Inauguration of Vives Fierro (February 3rd, 2012)

February 3^rd, 2012: neither cold nor snow can block the usual expectation generated each time the great Antoni Vives Fierro exhibits with us. Full of people, as always! This time, moreover, Cities and people brings a new proposal by the painter —”the people”—, but with continuity and in his distinctive style, characterized by using collage. This exhibition is presently being enjoyed by the visitors!

The essence of the “Vives Fierro style”, by the hand of Josep Mª Cadena: “Our society can be very chaotic. Antoni Vives Fierro knows it and he depicts it through his painting-collage techniques. He takes advantage of different elements arriving into his knowledge, as if by chance —they believe they are going their own way in color and society magazines, but the artist is waiting for them in the right place where he knows they must go through— so that, when individually placed out of context, they may create a new pictorial approach. All its elements are based on realities that can be recognized and identified by their own characteristics, but thanks to him they form a new ensemble”.

Let us now consider the “characters” that, featuring children, are the novelty of the suggestion we are now admiring: “Antoni Vives Fierro knows how to travel through the foam of life while taking advantage of the waves, the sea of thought raises to connect with the dynamics reaching him from the first visions of childhood (…). In this exhibition we are also pleasantly surprised to see how through the shapes of these creatures, he clarifies the way how we are to look outwards. In this way he persuades us to renew as people and to hope for a better society”.

Vives Fierro was asked about the “dolls”. The topic of the dolls (we see them in three paintings in this exhibition) is something classic for him, although we may be less accustomed to it. They are from a “victorian” inspiration —as the hats they wear show— and they “come from a remote place in time”. Another very different thing is the “people” painted in the figure of creatures: this is the novelty, brought to us by the insatiable creativity of the artist. He portrays the reality in his own way (even looking upside down to see things in the right perspective).

Vives Fierro lives in the country, but he paints cityscapes, cities. During his career he has been to many cities, highlighting Barcelona, New York, Paris… But, which city does he prefer? Havana, of course! The “official” reason is the language: sharing the same people’s language helps to understand people better and their city. Also, concerning the Havana, there is something related to snuff (given that Vives Fierro loves his cigar…)!