Manolo Quejido

MANOLO QUEJIDO (Seville, 1946).
"Mallorca"; 2004.
Acrylic on cardboard.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 63 x 50 cm.
Mallorca was a recurrent theme in the painting of Quejido, who dedicated several series to it. This work focuses on a daily image where the exterior merges with the interior that is appreciated through a vain that opens in the center towards the landscape. In this case the theme is centered on the figure of the painter and the model, a recurring theme in the artistic tradition. The influence of Matisse is evident in the conception of the model's body forms, as well as a small nod to Warhol in the silhouette of the flower that appears in the scene.
Manolo Quejido is considered one of the most outstanding artists of the generation that practiced the new figuration. He was an integral member of the Nueva Figuración Madrileña and a pioneer in the use of computers for creative purposes in Spain. His painting moves between the everyday and the monumental, and is characterized by a vibrant chromatism charged with a vital and festive joy. His artistic production, in which he adopts an ironic and provocative attitude, draws from the figurative tradition, which he resolves in large formats with large areas of color and gestural brushstrokes. In 1997 the IVAM Valencian Institute of Modern Art organized the exhibition "Manolo Quejido. 33 years in resistance", in which more than a hundred of his works could be seen. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including the one held at IVAM, "Manolo Quejido. 33 years in resistance", in which more than a hundred of his works could be seen. His work is part of museums and public collections such as Artium Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo (Vitoria), CAAC Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (Seville), IVAM Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (Valencia) or MNCARS Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid).