultura del momento. De las dos orientaciones escultricas de Ciriza a partir de entonces -una racionalista de formas contundentes a lo Chillida y otra area ms ingenieril- escoge mayoritariamente la primera para incorporarla a su pintura como tema, algo que no ha sido frecuente en la pintura de vanguardia, pues o bien se han aadido a la su-
Siempre he pensado que cuanto ms limitados son los medios ms fuerte es la expresin. Esta frase del pintor informalista Pierre Soulages es perfectamente aplicable a la pintura de restringida gama de colores de Carlos Ciriza. A diferencia de la figuracin, que establece relaciones con el mundo de igual a igual, la pintura no figurativa como es el caso de la que presentamos- introduce relaciones diferentes: para el pintor y para el espectador el mundo ya no es mirado, sino vivido, incorporado a la experiencia de cada cual.
(*) Licenciado en Filosofa y Letras y Doctor en Historia por la Universidad de Navarra.Tcnico Superior del Museo de Navarra. Profesor del Departamento de Arte de la Universidad de Navarra. Fue Director General de Cultura Institucin Prncipe deViana del Gobierno de Navarra, del Museo de Navarra yVocal de la Junta de Museos del Estado. Colaborador Cientfico y coautor de varias publicaciones en materia de arte, historia y etnologa. Catedrtico de Historia del cine.
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ca, inaugurated in Madrid; La luz, una ventana a los sentidos, presented in Burdeos; Latidos desde el fondo de la tierra, after his experience in Ecuador; Vivencias en Nueva York, after his sojourn in the metropolis; Espacios de color y volumen, exhibited in his city, Estella; and Reflexiones sobre el color, espacio, volumen y vaco, inaugurated at the Universidad de Navarra, joining painting and sculptures -procedures he links since 1995, when he did it for the first time at the gallery Helene Rooryck in Pamplona-. This labour eliminates formal elements until a progressive selection of those possible colour combinations, those which expand themselves over the space, showing dimensions hidden by colours motions, firstly in dark (as a symbol of African darkness), brighter later on. Besides it, following the marble powder or the tools, colour projection keeps on alive spontaneously from the height. He finishes with continuous frames of colours applied with plan rollers, playing with the fracture of spaces by circle lines on relief that give rhythm to the surface, creating a peaceful climax evoking nature. His series of paintings coincide with his evolution as carver, and the way he studies the space and form in his sculptures agree with the way in the paintings; moreover, already since 1985 he uses levers, spirals and geometric structures in his paintings as he does in his sculpture. Since then there are two sculptor directions in Ciriza; one more Chillida alike, rationalist with overwhelming forms, the other one more like an engineer- but prefers to choose the first one to include it in his paintings as a theme-. This was not usual in the vanguardist movements that only added strange elements to the paintings or used the painting as finery for architecture.
With no doubt, the Ciriza`s style has to do with the North-American Expressionist Abstraction. Typical with those coloured fields techniques over which slices of temperamental colours are superposed, as we see in Clyfford Still. The spiritual atmosphere also brings us to the Pacific School (Rothko, Newman). The statement of Ciriza when introducing painting and sculpture both together is quite new.
figurative establishes relation with the world from equal to equal, non figurative paintings -as we see in this caseintroduces different relations: both for the painter and the spectators the world is not gazed, but lived and introduced to each personal experience.
I have always thought that the fewest the tools are, the highest the expression gets. This pronouncement which came from Pierre Soulages is perfectly applicable to the non divers chromatic painting of Ciriza. As well as
(*) Bachelor of Arts and Ph.D. in History from the University of Navarre. Director of the Museum of Navarre. Professor of Art at the University of Navarre. He was General Director for Culture - InstitutionPrince ofViana of the Government of Navarre, Museum of Navarre and member of the Board of museums of the state. Scientific collaborator and co-author of several publications on art, history and ethnology. Professor of Film History.
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Sus obras recuerdan a otras que le precedieron pero al mismo tiempo se saben diferentes. Camina por un estrecho filo, apenas una lnea de fuga, proyectada por la herencia escultrica de los principales maestros del siglo XX. A menudo, al contemplar sus propuestas me digo que parece imposible percibir tantas sombras a su alrededor para una figura que aparentemente camina sola, que se sabe sola, que lleva tiempo empeado en un esfuerzo titnico, sin tierra ni tiempo. Y a veces, percibo que hay en ese recorrido un riguroso y metdico proceso de trabajo y creacin que son los que le mantienen en activo. Ese proceso florece y explota en tres tiempos: un gesto, un estar, un hacer. Tres nutrientes que se imponen desde una de frrea voluntad y una capacidad inmensa de trabajo. Algo de ecos eternos marca ese permanente subir a la pendiente en donde la obra se concreta para, a continuacin, volver a retornar, volver a (re)comenzar con una nueva pieza en un proceso borgiano de bucles enigmticos y de cintas eternas. De eso hablan las creaciones de Ciriza. De ellas podremos derivar los influjos, las prestaciones y las herencias. Acotaciones formales necesarias, sin duda, para ubicar el trabajo del artista. Pero lmites que carecen de la posibilidad de arrojar luz sobre ese impulso que mueve a su trabajo. Ese es el misterio que envuelve el trabajo de Ciriza, el plausible deseo de no rasgar el ltimo velo que cubre el horror de la existencia. (*) Director de Bilbao Arte. Periodista, crtico de arte y cine. Director de la revista rtico.
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by the sculptural heritage of the main masters of the XXth century. Often, contemplating his suggestions, I say to myself that it seems impossible to perceive so many shadows around them, for a figure that apparently walks alone, that it is perceived alone, that it is committed to an enormous effort for a long time, without land nor time. And sometimes, I perceive that there is in this trajectory a rigorous and methodical process of work and creation that keeps him active. This process flourishes and exploits in three stages: a gesture, a to be, a to do. Three nutrients that are imposed from an iron will and an immense capacity of work. Some of eternal echoes marks that permanent going up the slope, where the work mate-
rializes, and then return to start again with a new piece in a Borgesian process of enigmatic ringlets and of timeless ribbons. That is what Cirizas creations talk about. From them we can derive the influences, the benefits and the inheritance. Undoubtedly, formal comments that are necessary to place the work of the artist. But limits lacking in the possibility of throwing light on this impulse that moves his work. This is the mystery behind the work by Ciriza, the plausible desire of not tearing the last veil that covers the horror of existence.
(*) Director of Bilbao Arte. Journalist, Critic of Art and film. Director of rtico Magazine.
