Manolo Valdes

MANOLO VALDÉS (Valencia, 1942).
"Queen Mariana II".
Etching, aquatint and collage.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Attached publisher's certificate.
Measurements: 169 x 95 cm.

"Reina Mariana II" by Manolo Valdés is a large format graphic work that combines traditional engraving techniques with a modern and schematic aesthetic. The reinterpretation of the classics is a constant in the work of Valdés, both the painters and the figures they have created and made iconic. In this particular case, the female figure in the scene is shown without physiognomic features, although her clothing and silhouette bring the viewer closer to the work of Velázquez. He thus reinterprets the Baroque portrait of the Infanta Mariana of Austria from a contemporary perspective, depersonalizing the figure and emphasizing the plastic value of the line, texture and form. The absence of a face reinforces her symbolic charge and makes her a universal figure. The use of simple lines, flat forms and gestural stains is reminiscent of informalist art, but with clear references to classicism. In this version of the Infanta, the predominance of gray, black and white tones, with stains and scratches add dynamism and expressiveness. Likewise, Valdés does not forget Picasso and his versions of "Las Meninas", so that Valdés places himself as heir to the Spanish artistic tradition and successor of great painters in the history of art. The endless iconographic possibilities offered by Velázquez's canvases are demonstrated in the work that concerns us. It is worth relating "Queen Mariana II" to the series "Queen Mariana as a pretext", where Valdés uses the famous painting "Queen Mariana of Austria" (painted by the Sevillian painter between 1652 and 1653) to version it according to works by avant-garde artists: Miró, Malevich, Klee or Braque, among others. This series becomes a true declaration of intentions of the Valencian artist, vindicating the role of the great traditional and modern painters in the evolution of the history of art.

Manolo Valdés introduced in Spain a form of artistic expression that combines political and social commitment with humor and irony. He began his training in 1957, when he entered the San Carlos School of Fine Arts in Valencia. However, two years later he abandoned his studies to devote himself fully to painting. In 1964 he founded the artistic group Equipo Crónica, together with Juan Antonio Toledo and Rafael Solbes, in which he remained until the latter's death in 1981, despite the fact that Toledo had left the group two years after its foundation. Since then he has settled in New York, where he currently resides and where he has continued to experiment with new forms of expression, including sculpture. Among the numerous awards Manolo Valdés has received are the Lissone and Biella of Milan, the silver medal of the II International Biennial of Prints in Tokyo, the award of the Bridgestone Art Museum in Lisbon, the National Prize of Plastic Arts, the medal of the International Festival of Plastic Artists of Baghdad, the Decoration of the Order of Andres Bello in Venezuela, the award of the National Council of Monaco, the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts, the Award of the Spanish Association of Art Critics and the Best Printmaking Artist Award, among others. Formally, Valdés creates a large format work in which lights and colors express tactile values, due to the treatment given to the materials. His work forces the viewer to delve into memory and search for significant images of the history of art. He is represented in some of the most outstanding museums around the world, such as the Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Metropolitan, the MoMA and the Guggenheim in New York, the Georges Pompidou Center and the Fons National d'Arts Plastiques in Paris, the Kusnthalle in Hamburg, the Kunstmuseum in Berlin and the Museo de Bellas Artes in Bilbao, among many others.