Inauguration of Casas Anfruns (9th september 2016)
Llorenç CASAS ANFRUNS is the “gaudianist” of the Rusiñol Gallery. His “mentor” is Gaudí. His topic is Gaudí. His style, when he paints topics that are different from those of his mentor, is also “gaudianist”.
For example, at the shop window of the Rusiñol Gallery, we can see the painting “Works of Gaudi”: this is like a sort of kaleidoscope, integrated by names of works of Gaudí (LA PEDRERA·BARCELONA·CASA BATLLÓ·LA SAGRADA FAMILIA…), displayed within concentric circles, in different colors… This is a homage to Gaudí through a “gaudinian” style.
Ignasi Cabanas introduces the new art season. Today we have the first of its exhibitions: Llorenç CASAS ANFRUNS has exhibited on different occasions at the Rusiñol Gallery. The focus of his topic hasn’t changed, but he has brought something new this time. For instance: the representations of some works of the sculptor Subirachs on the Passion’s façade of the Sagrada Familia’s temple.
The idea of the “kaleidoscope” comes from the art critic Josep M. Cadena. He explained that when he was a child he received a kaleidoscope from his parents which made him very happy. This isn’t more than a device that combines some colored pieces and little mirrors for producing a view of symmetric forms. So, Casas Anfruns’ work shows us that the architect Gaudí made the “kaleidoscope of life”.
Concerning the sculptor Subirachs, Mr. Cadena has written: «Casas Anfruns claims that the correct addition generates value, for the human being —a social animal— needs his fellow humans in order to achieve his goals and to succeed as a complete person. For this reason, these pictures gather the buildings of Antoni Gaudí and, at the same time, the artistic creations of other artists, and the result is superior to the constituent individual parts».
Llorenç Casas Anfruns said some words of acknowledgement and he preferred the paintings to speak for themselves. Nevertheless, the artist answered the traditional “three questions” of the attendees of Rusiñol Gallery. For example, someone congratulated the artist because of the rains represented in some of his paintings: «This is not a novelty. When I started painting I used this resource more». The artist also recognized some evolution in his work towards abstraction and surrealism.