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En el caso de las obras para espacios abiertos, la luz solar y los dems elementos atmosfricos aaden un componente extra de vitalidad. Ciriza quiere que sus obras se baen de luz natural, dibujen siluetas, se mojen, se desgasten, se llenen de hojas y csped... Es decir, que respiren y se integren en su medio. Este tipo de piezas, de formato grande y monumental, plasman una potica ntimamente relacionada con la naturaleza. As pues, los espacios y la luz son tan importantes en la obra de Ciriza como la recia materia a la que rodean y complementan. PRINCIPIO DE LA OBRA DINMICA Otra forma de dar vida a sus obras es el dinamismo que el autor imprime a cada una de sus partes. Unas veces, los fragmentos dispersos de sus esculturas se agrupan de diversas formas,
desafiando el equilibrio tanto horizontal como verticalmente; en otras ocasiones, se deslizan hasta el borde de los huecos o flotan suspendidos en el aire, desafiando la gravedad. De esta manera, componen puzzles escultricos en constante movimiento, que se encajan y desencajan, organizndose o desorganizndose en relacin al vaco que les rodea. Esta metamorfosis constante de piezas, como la define Rosa Martnez, mutar rotundidad en flotacin y gravidez en ascensin etrea. En cuanto a los lienzos, su pincelada es, en palabras de Ignacio Urricelqui, acelerada, briosa, nerviosa; hiriente, en algunas ocasiones; provocativa, rupturista. Ciriza se define a s mismo como un pintor y escultor del movimiento. Este dinamismo quiere expresar voluntad, impulsividad, pasin, cualidades que el autor considera parte de un significado gestual inherente al movimiento. Se trata, en todo caso, de un dinamismo fruto de la tensin entre las piezas, no de la velocidad con que stas se desplazan. Las obras no transmiten fugacidad, sino ms bien solidez y contundencia. A travs de los desprendimientos y desplazamientos del metal, as como de los tensos equilibrios entre fragmentos, estas piezas macizas parecen perder peso material y descomponerse ante nuestros ojos, aunque manteniendo intacto su peso visual. Los volmenes de Ciriza son racionalistas y slidos en sus formas, ya que son eminentemente geomtricos; pero a la vez son sensitivos, espirituales y apasionados en sus rupturas y movimientos. Para el autor, el acero oxidado hace la referencia precisa a la tierra, a lo que
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the in natural light, to draw silhouettes, to get wet, to wear out, to breath and to integrate into their environment. This kind of works, of big and monumental format, capture a poetry that is intimately related to nature. Thus, spaces and lights are as important in Cirizas work as the vigorous matter that surrounds and complements them. PRINCIPLE OF DYNAMIC WORK Another way of giving life to his works is the dynamism the author impresses on every single piece of those. Sometimes, the dispersed fragments of his sculptures group together in different ways, defying balance, both horizontally and vertically; another times, they slide into the edge of gaps, or float suspended on air, defying gravity. This way, fragments compose sculptural puzzles in constant movement, that fit together and knock out, organizing or disorganising themselves in relation to the vacuum that surrounds them. This constant metamorphosis of pieces, as Rosa Martnez defines it, will exchange forcefulness for flotation and gravity for ethereal ascension. As for paintings, his brushstroke is, in Ignacio Urricelquis words, accelerated, vigorous, nervous; cutting, sometimes; provocative, ground-breaking. Ciriza defines himself as a painter and sculptor of movement. This dynamism seeks to express will, impulsiveness, passion, qualities that the author considers to be part of a gesturial meaning inherent to movement. However, dynamism is generated as a result of the tension between pieces, not the speed in which they displace. Works do not communicate fleetingness,
but rather strength and forcefulness. By means of metal loosening and displacements, as well as tense balances between fragments, these robust pieces seem to lose material weight and start splitting before our eyes, although its visual weight remains intact. Cirizas volumes are rationalist and solid in its shapes, because they are eminently geometric; but at the same time, they are sensitive, spiritual and passionate in its breaking-offs and movements. In the authors opinion, the rusty steel makes accurate reference to earth, to what possesses original and changeable qualities. This is, indeed, the sensation that his sculptures communicate: they are made in a blunt, hard, sober and permanent material, although aiming for the search of an aesthetic language; as a result, they recreate themselves through diverse shapes, and reflect on an infinity of concepts. We are talking about works that explore different variants, although always interconnected by a very coherent thread. Thanks to this, they compose a poetic that is both singular and universal, and thus works as individual reflection and collective encounter. In the authors words, his art constantly changes the course of shapes, but always within the same cosmopolite world of volume. Free and coherent, as it has to be. PRINCIPLE OF COMPLEMENTATION BETWEEN OPPOSITE REALITIES The coexistence between opposite but complementary realities is another common principle in Cirizas work. The author usually captures dual concepts that contradict each other only in a theoretical level, because those happen jointly in real life.
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posee las cualidades de originario y a la vez de mudable. Esta es precisamente la sensacin que transmiten sus esculturas: estn hechas de un material contundente, duro, sobrio y permanente, aunque dirigidas a la bsqueda de un lenguaje esttico; por tanto, se recrean en diversas formas y reflexionan sobre infinidad de conceptos. Hablamos de obras que exploran diversas variantes, aunque siempre interconectadas a travs de un hilo conductor muy coherente. Gracias a esto, componen una potica que es a la vez singular y universal, y sirve por tanto de reflexin individual y de encuentro colectivo. En palabras del autor, su arte cambia constantemente el rumbo de las formas, pero siempre dentro del mismo mundo cosmopolita del volumen; es libre y coherente, como corresponde. PRINCIPIO DE LA COMPLEMENTARIEDAD DE REALIDADES CONTRARIAS La convivencia entre realidades contrarias pero complementarias es otro principio habitual en la obra de Ciriza. El autor suele plasmar conceptos duales que se contradicen slo a nivel terico, ya que en la realidad se dan conjuntamente. Esta es otra cualidad que otorga vida a sus obras, ya que parecen querer abarcar la complejidad de aspectos y matices que se dan en la existencia humana. Ciriza encuentra en esta paleta de realidades filosficas, matricas y estticas un campo de investigacin y de creacin muy amplio. Realidades contrapuestas como lo macizo y lo etreo, o lo estable y lo dinmico, son, como he98
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mos visto, dos de las ms estudiadas por el artista. Chillida tambin consideraba fundamentales ambas parejas de cualidades, y se refera a ellas entremezclndolas metafsicamente: lo visible es espacio lento, y lo invisible, materia rpida. All donde hay volmenes tangibles, hay espacios incorpreos que los rodean y perforan. Las piezas rectas conviven con las torcidas, las estables con las dinmicas... Mientras unos fragmentos se dispersan, otros se aproximan entre s, mediante un proceso de sntesis y contencin. Incluso algunos parecen hacer una cosa o la otra, dependiendo del punto de vista desde el que se observan (lo cual genera otro juego de contrarios). Algunas formas estn en equilibrio armnico con las dems; otras se acoplan generando tensiones entre s; tambin las hay se desplazan siguiendo su propio rumbo. El hecho de que todos los fragmentos se desprendan de volmenes mayores, y no sean slo piezas aadidas al metal, habla de la relacin ntima entre el todo y las partes, entre diversas realidades y un origen comn. Para Ciriza, son necesarias varias partes enfrentadas para la consecucin de la propia unidad. Cada pieza que se fragmenta y se desprende queda emparentada con la pieza madre a travs del hueco que ha dejado, de forma y tamao idnticos. Aqu surge tambin la idea del objeto y su huella, del aspecto positivo y negativo de una misma realidad. En ocasiones, y debido a diversos juegos de desplazamientos, se hace ms difcil averiguar el origen de las piezas fragmentadas. Pero si nos
