Botter's The Musicians.
Botter, The Man and the Horse. Profile picture
Fernando Botero. Photo courtesy of Botero in China
A true painter can paint as far as the eye can see. The world is vast and rich, and I have devoted my whole life to artistic creation, and for me there is not enough time. Every morning, I go to the studio and immerse myself in the creation. I didn't have any professional training, but I have had a great passion for painting since I was a child, and only by immersing myself in it can I feel the real fun and love. In my nineties, I have created more than 4,500 paintings, more than 2,500 paintings in other categories, and more than 350 original sculptures. In my opinion, the passion and love for art, as well as the daily honing of skills, is the only way to become an artist.
Hometown is the scenery of a lifetime
I was born in Medellín, Colombia, in 1932. At that time, there were no major museums in the city, nor any form of art education. Painting to me, as natural as breathing, has longed to become a painter since I was a child. I take a brush to paint the scenery of my hometown, and once I paint, it is a lifetime.
My hometown is the starting point of my artistic career and an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In my paintings, from Medellín one can see Latin America, the people there and their real lives. I left Medellín at the age of 20 to live in another country. People will say that 70 years of time will fade my connection with my hometown, but the memories and atmosphere of Medellín and Latin America are always like a halo in the painting, because I paint from memory.
Once, I was painting in a market, copying a person standing in front of me. When he found out to be my model, he suddenly came over and tore the drawing paper. Since then, I have never copied the person or the scene in front of me. This in turn makes the creation more free, and when I want to paint a house but don't need to see a real house, everything in the painting is a trace of memory. Medellin is so familiar to me, where I learn to live, walk through the streets, walk under the palm trees, and the customs and customs of my hometown are fermented in time, forming a wonderful taste that remains in memory and haunts the end of the pen.
In my memory, many Colombians live in country huts. Thus, my painting of Medellín is surrounded by endless mountain peaks, like a small town on an island. There were no roads, only streets made of dirt or stone; no skyscrapers, just one or two-story houses with whitewashed walls and tiled roofs. The sleeping volcano loomed in the distance, emitting deep purple-red smoke. The vegetation is lush and the green banana trees have wide leaves. Even still lifes are Latin American: tropical fruits on the table, milkshakes with the bright colors of Colombian juice, and a plate of Clio potatoes or hot beans. The people in the painting come from all walks of life, coming out of everyday life in Latin America, dressed casually, happy and peaceful, or on the verge of bathing, or falling off a horse, or fighting bulls. I paint a part of this land of Latin America and the most universal, authentic and pure picture of Latin America.
In my opinion, if a work of art wants to go global, regional characteristics are very important, and it is the land where we live that provide nourishment for creation. Just as his hometown was to William Faulkner, he spent his entire life writing the dusty cities of the American South and the stories that happened to people. In his hometown of Lafayette County, a "stamp-sized" land, Faulkner created a parallel time and space, York Napatafa County, exploring the grand propositions of human beings in one reincarnation after another.
In my artistic creation, "Latin America" runs through it. For example, "bullfighting" is an important folk activity and traditional ritual in Colombia, with distinct regional characteristics. For many years, I have repeatedly painted this theme, using oil paintings, charcoal paintings, watercolors, drawings and other forms to create the world of "bullfighting". There, the clouds were bright, the sand was golden, and the bunting flags were flying, and it was a feast of color; the matadors were brightly dressed, their limbs were strong, and their eyes were resolute. Death hovers between man and cow, filling the still picture with tension. In fact, Goya, Picasso, Dali, etc. have all depicted "bullfighting", which is one of the important and ritualistic themes in the history of painting. By painting "Bullfighting", I showed the customs and traditions of my hometown and merged into the world art tradition.
Stick to your own artistic style
When people think of "Botero style", people often think of "obesity". In fact, these seemingly "bulging" people and things only have a certain volume. At the age of 17, I was interested in performing volume. In early watercolors, I followed my instincts and made a series of attempts. When I studied the works of the master painters in Europe, especially in Italy, I found that Michelangelo, Raphael, Giotto, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca all emphasized volume, which made the picture more visual and sensory impactful, and the color and form more prominent. In art history, however, volume is often overlooked and forgotten, such as in the Middle Ages. It was not until the 14th century that Giotto re-emphasized the importance of volume. Since then, through the 20th century, every painter has expressed volume and space in his work to a greater or lesser extent.
One might say that my work "exaggerates" "volume", but artistic creation itself is exaggerated, Van Gogh and Matisse emphasize color, Botticelli and Giacometti favor beautiful lines, and Botero focuses on volume. Volume creates visual illusions of depth, opening up the possibility of presenting three-dimensional objects on canvas or walls. The perceptual exploration of volume is an aesthetic deformation, and the full form and rich colors make the work more tense and poetic, and can move people's hearts more. I think life is limited, and art should praise things, praise life, and make people feel happy. Therefore, I form a balanced combination of a strong sense of volume, visual harmony, reasonable color collocation and static characters in my works, bringing the viewer an idyllic aesthetic experience. For decades, in all kinds of works, I have always adhered to this artistic style, and it is as unchangeable as my voice.
For example, although I love European painting and love Goya and Velázquez, I still stick to my style when recreating famous paintings. These works are by no means simple reproductions of the masterpieces, they reflect my thinking and interpretation of classical art. I admired these classics in art history, studied and pondered them repeatedly, and honed my painting skills in the nourishment of artistic traditions. But for creators, unique ideas and styles are very important, both to absorb traditions and to form their own styles. You can choose a painter's subject or work, but present it in your own style and make it your original work. So, even if I "recreate" Van Gogh's Sunflowers, the vases and flowers are full of volume, with my label-like art style.
The artist forms a personal style that takes time to irrigate. This style is deepened by the accumulation of life experience, profound by the maturity of ideas, and enriched by the expansion of horizons. Throughout my decades of artistic career, I have always maintained my style and never wavered in the face of doubts. Through years of tempering, through the continuous addition of new creative themes and the formation of new creative sequences, my personal style has become more certain and more distinct, and has been recognized by audiences around the world.
Someone once said to me that my works are reminiscent of the artistic style of the Tang Dynasty in China, those plump ladies, those strong horses. I love the art of the Tang Dynasty and want to come to China to admire these beautiful works and magnificent architecture. It has always been my dream to come to China to hold an exhibition. In 2015, this long-cherished wish was realized, "Botero in China: Exhibition of Works by Fernando Botero" was held at the National Museum of China.
Looking back on this trip to China, the children's smiling faces left the deepest impression on me. On the first day of the exhibition, many students came to visit, and they were very excited and very happy to see my paintings. Medellin is so far away from Beijing, and I was pleasantly surprised and touched by the fact that these works with a strong Latin American flavor are appreciated by so many Chinese children on the other side of the world. The Palace Museum also haunts me, and the big red of this majestic royal building renders my memory. Later, I used this solemn and beautiful red color in many works.
Words are not enough to express my admiration and love for China, which has developed rapidly. At present, I am planning to hold an exhibition in China, hoping to make the trip as soon as possible and come to China again, this beautiful and elegant country.
(The author is a famous Colombian painter and sculptor, interviewed and arranged by Wang Jiake)
Typography: Cai Huawei
People's Daily ( 2022-04-25 17th edition)