“Espanas y números”

Carmelo Hernando

03/06/10. (Sala 271)

Pop art which removes things from its context, also has its priests and Carmelo Hernando (Haro, 1954) is one of them. He studied comics, design and photomontage. He is an alchemist of image, art rhetoricals and techniques and of the popular mass culture. He has put art serialization to one side with the intention to go back to the painters’ workshop.

The materialism of pigments and time are his new allies and ironically the reason behind the title given to his return at La Sala Vinçon: Memorialismo Pop. He has chosen two series from his latest oil works based on time themes: Espanas and Numbers. The subject of the first series is history and the latter is mythology.

In Numbers Hernando makes an inventory of icons and fetishes dating as far back as Venus of Willendorf up until today, his likes and dislikes are evident.

On the contrary, Espanas is the measure of a life: 55 years, the age of the artist. Here the strategy is different, and it requires a political interpretation. The insufficient narration of the images to describe historical aspects is where the critical resource of montage plays a part. Hernando believes that recent history in Spain dating back to the 70’s until today is not enchanting.

Hernando says all this might be the reason why he now, thanks to oil painting, has finally learnt to narrate using images.