fijamos con atencin en las siluetas que dibujan sus bordes, podremos seguir el rastro visual de todos los volmenes hasta su convergencia en la pieza originaria. Incluso los fragmentos ms diferenciados entre s pueden estar emparentados por haberse desprendido del mismo cuerpo mayor. Pero para darnos cuenta de estas interrelaciones tan ntimas, como sucede en la vida, hemos de estar dispuestos a realizar una observacin ms profunda, que trascienda las apariencias. Las obras de Ciriza exigen, por tanto, una contemplacin serena y abierta, para poder captar la amplia gama de conceptos que sintetizan. No podemos quedarnos en la disposicin inicial de las piezas. La primera impresin tiene que llevarnos a todo un mundo de reflexiones en las que este pensador de volmenes nos invita a introducirnos. Como vemos, sus obras son sencillas en tanto que despojadas de ornamentaciones, pero nunca simples en su mensaje. PRINCIPIO DE LA EXPERIMENTACIN Y LA INVESTIGACIN Ciriza es un escultor y pintor eminentemente emprico. Su obra no sera como es sin su vocacin investigadora y experimentadora, y sin la tenacidad y la disciplina que le acompaan. Por tanto, su proceso creativo, tanto a nivel conceptual como fsico, no obedece a rfagas fortuitas de creatividad, sino que es profundo y constante. Ciriza hace suyo el dicho de que la inspiracin te encuentra trabajando. Como afirma Carmen Areopagita, el arte de Ciriza no responde a emociones pasajeras,
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This is another quality that gives life to his works, as they seem to want to embrace the complexity of aspects and shades that inform the human existence. Ciriza finds in this palette of philosophical, material and aesthetic realities a very wide research and creative field. Opposite realities like the solid and the ethereal, or the stable and the dynamic are, as we have seen, two of the most studied ones by the artist. Chillida also considered both couples of qualities to be fundamental, and referred to them by a metaphysical mix: what is visible is called slow space, and what is invisible, is fast matter. Wherever there are tangible volumes, there are noncorporeal spaces that surround and drill those. Straight pieces coexist with twisted ones; those that are stable with those others dynamic While some fragments spread apart, others get closer, by means of a synthesis and contention process. Some of them even appear to do one thing or the other, depending on the point of view from which they are observed (which generates another opposite play). Some shapes are harmonically balanced with the rest; some others couple each other, generating tensions between them; and also, another ones detach and follow their own course. The fact that every fragment detaches from major volumes, that those are not only additions to metal, expresses the intimate relation between the whole and the parts, between diverse realities and a common origin. According to Ciriza, several opposite parts are needed to achieve ones unity. Each piece that fragments and detaches itself remains a relative to the mother piece by means of the gap that leaves, of identical form and size. Here
Therefore, Cirizas works demand a serene and open contemplation, so to be able to perceive the wide range of concepts they synthesise. We cannot remain in the initial disposition of pieces. The first impression has to lead us to a whole world of reflections, where this volume thinker invites us to introduce ourselves. As we can see, his works are simple in the sense that they are stripped of ornamentations, but never elementary in their message. PRINCIPLE OF EXPERIMENTATION AND RESEARCH Ciriza is a painter and sculptor eminently empiric. His work would not be as it is without his researching and experimental vocation, and without the tenacity and discipline that guide him. Thus, his creative process, both in a conceptual and physical level, is not due to fortuitous bursts of creativity. Instead, it is deep and constant. Ciriza makes the saying inspiration comes working his own. As Carmen Areopagita says, Cirizas art does not respond to fleeting emotions, but is the fruit of a work. The fundamental pillar of this labour is a will of rationality and deep reflection regarding the different elements and plastic fields. As Urricelqui synthesises, it is about a cognitive, plastic and emotional process at the same time. That is why, in the authors words, his works irradiate the strength and energy of the ordered creativity. His creative process starts from the initial effort of visualizing the emotions and thoughts that he will capture into matter. His inspiration sources can be many: aesthetic, emotional, conceptual However, he is always searching for the development of an idea that harmonizes effectiveness with beauty, and persuasion with esthetics.
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arises also the idea of the object and its mark, of the positive and negative aspects of the same reality. Sometimes, and due to diverse displacement plays, it gets more difficult to find out the origin of these fragmented pieces. But if we pay closer attention to the silhouettes drawn by its edges, we will be able to follow the visual trace of all volumes until they converge into the original piece. Even the most diverse fragments can be related to each other for having detached from the same major section. However, to realise these highly intimate interrelations, same as happens in life, we must be ready to move into deeper contemplation, one that transcends appearances.
sino que es el fruto de un trabajo. El pilar fundamental de esta labor es un deseo de racionalidad y reflexin profunda acerca de los diferentes elementos y campos plsticos. Se trata de un proceso cognitivo, plstico y emocional a un tiempo, como sintetiza Urricelqui. De ah que, en palabras del propio Ciriza, sus obras irradien la fuerza y la energa de la creatividad ordenada. Su proceso creativo parte del esfuerzo inicial por visualizar las emociones y pensamientos que plasmar en la materia. Sus fuentes de inspiracin pueden ser mltiples: estticas, emocionales, conceptuales En cualquier caso, siempre busca el desarrollo de una idea que armonice la efectividad con la belleza, y la persuasin con la esttica. Cuanto ms inmediata, directa y limpia sea esa premisa original, ms posibilidades de trasladarla a volmenes escultricos. Algunas de sus obras constituyen expresiones totalmente genuinas, y otras se desarrollan como forma de comunicacin. Como ya hemos visto, el espacio, el volumen y el vaco juegan un papel fundamental en su lenguaje escultrico, as como el color y el trazo lo hacen en el pictrico. PRINCIPIO DE LA ABSTRACCIN GESTUAL Este espritu indagador le ha llevado a ir abandonando las esculturas arquitectnicas y complejas para desembocar en formas ms orgnicas, simplificadas y austeras. Pero no por ello menos ricas y elocuentes. Ms bien al contrario, su tcnica se ha ido volviendo ms sencilla y rotunda.
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En pintura, ha ido restringiendo y esquematizando la gama de colores, as como alejndose de los temas figurativos. En palabras de Francisco J. Zubiaur, en sus lienzos el mundo ya no es mirado, sino vivido, incorporado a la experiencia de cada cual. Desde ese momento, lo importante pasa a ser el valor expresivo del color. El autor ha ido depurando su lenguaje hasta conseguir, en sus propias palabras, el mximo de comunicacin con un mnimo de medios y materiales. l mismo define este lenguaje como formal-creativo y como abstraccin gestual, donde encuentra casi infinitas las posibilidades estticas. Algo imprescindible para quien, a medida que pasan los aos, dice sentirse mentalmente ms libre. La abstraccin escapa a las barreras de lo ya establecido. En este universo lingstico la creatividad no tiene lmites, ni para el artista ni para el subjetivismo del receptor. Ciriza piensa que cada obra tiene que estar absolutamente libre de asociaciones para que, de esta manera, el espectador pueda relacionarla como suya.
otra. De hecho, el autor afirma que tiene que pintar y esculpir al mismo tiempo. Nuevamente, nos encontramos dos realidades complementarias en la esencia de su arte. En sus comienzos, la relacin pictrico-escultrica se daba a travs de lo que Zubiaur define como apropiacionismo. La pintura se acercaba a la escultura desde la tridimensionalidad que aportan los materiales y objetos adheridos, as como las capas de pintura en relieve. Parecen cuadros deseosos de tomar cuerpo. Esta sensacin de vida y libertad absoluta, la misma que irradian sus esculturas, es aun ms contundente en el Ciriza actual, ya que su pintura viene a ser hoy la que ubica, sugiere y descubre posibles nuevas esculturas. Sus dibujos y lienzos han pasado a ser un campo de experimentacin, germinacin y crecimiento de volmenes que aspiran a materializarse en metal. De hecho, casi todas sus obras acaban dando el salto de un lenguaje al otro. A travs de dibujos sobre papel y cartn, va surgiendo un equilibrio sorprendente de formas, volmenes y espacios, seal para el artista de que el volumen escultrico se hace, que la imagen se consolida. Este descubrimiento del movimiento y de las diferentes posibilidades estticas hace que esos pequeos dibujos tengan una funcin central en el nacimiento y desarrollo de las grandes esculturas. En algunos casos, el artista llega a plasmar sobre el papel todos y cada uno de las lneas y planos que despus llevar a escala.
