fernando gaspar
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"More than a mere discovered place, it is a work in progress. That is why my work drifts, returns, does not repeat or mince." | Fernando Gaspar
This body of new works belong to the Floating Machines Series and I call it “ATLANTES”; they refers to the idea of an non-corporeal, ethereal, aquatic/aerial thing or place, living or mechanical. It intends to convey the feeling of something fantastic, in the most literary sense: are they fish, ships? enigmatic jellyfish? States of consciousness? It will probably be all of this…
The name refers to an idea of sea, ocean, open blues, mystery, fascination, wealth, knowledge and power, Atlantic and even…Atlanta !!!
Floating Machines
Scrawl in the air.
First I sketch the big insect carcass with my arms. Then I rehearses his movement, his blind march, his groping forewarned. Curve to curve I draw the fuselage of this ingenious machine in urgent transformation. Enigmatic structure, articulated and fragile, with bandages and hinges that crack, amber bones and long legs that never end, hands that dredge the depth. And these magnificent constructions, which are rebuilt and adapted, which are released from essential physics, may be migrating birds, they may be ancestral fish; these constellations of wire, bits of meteor, planks, and human strength, sail, sail in the most rarefied purpose, in the most absolute of desires, in the most uncertain of destinies, but sail ... guided by the waves of the sea, by the false maps of the empires , by the unnamed winds.
For a moment they lie on the smoothness of the canvas, they show themselves, expecting seductively and impatiently; dragonflies of fog in bridal court, flapping wings. We enter into their warm, pulsating, irrigated stomachs, living caves resonating; volatiles, levitate stretching the ropes that hold them to the safe ground. Some loose, others never, and in this vital bump, rehearse the great flight, the fantastic flight of these enormous creatures, insect-birds, planet-fish, ship-men, of these flying trees.
And in this suspended state, of timeless and free condition, we begin all over again; we flew over the sea, into the mountains, beyond the earth; in them we come again to the new lands, founding cities, planting memories and forgetfulness, sowing poetry. (Fernando Gaspar, 2018)
artist statement
My work is essentially developed from exploring the stroke, the drawing, more than the blotch, the colour. The quest for the essential in an insistent, physical, movement. Then paint over charcoal, a secondary matter, layer by layer, overlapping, sometimes opaque, sometimes transparent, that hides it, that reveals it. The endless quest for the minimum and for all, in an impulse. A line.
This is how art progresses, taking all its vestiges, taking with it all the traces that make it up.
More than a mere discovered place, it is a work in progress. That is why my work drifts, returns, does not repeat or mince. It is a walk, a forever young body that glides and feels its way, gets lost, is sometimes blind, and sometimes clairvoyant.
My works of art are not always objects of easy empathy; nor should they be. They are never smooth planes, nor dermal exercises. Often there is thickness that the paint and stroke silence. That is why I write about them; to better construct, understand and open them.
Often, the written word is their starting point. that is where they begin.
the black Queen series
The hand touched the veil most transparent, draped upon the sculpted chair. It was that time at the onset of the night when noise seemed never-ending. Upon the sculpted chair, the place of the female body with no owner, stiffened. Almost nothing, powerful, complete and sterile like a church occupied without haste, in silence. Breathed out and thick.
The immobility of surrounding stones, the glittering of spears, the disquiet of power, the power of fear, gaze and gesture freeze, turning into ashes the days of flowers, the great morning of life.
She keeps her promise and the quietness of the people, the rise of the nations. She keeps the indigo of new seas and of their dark-spleen interiors, their relic body, reliquary. The body where life does not regret death and the kiss tastes of spices and warm blood. The body that slides and almost stops, trembles and beats, almost nothing, that whispers kindness without rudderless pleasure. The body where hurry breaks within its chiseled contours.
Exile brocade, black journey beyond the new skin, transparent and pure. Fate, freshly furrowed in a field of death and gunpowder. The insistent quarrels of men and heritages and… her. She, divine destiny, chosen from the wisdom of the earth, the first and last owning the condition of the Unique.
