LUICHMAN: THE INVENTOR OF THE TRAGI-OPTIMISM
For
that which psychology has defined with the word resilience and which
has generated abundant literature in all fields (from business
administration to self help manuals), Luichman came up with a much more
explanatory term: tragi-optimism. It might not have the exact
connotations for him as the academic term, but both terms allude to the
capacity to confront critical situations with a good sense of humour: a
joie de vivre that keeps us afloat in spite of adversity.
A
continuous shuffle of references an styles, mixing periods and
concepts: borrowing from Bad Painting and magazine cut outs which
produce mutant characters that coexist with cabaret dancers from the
Belle Epoque; the goyesque traditions and the hispanic grotesque which
are balanced with large doses of naif humour. Raw eroticism and revised
pop: classical art and the giants and big heads of Catalan folklore.
Alloys and impurities dodge the unambiguous interpretations of the
dissolute and ingenious nature of the characters.
Our
attention falls mainly on the expressivity of their faces, due to the
fact that their animalistic features come to surface gradually over a
greyish layer, as if a kind of grattage were revealing them. Many of
these grotesque beings are modern allegories about money, superstition
(luck), naivety (strip poker face) In these zoomorphic words, the
porkish characters do not represent oppressive powers like in George
Orwell’s fable, but the another range of losers and spongers (La ultima
copa, Casanova). Elephant men, bears and yorkshires complete the human
fauna. Smiling bankers, melancholic drinkers, lost sirens and one-eyed
aphrodites, conceited hedonists whose heads grow flowers and modernise
the popular arquetypes that have traditionally characterised giants and
big heads.
Luichman
(Lluis Costa Fontanet) created the Tragi-Optimism concept to define a
period to which he belongs. His entire body of work (drawings, collages
and iron sculptures are impregnated with this sarcastic vision of
current society. During his career he has worked with renown artists in
diverse creative fields from whom he has learnt and acquired work. The
most relevant are: Elsa Peretti, Mel Ramos, Barry Flanagan, Miguel Mila,
Alfonso Mila, Kiko Veneno, Fer, Kim, Manolo Garcia, Muchachito, Raul
Cimas, Edu Soto ,Joan Sanahuja, Francesc Puig.
LUICHMAN: EL INVENTOR DEL TRAGI-OPTIMISMO
Sus
esculturas en hierro, collages y dibujos transmiten esa filosofía vital
predominante en nuestra época: la joie de vivre que nos mantiene a
flote a pesar de la adversidad. Baraja infinitas referencias, reciclando
géneros y estilos, mezclando épocas y conceptos: préstamos del Bad
Painting y recortes de revistas producen caracteres mutantes que
conviven con cabareteras de la Belle Epoque; la tradición goyesca y el
esperpento hispánico se equilibran con altas dosis de humor naïf.
Erotismo descarnado y pop revisitado; arte clásico y folclore catalán de
gegants i capgrossos. Aleaciones e impurezas que esquivan
interpretaciones unívocas sobre los comportamientos disolutos e ingenuos
de los personajes. En la expresividad de sus rostros recae
principalmente nuestra atención, por tratarse de rasgos animalizados que
afloran bajo una capa grisácea de modo gradual, como si una especie de
grattage los fuera revelando Muchos de estos seres grotescos son
alegorías modernas relacionadas con el dinero, la superstición (Suerte),
la ingenuidad (Strip-poker face)… En estas parábolas zoomorfas, los
personajes porcinos no representan al poder represor como en la fábula
de George Orwell, sino que encarnan toda una gama de losers y vividores
(La última copa, Casanova). Hombres-elefante, osos y yorkshires
completan la fauna humana. Banqueros sonrientes, afroditas tuertas,
bebedores melancólicos, sirenas extraviadas y ufanos hedonistas de cuyas
cabezas germinan flores actualizan los arquetipos populares que
tradicionalmente habían caricaturizado los gigantes y cabezudos.
Luichman
(Lluis Costa Fontanet) creó el concepto Tragi-Optimismo para definir la
época de la que forma parte. Toda su obra (dibujo, collage y escultura
en hierro) se impregna de esta visión sardónica de la sociedad actual. A
lo largo de su inquieto recorrido artístico y vital ha trabajado con
artistas de renombre pertenecientes a distintos ámbitos creativos, con
los que ha aprendido y han adquirido obra suya, destacando: Elsa
Peretti, Mel Ramos, Barry Flanagan, Miguel Mila, Alfonso Mila, Kiko
Veneno, Fer, Kim, Manolo Garcia, Muchachito, Raul Cimas, Edu Soto ,Joan
Sanahuja, Francesc Puig.