La abstraccin tiene voz, color, imaginacin y creacin en s misma, no necesita de referencias figurativas concretas. stas ms bien le estorban, ya que su finalidad ltima es convertirse en un lenguaje universal, capaz de transmitir todo tipo de informacin.
PRINCIPIO DE LA INTERRELACIN PINTURAESCULTURA Otro principio fundamental de la obra de Ciriza ha sido la interrelacin entre pintura y escultura, hasta el punto de no poder existir la una sin la
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Some of his works constitute completely genuine expressions, while others gets developed as a form of communication. As we have already seen, space, volume and vacuum play a key role on his sculptural language, same as colour and brushstroke do on pictorial one. PRINCIPLE OF GESTURIAL ABSTRACTION This investigative spirit has been leading him to abandon architectonic and complex sculptures to culminate in more organic, simplified and austere ones, but not less rich and eloquent. Rather the opposite, his technique has turned more simple and sound. In painting, he has been restricting and outlining the colour range, as well as moving further away from
figurative topics. In Francisco J. Zubiaurs words, his canvas show that world is not seen anymore, but lived, incorporated into each ones experience. The author himself defines this language as formal-creative and as gesturial abstraction, in which he finds almost infinite aesthetic possibilities. This is something indispensable to someone who, as years go by, states he feels mentally free. Ciriza thinks that each work must be absolutely free from associations, so this way, the spectator can relate it to him/herself. Abstraction has voice, colour, imagination and creation for itself, it needs no concrete figurative references. Those rather hinder, because their ultimate purpose is to be turned into a universal language, able to transmit any kind of information.
PRINCIPLE OF PAINTING-SCULPTURE INTERRELATIONSHIP Another fundamental principle in Cirizas work has been the interrelationship between painting and sculpture, to the extend of not being able to exist one without the other. In fact, the author states that he has to paint and sculpt at the same time. Again, we found two complementary realities in the essence of his art. In his beginnings, the pictorial-sculptural relation was given through what Zubiaur defines as appropriationism. Painting approached sculpture from the three-dimensionality that added materials and objects provided, same as layers of embossed paint. These pictures seem to be aiming to take shape. This sensation of life and absolute freedom, same as what his sculptures irradiate, is even more conclusive in recent Cirizas works, because his painting comes to locate, suggest and discover possible new sculptures. His pictures have turned into an experimental, seeding and growing field of volumes that aspire to materialize into metal. In fact, almost all of his works end up going from one language to the other. Through drawings over paper and card, an amazing balance of forms, volumes and spaces starts coming up. This is a sign for the artist that the sculptural volume gets made, that the image consolidates. This discovering of movement and different aesthetic possibilities gives these little drawings a core function in the origin and development of major sculptures. In some cases, the artist gets to capture over paper each and every line and plane that he will afterwards take to scale.
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meticulosamente estudiadas, y el minimalismo de su forma y diseo. La obra de Carlos realza el ambiente en torno a ella como una constatacin de su presencia: puentes que cuelgan de dos enormes obeliscos creando una unidad de forma, mientras torres de bloques serpentean delicadamente permaneciendo robustos y firmes. Este equilibrio extremo crea un sentimiento de emocin y suspense que concluye a la larga en una refinada armona. As es tambin la personalidad de Carlos: deliberada, audaz y equilibrada. Hoy podemos apreciar la evolucin del artista dejando una huella en cada una de sus obras, desde sus primeros trabajos hasta los ms re-
cientes: el detalle de la construccin en la forma y disposicin, el equilibrio entre unidad y disonancia para crear armona, y la atraccin de los diseos inspirados en la tierra y el mundo natural. Durante veinte aos Carlos Ciriza ha creado una extensa serie de obras de arte que han tenido un xito rotundo y su amplia gama de formas sigue proliferando. Los diseos, delicados y majestuosos, minimalistas y monumentales reflejan la ms pura esencia del artista, un sencillo hombre con carisma, ni engredo ni desbordado por el xito de su trayectoria artstica, que siempre se presenta con toda su honestidad y transparencia.
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riously balanced platforms, the hidden angles concealed by layers and precisely planned perspectives, and the minimalism of design and form. Carlos's work punctuates the environment around it like a sforzando note: bridges dangle between two enormous obelisks creating a unity of form while towers of blocks may zig-zag ever so delicately yet remain sturdy and firm. This edginess creates suspense while balance ultimately brings the work together into a refined conclusion of harmony. Thus is Carlos's personality as well: deliberate, bold, and balanced. Today we see the development of the artist embedded within each piece, from his earliest works to his most contemporary: the detail of construction in form and positioning, the balance of unity and dissonance to create harmony, the earthy appeal of designs rooted in his inspiration from the natural world. For twenty-five years, Carlos Ciriza has created an expansive array of art works to resounding success. His range of forms is diverse, and he is prolific. The designs- delicate yet formidable, minimal yet monumental-- capture the essence of the artist himself, a humble charismatic gentleman, neither unabashed nor seduced by the success of his life's works, who always presents himself in the most sincere of manners.
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ped at nothing, who has not followed trends or laws of market, who has taken risks, who has been lucky at times, but who with luck or without it, has done of his work much more than a lifestyle, a way of being and of communicating with others. Sometimes understood, others misunderstood; Ciriza is a man of his time and as such a multidisciplinary artist. And among his disciplines, I believe that the sculpture has always been his principal modality, without neglecting the painting and other forms of expression. It has been and it is a fundamentally abstract, monumental art in his sculptural expressions, sometimes almost excessive, but intimate and gathered in his drawings and paintings. He is a man of workshop, of constant work. A sculptor that has not hesitated to recognize himself as disciple of those, who before him dared to go into this labyrinthine universe of the space, of all or nothing, of the iron and the air. Oteiza and Chillida as close masters or Richard Serra, Julio Gonzlez or Henri Moore in this conviction he has that art is universal. Proof of it is that a large part of his career developed very far from his origins.
