The series ‘Norway, the Sublime Soul’ is created using graphite powder on paper. It is sometimes difficult to determine whether the resulting work is a drawing or a monochrome painting. It is, in any case, a distinctive and unusual form of artistic expression.
The series is composed of thirty-two works of different formats and sizes. Twenty-eight of them are made on Fabriano watercolor paper, natural white, 300 g; and four, on Schoeller Doria drawing paper, matte, 300 g.
The technique used is graphite powder, with additive and extractive procedure; and finally retouches with graphite pencils of different hardness.
To exhibit them in Spain, all the works are framed with untreated natural cedar wood strips, and protected with glossy glass and plywood backing, with seven-centimetre margins between the shadow area and the framing.
EPILOGUE. GUEST WORK: THE PURIFYING FIRE XXXIII
To bring the exhibition to a close, I have included a drawing that makes no specific reference to Norway; yet I consider it, in a way, to owe its inspiration to that country, particularly in the landscape in the background.
The Purifying Fire is the title of a series in which fire takes centre stage. For me, the beauty of fire is not destructive; rather, it lies in its power as a healing and renewing force. In this work, it is combined with the other three elements of nature: water, air and earth, symbols of life´s essence.
I carry the memory of fire within me, rooted in a centuries-old tradition in my home village. This ritual features in some passages of my book *La patria de papel*. In it, I combine literature (poetic prose) with illustrations. It is an autobiography that recounts my discovery of art, the evolution of my approach to depicting the landscape, the epiphany I experienced in Norway and, finally, my period of artistic maturity.
Although it will be published in print, I am releasing some chapters in my newsletter. In this digital space, I also write about art, about journeys that have left their mark on me, and about experiences that remain in the back room and in the privacy of my studio.
THE SUBLIME SOUL: BACKGROUND
My interest in Nordic culture began in childhood, when I watched *The Vikings*, directed by the American Richard Fleischer. It was several years before I made my first trip to Norway. It was a formative and defining experience, as I later realised it had given my artistic practice a slightly different meaning. I travelled the length of the country from Oslo to Bergen, passing through places and towns that fascinated me with their beauty: Jostedalsbreen, Lillehammer, Ålesund, Loen, the great fjords… I was inspired in ways that changed my attitude towards art. But they also influenced my outlook on life, which had been heavily shaped by the competitive world I lived in.
At that time, I was combining interior design with painting. My realistic approach to oil painting reflected the spaces I had experienced: architectural settings and natural landscapes where I had lived through everyday or sublime experiences. Following my experience in Norway, however, the nuances in my painting began to shift and blur. That is how I began the transition from colour to black and white. After a while, once that experience had taken root deep within me, I gave up design to devote myself exclusively to art.
I am aware that this transformation – the allure of graphite greys – stems from my first trip to Norway. Following my initial experiments, several series emerged, now a distant memory. In these, the landscapes born of my imagination—impossible to pinpoint to specific locations—became the main motif that transformed my work. This series is the culmination of this entire process.
GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT
In 2018, I returned to Norway fully determined to create the series. Focusing on Skudeneshavn and Haugesund, I immersed myself in the Norwegian landscape and culture. With an open mind and eager to capture every detail of each place, I began to lay the foundations for the project I had in mind. Rogaland and Hordaland proved to be a wonderful source of inspiration.
Once back in Spain, and after a few months’ reflection, I began to develop the initial ideas that had been brewing inside me. In mid-2019, the first sketches emerged, and in November I completed the first work in the series, which I provisionally titled The Norwegian Imprint. It wasn’t a definitive title, merely a clear reference to the profound mark that the two journeys had left, not only on my intentions as an artist, but also deep within my very being.
Poco a poco, mientras he ido trabajando en otras series, han ido saliendo cerca de cuarenta piezas. En esta exposición en L´Alfàs del Pi, se puede ver una selección de veintiocho dibujos.
NORGE: DEN STORARTEDE SJEL
The title Norway: The Sublime Soul suggests the subtlety of the motifs and the evanescence of the treatment I have given to the landscapes. Paradoxically, this is also due to the sheer grandeur of some of the landscapes depicted on paper. It is no coincidence that the first translation I was given into Norwegian was Norge: Den storartede sjel, where *storartede* is understood not only as ‘sublime’, but also as ‘magnificent’ and ‘grand’. Here I present the early version of the video, when the series was still in development.
