2006-2007 - Artists from the Casa de Velázquez

“It is always a privilege to get to know a work of art at the very beginning of its creation – from the birth of an idea to the creation of an artwork. This elaboration process is what usually interests us the most, we who consider the work of an artist – I shall use that word although I dislike it –as an aesthetic (and philosophical) construction aimed at sharing values and ideas, generally closely linked to the life of the author – I like that word better – and the environment in which he works. When we can observe and understand the work being done in a place like the Casa de Velázquez, our honor is far greater as we are in a place that is devoted to training and supporting young artists as they improve their creative language. The author of these words, invited to look at the work of six residents and write a paper on them, feels almost like a voyeur – half indiscreet visitor and half naturalist observer. He is ready to dissect the work of these young artists that will be presented at the exhibition.

We are lucky enough that these six authors work in different fields, thus presenting a wide variety of creative outlets: sculptures and installations with David Israel, photography with Emmanuelle Duron-Moreels, drawings with Sarah Fouquet, modern paintings with Matthieu Lemarié, minimalist paintings with Christophe Prat and portrait (almost psychological analyses) by Yann Thoreau.
These works of art come from various genres and give a good overview of the work being done at the Casa.

Text by Juan-Ramón Barbancho (PhD in Art History, critic and independent curator)