Thus, during all these years, almost always Carlos has been in the media due to his sculptural work. The sculpture within the art as this discipline necessarily is looking at the matter, at the essence and the origin of everything. He said in different occasions I conceive the sculpture as a constant interrelation between the matter and the space. The representation of ideas and feelings. It is a thoughtful process more or less prolonged in time and its materialization in a rigid, restrained and lasting support. His work is always strong, especially in these monumental sculptures created in iron, wood, marble, bronze... Reflections about space and shapes, games of volumes and dialogues with the space. This invisible place where so many artists find the light, the space, but not the void. But Carlos is also a painter in every sense of the word. Since he has admitted many times, his work develops in the field of the abstract expressionism, in a place where in addition to the color, the combination of materials and textures are relevant. It is his language, his way of telling. Some of us use the words to communicate through the media and provide possible answers to peoples questions and others, as Carlos, try to give these answers from the art without giving up new searches. The space, the form, the matter, the color, the light, the textures, are the plastic modality of the universe of Carlos Ciriza, a brave creator, and this courage does that his works are not only recognizable in the whole world but also get the challenge of remaining in time. He has found his place, his language, his universe. He lives there where his art is born, something that is achieved when the creator merges with the person.
(*) Journalist.Assistant to the Director of Diario de Noticias.Writer and art lover. Expert of information on the culture in Navarre. Exhibition Commissioner.
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tiempo y un lugar en el que he visto casi nacer, crecer y madurar a un creador que ha sabido forjarse a si mismo, que no se ha detenido ante nada, que no se ha dejado arrastrar por tendencias o por leyes de mercado, que ha arriesgado, que ha tenido suerte unas veces pero que con suerte o sin ella ha hecho de su trabajo mucho ms que un modo de vida, una manera de ser y de comunicarse con el resto. Entendido a veces incomprendido otras, Ciriza es un hombre de su tiempo y como tal un artista multidisciplinar. Y dentro de sus disciplinas, creo que la escultura ha sido siempre su principal referente, sin descuidar la pintura y otras formas de expresin. Ha sido y es el suyo un arte fundamentalmente abstracto, monumental en sus manifestaciones escultricas, a veces casi excesivas, pero intimista y recogido en sus dibujos y pinturas. Es un hombre de taller, de trabajo constante. Un escultor que no ha dudado en reconocerse discpulo de los grandes que antes que el se atrevieron a adentrarse en ese universo laberntico del espacio y el vaco, del todo o la nada, del hierro y el aire. Oteiza y Chillida como maestros cercanos o Richard Serra, Julio Gonzlez o Henri Moore en esa conviccin que el tiene de que el arte es universal. Prueba de ello es que gran parte de su trayectoria se ha desarrollado muy lejos de sus orgenes. As en este devenir de los aos, casi siempre que Carlos ha saltado a los medios de comunicacin ha sido por su trabajo escultrico. La escultura dentro del arte como esa disciplina que mira necesariamente hacia la materia, hacia la esencia y el origen de todo. Concibo la escultura como una constante interrelacin entre la materia, el vaco y el espacio. La representacin de un conjunto de ideas y sentimientos. Es un
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proceso reflexivo ms o menos prolongado en el tiempo y su materializacin en un soporte rgido, sobrio y duradero ha dicho en ms de una ocasin. Su trabajo es siempre contundente, sobre todo en esas esculturas monumentales creadas en hierro, madera, mrmol, bronce... Reflexiones ante el espacio y las formas, juegos de volmenes y dilogos con el vaco. Ese lugar invisible donde tantos artistas encuentran la luz, el vaco, que no la nada Pero Carlos es tambin un pintor con todo el sentido de la palabra. Como l mismo ha reconocido en muchas ocasiones, su trabajo se desarrolla en el campo del expresionismo abstracto, en un lugar donde adems del color cobra gran importancia la mezcla de materiales y texturas. Es su lenguaje, su manera de contar. Unas personas usamos las palabras para comunicarnos a travs de los medios y hacer llegar a la gente posibles respuestas a cualquiera de sus preguntas y otros, como Carlos, tratan de dar esas respuestas desde el arte sin renunciar a nuevas bsquedas. El vaco, la forma, la materia, el color, la luz, las texturas, son los referentes plsticos del universo de Carlos Ciriza, un creador valiente, y esa valenta hace que sus obras no slo sean ya reconocibles en todo el mundo sino que consigan el reto de permanecer en el tiempo. El ha encontrado su sitio, su lenguaje, su universo. Vive all donde nace su arte, algo que se consigue cuando el creador se funde con la persona. (*) Periodista. Adjunta a la Direccin del Diario de Noticias. Escritora y Amante del Arte. Referente de la informacin dedicada a la Cultura en Navarra. Comisaria de exposiciones.
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rromnico en San Miguel de Villatuerta, romnico tardo en Cirauqui y Lorca, gtico en Cirauqui y Villatuerta, renacimiento y barroco en los retablos de todas las poblaciones, y neoclsico en Maeru. El tramo conserva, adems, un urbanismo cambiante: caminero en Maeru y Lorca, guerrero y fortificado en Cirauqui. Finalmente, el Camino mismo. Tal vez no haya pasaje
ms evocador que la rampa que desciende desde el altozano de Cirauqui y salva el barranco situado a la salida de la poblacin. Como se ve, demasiadas cosas en tan escaso trecho. Camino para recorrerlo a pie, la etapa perfecta para iniciarse. Una jornada, repleta de emociones, que hemos iniciado en Puente la Rei-
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and Baroque in the altarpieces of all towns, and neoclassic in Maeru. The stretch preserves also a changing town planning: path in Maeru and Lorca, warrior and fortified in Cirauqui. Finally, the Way itself. Perhaps there is no passage more evocative than the ramp that descends from the Cirauqui hill and covers the ravine placed at the exit of the town. Apparently, too many things in such a short stretch. A way to walk on foot, the perfect stage to begin. A day full with emotions, we started in Puente la Reina, leading us to Estella, the favorite city of Aymeric Picaud and hometown of Carlos Ciriza. I met Carlos Ciriza several years ago. He was in his twenties and I was a young and inexperienced Minister for Education and Culture. We met for the first time in my house in Oteiza, where we had the chance to have conversations on subjects we were concerned about: The art, the cultural management, educational opportunities, the perspectives of the young artists and other questions of common interest. Later we met in many occasions, professionally and personally, as we have same interests and live in the neighborhood, since both of us were born in Estella. But rather than the personal proximity, it is more an esthetic closeness that joins me to Carlos, a spiritual contact that is reflected in his work, deep down, the real language of an artist who considers himself as such. A relationship that has strengthened in recent years, also due to the opening of the highway of St. James Way between Pamplona and Logroo. For professional reasons, I move every day from Oteiza to Pamplona at least once per day, and many days twice. I have lived and suffered as some others the conversion process of the old road into a modern highway we enjoy today. I do not need to tell about the history of it, since the Government
of Navarre published on the occasion of the opening of the highway a beautiful text titled Time and Way. I recommend it to all who want to know about the basic milestones of this route, from former times until the XXI century, by the hand of excellent specialists. Apart from the landscape, beautiful and changing with the passage of seasons, the perspective of the downtowns and chapels on the top of the mountains, two elements are inextricably linked with me every day on my return trip: the highway, called in good time Del Camino (From the Road) and a series of artistic milestones that mark the route. It is not my intention to make a detailed study of the Symbols of the Way, general name of the project which comprises the sculptural group of Carlos Ciriza. With many more authority and knowledge than I have, it is described by Professor Jos Javier Azanza in this same volume, in a study that joins knowledge, sensitivity and good judgment. I will merely recall the personal impressions of a citizen who at times sees them, sometimes watches them from far away and sometimes enjoys them in a special way. Recalling with Gombrich, that the art does not exist, the artists exist and that nothing better to enjoy their work than to have a clear mind, able of perceiving any evidence and echoing any hidden harmony. Without forgetting that standing in front of an artistic work it is better to open the eyes than to loosen the tongue. The exit from Pamplona to Estella on the highway allows observe the new town organized into residential areas that border with good grain fields of the basin. Almost in straight line, within a few minutes, we reach the tunnels of El Perdn. And there, to the feet of the saw, full of mills that already are part of the scenery, despite being newcomers, emerges
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na y nos dejar en Estella, la ciudad favorita de Aymeric Picaud y patria chica de Carlos Ciriza. Conozco a Carlos Ciriza desde hace ya varios lustros. Siendo l apenas un veinteaero y yo un joven e inexperto consejero de Educacin y Cultura, nos vimos por primera vez en mi casa de Oteiza, donde tuvimos la ocasin de departir sobre cuestiones que nos preocupaban a ambos: el arte, la gestin cultural, las posibilidades de ampliacin de estudios, las perspectivas de los jvenes artistas y otras cuestiones de inters comn. Hemos coincidido despus, profesional y personalmente en muchas ocasiones, dado nuestro mundo relativamente prximo y nuestra cercana vecinal, ya que ambos somos nacidos en Tierra Estella. Pero ms que proximidad personal, me une con Carlos una cercana esttica, un contacto espiritual que se manifiesta a travs de su obra, en el fondo, el verdadero lenguaje de un artista que se considere tal. Un contacto que se ha estrechado en los ltimos aos, a raz de la apertura de la autova del Camino de Santiago entre Pamplona y Logroo Por razones profesionales, me desplazo diariamente de Oteiza a Pamplona al menos una vez, y muchos das dos. He vivido, sufrido y padecido como pocos el proceso de conversin de la vieja carretera en la moderna autova que hoy disfrutamos. No necesito hacer historia de ello, ya que el Gobierno de Navarra public con motivo de la inauguracin de la autova un hermoso texto titulado Tiempo y Camino. A l remito a cuantos quieran, de la mano de excelentes especialistas, conocer los hitos bsicos de esta ruta, desde la antigedad hasta el siglo XXI. Adems del paisaje, hermoso y cambiante con el paso de las estaciones, la perspectiva de los
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ncleos urbanos y las ermitas en lo alto de los montes, dos elementos indisolublemente unidos me acompaan cada da en mis viajes de ida y vuelta: la autova, bautizada en buena hora como Del Camino y una serie de hitos artsticos que jalonan su ruta. No es mi intencin realizar un estudio pormenorizado de los Smbolos del Camino, nombre global del proyecto en el que se engloban los conjuntos escultricos de Carlos Ciriza. Con mucha ms autoridad y conocimiento que yo lo realiza en este mismo volumen el profesor Jos Javier Azanza, en un estudio que une sabidura, sensibilidad y buen juicio. Me limitar, simplemente, a evocar las impresiones personales de un ciudadano que unas veces las ve, otras las otea de lejos o de cerca y algunas las disfruta de manera especial. Recordando con Gombrich, que no existe el Arte, existen los artistas y que nada mejor para gozar de su obra que tener una mente limpia, capaz de percibir cualquier indicio y hacerse eco de cualquier armona oculta. Sin olvidar tambin que ante la obra artstica es mejor abrir los ojos que desatar la lengua. La salida de Pamplona hacia Estella por la autora permite observar la ciudad nueva, extendida en barrios residenciales que lindan, sin solucin de continuidad, con los buenos campos de cereal de la cuenca. Casi en lnea recta, en pocos minutos, nos situamos junto a los tneles del Perdn. Y all, a los pies de la sierra, pespunteada de molinos que ya forman parte del paisaje, pese a ser unos recin llegados, se levanta la Va Lactea, Caminos Paralelos. Su material, el acero corten, su emplazamiento, visible en la distancia, y su perfil y dimensiones dotan al conjunto de una subrayada monumentalidad. Su sugerente abstraccin permite
lecturas variadas: son peregrinos las estructuras que se alzan enhiestas, pero ya apuntando la carga del Camino? son bordones gigantes, smbolo del apoyo y de los pasos de miles de peregrinos? En todo caso, lo ms ntido de la obra es el vaco: el Camino mismo, la venera recortada entre los brazos y el cielo, y la parte superior abierta a la inmensidad. Con una ventaja aadida: el conjunto escultrico, rotundo y potente, acompaa el discurrir de las estaciones con muy variados matices, desde el severo rigor veraniego a la lluvia y la nieve invernal, pasando por las delicadas irisaciones de la primavera y el otoo. Atravesado el Perdn, una larga recta que deja Valdizarbe a su izquierda, nos sita a la entrada de Puente la Reina. Es esta una poblacin casi exigida por el guin jacobeo. Los francos que se asentaron a finales del siglo XI tenan poderosas razones para elegir este lugar. Entre ellas, era el final de una jornada de camino a pie, haba un ro caudaloso que salvar, y las rutas procedentes de Ostabat y Somport confluan en sus alrededores. El puente, presente en el escudo municipal, es la estampa ms representativa de la villa y uno de los emblemas del conjunto del Camino. Es una obra emblemtica, rotunda y ligera a la vez, que ha resistido el paso de las riadas y de los siglos y ha llegado a nosotros herido, pero lleno de prestancia, lozana e historia. Y si el puente medieval es el smbolo del Camino jacobeo, el Puente de Santiago es el smbolo de la autova del Camino. Rotundo, airoso, esbelto y sutil , Javier Manterola ha hecho de l, adems de un homenaje a su antecesor medieval, un hito de la ingeniera y un icono artstico del siglo XXI. Precisamente en el rea de descanso de la variante de Puente la Reina, se encuentra la segunda pieza del corredor es-
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the Milky Way, Parallel Ways. Its material, the Corten steel, its emplacement visible in the distance, and its profile and dimensions provide the group a relevant monumental nature. Its suggestive abstraction allows different interpretations: Are these pilgrim structures that emerge, but already pointing the burden of the Way? Are these giant cross-staffs, symbol of support and of steps of thousands of pilgrims? In any case, the clearest of the work is the space: the Way itself, the shell cut away between the arms and the sky, and the top opened to the immensity. With an added advantage: the sculptural group, expressive and strong, accompanies the passage of the seasons with varied shades, from the harsh rigor of summer to the rain and the snow of winter, passing through the delicate iridescence of the spring and fall. Once crossed El Perdn, a long straight line that leaves Valdizarbe to the left, we reach the entrance of Puente la Reina. A population almost demanded by the script of St. James. The Francs who settled in the late XI century had good reasons to choose this place. Among them, it was the end of a walking day, there was a rushing river to be crossed, and the routes from Ostabat and Somport converged in its surroundings. The bridge, present on the coat of arms, is the most representative emblems of the town and of the group of the Way. It is an emblematic work, expressive and light at the same time, which has survived the passing of floods and centuries and has come to us wounded, but full of strength, vitality and history. And if the medieval bridge is the symbol of the St. James Way, El Puente de Santiago (The St. James Bridge) is the symbol of the highway of El Camino. Expressive, graceful, slender and subtle, Javier Manterola has made of it, apart from a tribute to his medieval ancestor, a milestone of engineering and artistic icon of the XXI century. Precisely at the rest area of the variant of the bridge Puente la Reina, there is the second piece of the sculptural way, Puente Paso a Europa (Bridge Way from Euro111
