Martin Chirino

MARTÍN CHIRINO LÓPEZ (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1925 - Madrid, 2019)
"Untitled".
Etching on paper, copy 15/30.
Signed and numbered by hand.
Measurements: 49 x 75 cm, 80 x 116 cm (frame).

In this work on paper, Martín Chirino develops one of the central signs of his plastic language: the curved, open and dynamic form, close to the spiral and organic root structures. The composition is articulated by means of an energetic line that seems to emerge, rotate and expand in space. The resulting form refers both to the artist's sculptural spirals and to natural or archaic elements, common in his imaginary. Chirino does not describe a concrete figure, but rather constructs an essential sign, charged with movement, tension and poetic resonance.

The work evidences the artist's ability to transfer to paper the same principles that underlie his three-dimensional production: contained energy, rhythm, balance between matter and emptiness, and a profound reflection on form as symbol.

Martín Chirino was one of the great Spanish sculptors of the second half of the 20th century and a founding member of the El Paso group. His work is characterized by the use of wrought iron, the spiral and symbolic forms inspired by the Atlantic culture, the aboriginal world of the Canary Islands and the international avant-garde. He is represented in important collections and museums, including the Reina Sofía Museum, IVAM, CAAM and the Juan March Foundation.