Ceesepe

"CEESEPE"; CARLOS SÁNCHEZ PÉREZ (Madrid, 1958 - 2018).
"The day Bombita dies", 1986.
Acrylic on canvas.
Signed, dated and titled at the bottom.
Measurements: 92 x 72 cm; 96 x 75 cm (frame).

Ceesepe creates in "El día que muera Bombita" a tragicomic and kitsch scene, a colorful and pop chronicle of events that demystifies the solemn rite of bullfighting to turn it into a vibrant and accessible popular melodrama. The work is also an emblematic example of Ceesepe's unmistakable style and the spirit of the Movida Madrileña.

The composition, of exacerbated theatricality, is inspired by classical religious iconography such as the "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" or a "Pieta", but substituting the sacred figures with archetypes from the world of bullfighting and social chronicles. The central focus is the languid figure of Bombita, the bullfighter protagonist, who lies dying or dead in the arms of his cuadrilla. His bright yellow suit of lights contrasts with the pallor of his face, accentuating the drama of the moment. Ceesepe, in the manner of a comic vignette or photonovel, labels almost all the characters, defining their role in this pop tragedy. Supporting Bombita we find "Luis Mejía, un Idiota", male figures who, together with "El Mozo Sabio" and "El Relator" on the left, complete the matador's entourage.

Sentimental conflict is key to the scene. On the ground, in a pose of devotion and pain, is "Your Official Bride". Her gaze is directed pleadingly toward Bombita, representing formal and acknowledged love. In stark contrast, to the right and standing, stands the figure of "The Lover", a woman in a sensual red dress who, with an affected and dramatic gesture of pain, embodies clandestine passion. The title is integrated into the work itself, reinforcing its character as a poster or cover of a tragic story.

Ceesepe uses a palette of pure and saturated colors without gradations, applied on flat surfaces. A thick black outline delimits all the figures, emphasizing the influence of comics and pop art. The elongated bodies and extreme postures, seeking maximum dramatic and visual impact, are also the artist's hallmark.

Painter, illustrator and cartoonist, Ceesepe was one of the protagonists of the Movida madrileña, and began his career in the world of underground comics in the mid-seventies in Barcelona, in contact with Max, Nazario and Mariscal, among others. He published comics in the magazines "Star" and "Bésame mucho", and in 1980 he made the poster for Almodóvar's "Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón". In 1982 an exhibition was dedicated to him at the Menéndez Pelayo University, and two years later he became one of the best-selling authors at ARCO. Some time later he left comics and focused on painting, exhibiting his work in Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva and New York, among other cities. His work has been collected in books such as "El difícil arte de mentir", "París-Madrid", "Libro blanco" or "El arte de morir", and in 2011 the Spanish Council of Ministers awarded him the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts. Ceesepe is currently represented in several private collections, as well as in the Museum of Contemporary Art of Madrid, the Ateneo of the same city, etc.