cultrico, Puente Paso de Europa. Realizada en acero corten y acero inoxidable mate sobre una base de hormign, la obra proclama a las claras su objetivo: homenajear, por un lado, al elemento fsico del puente medieval, y, por otro, ensalzar la simbologa del puente como nexo de comunicacin de personas, pueblos y culturas. Tres elementos dominan el conjunto: la inequvoca disposicin del elemento sustentante, el ntido perfil de la calzada, subrayado por el acero inoxidable a modo de pretil, y unos vanos disformes, lejano eco de los existentes en el puente medieval, que dotan al conjunto de una inusual esbeltez. Ubicado en zona de descanso, el conjunto invita a parar, contemplar y disfrutar de ste y de sus hermanos mayores de referencia. Y, en todo caso, a recordar que Puente la Reina estar para siempre ligada a un puente que, all en la distancia, vio nacer a la poblacin, acompa sus vidas y haciendas, y hoy asiste complacido a la toma del relevo de los dos sucesores que lo flanquean. Por ello, es preciso ponderar la ltima iniciativa en el entorno, la inauguracin de una exposicin permanente en la Casa del Vnculo de Puente la Reina, titulada Ultrapontem y dedicada a recorrer, en texto, grficos y maquetas, algunos de los caminos colgantes ms representativos. Me quedo con una frase de la exposicin: sobre un puente hay dos direcciones, pero su camino es nico. Algo ajeno a mi recorrido diario, pero en todo caso tambin prximo a mi entorno vital, se encuentra el tercer y ltimo hito monumental de la autova, Red de Caminos. El eco de la obra no se encuentra lejos, la iglesia octogonal del Santo Sepulcro en Torres del Ro. Edificio clave del romnico navarro del siglo XII, planta octogonal, faro y cementerio se renen en un con112
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junto sobrio y equilibrado en el exterior. Al interior, la sobriedad se convierte en delicadeza. Y presidindolo y coronndolo todo, la bveda: encaje musulmn en tierra cristiana, con un diseo estrellado de ocho puntas y espacio circular en el centro. Una visin para el recuerdo. Y ese recuerdo es el que Carlos Ciriza ha querido hacer suyo en esa malla trabada de enorme peso y grandes proporciones, realizada en hormign, acero corten y acero inoxidable mate. La visin, con las margas recortadas al fondo y la vieja granja de La Monja, al lado, me produce la impresin de un gran retablo al aire libre en el que convergen los caminos, las vidas y los deseos y aoranzas de miles de peregrinos, procedentes de los cuatro puntos cardinales. No slo del Camino francs, sino tambin de aquellos caminos secundarios representados en las inmediaciones por el hospital de La poblacin. La Red de Caminos ratifica lo que ya conocemos, que
el Camino de Santiago es uno, pero los caminos a Santiago son innumerables. En este siglo XXI, en el que vivimos ms tendentes a la prisa que al sosiego, los hitos escultricos de Carlos Ciriza condensan, al menos, dos claros homenajes: el primero, el de la moderna calzada al Camino jacobeo; el segundo, el del actual maestro escultor a sus viejos antecesores, representados en la plyade de obras artsticas que jalonan los poco ms de 60 kilmetros recorridos por la actual autova. Nos queda un homenaje ms: el que los usuarios ordinarios de la ruta debemos a Carlos Ciriza, un maestro que nos recuerda que en nuestra vida, an en medio de la prisa y el ajetreo, siempre hay un espacio para la belleza. (*) Licenciado en Historia y doctor en Ciencias de la Educacin. Catedrtico de Geografa e Historia del IES Tierra Estella.
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pe). Made of Corten steel and stainless mat steel on a concrete base, the work proclaims clearly its target: to honor, on one hand, the physical element of the medieval bridge, and on the other hand, to extoll the symbolism of the bridge as a communication link of people and cultures. Three elements dominate the group: the clear disposition of the sustaining element, the clear profile of the roadway, enhanced by the stainless steel as parapet, and some deformities, distant echo of those existing on the medieval bridge, providing the set an unusual slenderness. Located at the rest area, the group invites to stop, meditate and enjoy it as its referral older siblings. And, in any case, to recall that bridge Puente la Reina will be tied forever to a bridge that, there in the distance, saw the birth of the population, accompanied their lives and properties, and today attends the taking over by the two successors surrounding it. It is therefore necessary to consider the last initiative in the environment, the opening of a permanent exhibition in La Casa del Vnculo of Puente la Reina, titled Ultrapontem and dedicated to travel through, in text, graphs and mock-ups, some of the most representative hanging walkways. I take a phrase of the exhibition: "On a bridge there are two directions, but its path is unique.
A bit foreign to my daily trip, but in any case also close to my vital environment, there is the third and last monumental milestone of the highway, Red de Caminos (Network of Ways). The echo of the work is not far, the octagonal church of the Holy Sepulcher in Torres del Ro. Key building of the Romanesque of Navarre of the XII century, octagonal plan, lighthouse and cemetery come together in a res-
trained and balanced set in the exterior. In the interior, sobriety turns into delicacy. And presiding it and crowning everything, the vault: Moslem lace on Christian ground, with an eightpointed star design and circular space in the center. A view to remember and that is what Carlos Ciriza wanted to take over in this grid of heavy weight and large proportions, made of concrete, Corten steel and mat stainless steel. The view, with the trimmed edges to the bottom and the old farmhouse La Monja, nearby, it gives me the impression of a large outdoor altar where the ways converge, and also the lives, desires and longings of thousands of pilgrims, proceeding from the four cardinal points. Not only from the French Way, but also from those secondary ways near the hospital of the town. La Red de Caminos (Network of Ways) ratifies what we already know, that the St. James Way is one, but the ways to Santiago are endless. In this XXI century, in which we live more tending to the hurry than to the calm, the sculptural milestones by Carlos Ciriza condense, at least, two clear tributes: The first tribute is the modern roadway to St. James Way; the second one, the tribute by the current master sculptor to his old ancestors represented in the constellation of artistic works that mark more than 60 kilometers covered by the highway. There is one tribute left: The one that the everyday visitors of the way owe to Carlos Ciriza, a teacher who reminds us that in our life, in the middle of the hurry and the bustle, there is always room for beauty.
(*) Bachelor of History and Ph.D. in Science Education. Professor of Geography and History of IES Tierra Estella.
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Gustavo Torner, taller y estudio, Francis Bartolozzi, Mercedes Bretos, New York The Menil Museum, Antonio Laita, J. Miguel Moral, Jose Ulibarrena, Patxi Idoate, A. Daz de Cerio, P.G. Escribano.