Artist Bio
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Benjamin Eck Gallery, Munich, Germany
2022
Redsheep Gallery, Stockholm, Sweden
2019
Floating Machines, Bill Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
2017
Separated Land: Agartha, Bill Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA | Solo Exhibition
2013
Going Places: The Affection, the Time and the River - Bill Lowe Gallery - Atlanta, GA
Zwarte koninginnen-black queens amstelkerk-amsterdam | nl.
2012
Rincesses of Arcadia-lm Gallery-sintra | pt.
Remind 25-cosmopolis/centre culturel européen-nantes | fr.
2011
Remind 25-Museum of the city of aveiro-aveiro | pt.
Three moments-Gallery 57-leiria | pt.
Ad infinitum/silence-Consulate General-paris | fr.
2010
In itinere-perlimpimpim-vagueira | pt.
Rebellion in zoo-part II-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2009
Invisible shapes-alphart gallery-lisbon | pt.
2008
The affection time and the river-fundación duero-cáceres, salamanca, valladolid, zamora, Zaragoza, soria, plasencia | es.
2006
Iberia-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2005
Galeria Atlantic vera cruz-aveiro | pt.
Moments of light-micro-art-lisbon | pt.
Chronicles of an appointment-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2003
Rebellion in the zoo – part I – casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2002
Bestiary/insects-frame-aveiro | pt.
Characters for a story-artemporio-lisbon | pt.
2001
On the edge of the water-art gallery & workshop-setúbal | pt.
Places a-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2000
Parcours imaginaire-convent des récollets-cognac | fr.
Parcours imaginaire-centre-nato staff | brussels | be.
Sites of memory-Gallery of coimbras-braga | pt.
1999
Bestiary/bulls-frame-aveiro | pt.
Studies for an impromptu-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
1997
Unesco Centre-porto | pt.
Watercolor still-regional Museum of sintra-sintra | pt.
1995
Sud-royal golf club anderlecht-brussels | be.
Private collections II-staff centre-nato-brussels | be.
Private collections I-maison des artistes-anderlecht | be.
1994
Interatrium Gallery-porto | pt.
1992
Vertex Gallery-lisbon | pt.
1991
Regional Museum of sintra-sintra | pt.
1990
To the passage of a river-port-the port's commercial Athenaeum | pt.
1988
Galeria municipal de aveiro-aveiro | pt.
1986
Art gallery grid-aveiro | pt.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022
ARX Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2012
Sixth sense-57 Gallery-macao | cn.
12 kunstart-bolzano | it.
2011
Fozarte 2011-ap ' art-porto | pt.
2010
The critters are also people-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
2008
Artein, art madrid-madrid | es.
2002
Gallery magna-coimbra | pt.
Estoril, art first contemporary art fair in estoril-estoril | pt.
20015 nac award. painting antónio joaquim/artists of gaia-gaia | pt.
Open culture-gal. the restoration/porto 2001-porto | pt.
2000
Marcamadeira-wood-contemporary art fair | pt.
Portuguese contemporary art-patriarchal reservoir-lisbon | pt.
500 years of the discovery of Brazil-curitiba | br.
Artesevilla-feria de arte contemporaneo-sevilla | es.
1999
Fac-parque das nações-lisbon | pt.
Convento do beato-lisbon | pt.
1998
2nd Prize nac. painting antónio joaquim/artists of gaia-gaia | pt.
1997
1st prize nac. painting antónio joaquim/artists of gaia-gaia | pt.
D'estiu-collective marbelló Gallery-barcelona | es.
Watercolour-lounge casino estoril-estoril | pt.
1996
House of portugal-paris | fr.
Printemps culturel-avignon | fr.
Ten years ago, two men and a loop-vague | pt.
1994
Lisbon view modes-cheap Gallery-lisbon | pt.
Muestra de art portugues contemporaneo-barcelona | es.
Almada negreiros-mapfre life prize-porto | pt.
1992
Watercolour lounge-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
1991
12th Salon d'Automne-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
Lisbon-. xx in plastic arts-palácio das galveias-lisbon | pt.
The Spring Festival-SOC. de geografia de lisboa/cml-lisbon | pt.
1990
5nd Salon of spring-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
North on painting-exponor-porto | pt.
1989
The vine and the wine in the painting-SOC. nac. of fine arts-lisbon | pt.
4th spring lounge-casino estoril-estoril | pt.
1986
Artists from the Museum grão vasco-viseu | pt.