LLUÍS GÁLVEZ URBANO
known as "El Borni"
Montilla (Córdoba) 1960
Completely self-taught as an artist
Motivated by my creative impulses, I set to work
on the materials I find around me. I only try to express feelings, with
no other aim than that of reflecting my own personal needs.
Little by little, this artistic vein carves out before me another way of living and a new form of breathing-space. I use materials that have their own story to tell, that have lived their own individual history. When I work on them I try to give them the importance or significance they had in their own past, as though I were giving them back their "lost dignity". Iron, stone or wood, they have all had their time of usefulness, and I simply recycle them when they are no longer important or no longer have any "value" to our society. Like a mother giving birth to a child, I try to get these lifeless objects to talk to me, so as to revive them and give them a new existence over and beyond what they were before. When I form a composition with the objects, they themselves show their needs, and sometimes end up taking control of the final direction of the sculpture. No matter how hard or sharp the materials may be, it is possible to project forms that are both warm and relaxing.
The key to this lies in finding a balance between the static form and movement, between space and shape. The materials limit the space in which it is possible to work, but at the same time have no limits when it comes to what I want to express.
The creation of a piece of sculpture involves all the chameleon-like elements
of which it consists, which I combine and co-ordinate so as to find a
harmonious link to convert them into works of sculpture. Personally I
particularly relish this challenge, since in this way there is a creative
dialogue between the sculpture and myself in order to attain a satisfactory
final result. The interpretation of my works is left to the members of
the public who observe them, even though the works themselves may be of
an uncompromising nature, being made up as they are of elements that are
static, hard, or even aggressive. I merely try not to alter the impact
made by the elements themselves, since in this way it is possible to create
a relaxing aesthetic whole based on the concept of antithesis. I find
it very positive that each individual who enters into dialogue with my
artistic works can reach his or her own conclusions, often very different
from my own. I believe that the juxtaposition of the materials inspires
the vitality I try to give them and passes this on to those who view them.
I have not allowed myself to be influenced by any guidelines or artistic
parameters, since it is emotion which predominates in all my creations.
They are an expression of my state of mind and it is a great pleasure
for me to follow their evolution. This fact leaves its mark on the sculptures
, which, despite being made up of very similar materials, are very different
one from the other. The limited range of colour tones between the different
elements highlights the impact of the points of tension, as in the case
of a black-and-white photograph.