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Mencia Figueroa y Marta Ciriza en The Institute Hispanic of America (NY). Pablo Antoana, Pedro Bartolozzi y Emilio Bretos. Ayuntamiento de Burlada. Paris. Jose Maria Flores y Antonio Sainz de los Terreros. Grupo El Punto. New York. Oscar Cenzano. Entrega de Premios Intercontinental de Paris.
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Taller. Museo de Arte Contemporaneo La Joya, California. Chillida. En la Residencia de SS.AA.RR. los Prncipes de Asturias y de Viana y su hermano Miguel Angel. Robert F. Erburu (Presidente Los Angeles Times). Graciela Devincenzi, Cristina Chumillas. Oxidaciones. Fundacin COAM. Jos Uribarrena.(Floirac).
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Entrevista Televisin Austriaca. Instalacin exposicin Yamaguchi. Nestor Basterrechea. New York. Taller. Valentin Oman. Alexander C. Fisher, Maria Villalba y Carlos Martinez (Suiza), Mario Benedetti (Piran/Slovenia).
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ARTS/SCIENCES/LETTRES de Paris, Societe Academique DEducation ET Dencouragement. Miguel Angel Fernandez de Mazaranbroz (Consul General de Espaa en Houston). Becas de Honor, Colegio MBelagua. Taller. Eva Serra en Van de Rohe /Barcelona.
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Sala Conde de Rodezno. Josez Nowak y Hartmut Stielow en el Kulturhaupststadt Graz Steiermark. (Austria). Clara Borja de Hinojosa, Hector Gzman y Arturo Lozano (Dallas). Tommy Lydon. Andrea Malaer. Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza. Orden Cuto Divino. Janne Risnen.
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Alberto Corazn. Inocencio Arias (Los Angeles). Angel Urrutia y Jos Uribarrena. Tomas Mark (Viena). Patricia Meadows (Dallas). M.A. Fernandez Mazarambroz y Javier de Villiota (Houston).
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Robert Ward (G.B.). Paul Suter. Inauguracion Museo de Navarra. Mercedes Bretos y Antonio Laita. Ashot Bayandour. Martin Berasategui. Mario Benedetti. Fundacion Gabarrn New York.
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Cristbal Colon XX Duque de Veragua con Leticia Lozano en la 58 Gala Consular de Houston. Matjaz Gruden y Sas Kladnik. Ashot Bayandour, Mario Benedetti, Gustav Gnamus, Matjaz Gruden, Andrej Jemec, Tommy Lydon, Valentin Oman, Rudi Bentik, Hamlet Housepyan, Anna Lbner, Richard Nott, Jann Risen y Sas Kladnik. Rudi Bentik.
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Hamlet Housepyan. Tommy Lydon. Patxi Idoate. Andrea Mallaer. Exposicion Museo Gustavo Maeztu de Estella. E. Catal y Raquel Vieco en la Inauguracin Bosque de Acero Cuenca. Eduardo y Pilar de la Garza en la 44 Gala Anual "Noche de las Amricas".
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Art Madrid. Inauguracin en Colegio de Arquitectos de Madrid Fundacion COAM. Alfredo Daz de Cerio. Caimito de Guayabal, Carlos Sera, Inauguracin pintores europeos. Jvenes pintores en Paris.
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Chistine y Bertrand Conrad-Eybesferd y Peter Weibell. Viana 1507. NASA. Vienal de Venecia. Alejandra Coello de Portugal. Puente Paso de Europa. Premios Clarion (Alfredo Ansa y Esteban Martino). Ralf Kirberg y Hartmut Stielow. New York.
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Grupo universitarios. Art Madrid. Inauguracin en Instituto de Cultura Hispnica de Houston. Gustavo Torner y Rafael Moneo. Familia Urrutia. Exposicin en Francia. Carlos y Paloma Sobrini. Visita al Colegio M. Dey.
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Pyrenalia. Justin Carter en galeria Sicardi. Hamlet Housepyan. Profesor Klaus Bury. Tom Carr. Mark A. Roglan (Director del Museo Meadows de Dallas). Arturo Lozano. Astronauta Jose A. Hernndez. Jos Mara Cruz Novillo, Beln Moneo, Emilio Catal, Alberto Romero, Gustavo Torner y Luis Caruncho.
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PINTURAPAINTING
Sus dibujos y lienzos han pasado a ser un campo de experimentacin, germinacin y crecimiento de volmenes que inspiran a materializarse en metal. De hecho, casi todas sus obras acaban dando el salto de un lenguaje al otro. A travs de dibujos y pinturas sobre papel y cartn va sugiriendo un equilibrio sorprendente de formas, volmenes, espacios y color.
His pictures have turned into an experimental, seeding and growing field of volumes that aspire to materialize into metal. In fact, almost all of his works end up going from one language to the other. Through drawings over paper and card, an amazing balance of forms, volumes, spaces and colors.
Sin ttulo 720 x 610, 1984. Acrlico, tela y clavos sobre tables
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POLLSMOOR - 5 agosto 1962 Serie Sudfrica 730x 600, 1989. Acrlico sobre lienzo
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Volmenes en Amarillo 420 x 340, 1994. Colas y poliuretano sobre chapa de madera
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Volmenes en Rojo 420 x 340, 1994. Colas y poliuretano sobre chapa de madera
Volmenes en Azul 420 x 340, 1994. Colas y poliuretano sobre chapa de madera
Mis herramientas de trabajo 1060 x 1000, 1997. Serrn, colas y pinceles sobre tabla de madera
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La luz: Una ventana a los sentidos 710 x 570, 1991. Mixta sobre lienzo
La luz: Una ventana a los sentidos 750 x 620, 1991. Mixta sobre lienzo
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Vista cenital de un mantel y mesa 500 x 320, 1998. Acrlicos sobre lienzo
Seis manzanas y una naranja 640 x 530, 1993. Pintura plstica sobre lienzo
Vista cenital de un mantel y mesa 780 x 580, 1998. Acrlicos sobre lienzo
La luz: Una ventana a los sentidos 1000 x 810, 1991. Mixta sobre lienzo
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Cinco volmenes en cinco espacios 1200 x 1200, 1998. Resinas y acrlicos sobre madera
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Composicin en blanco y azul (Eslovenia) 350 x 250, 1999. Acrlico sobre lienzo
Los unos y los otros 1000x700, 1997. Tcnica mixta con brochas sobre madera
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Sin ttulo 1200 x 1200, 2007. Acrlico y polvo de hierro sobre tabla
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Oxidacin en fibra natural recuperada 1110 x 880, 2010. Polvo de hierro y oxidaciones sobre papel
Oxidacin en fibra natural recuperada 1160 x 880, 2010. Polvo de hierro y oxidaciones sobre papel
Oxidacin en fibra natural recuperada 920 x 850, 2010. Polvo de hierro y oxidaciones sobre papel
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2070 x 440 x 510 mm. Acero Corten
25 ANIVERSARIO
PNDULOS PENDULUMS
Grupo escultrico colgante alegrico al paso del tiempo, como pndulos de un reloj que marca constantemente las etapas y los tiempos. Volmenes y espacios desplazados en incesante movimiento y bsqueda, como canal de comunicacin entre la naturaleza y el hombre.
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2000 x 440 x 510 mm. Acero Corten
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2030 x 460 x 480 mm. Acero Corten
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