I would like to define what I am not as an artist: I am not a conceptual artist who needs to be educated in order to understand that Marcel Duchamp was not a conceptual artist but rather an artist who would play with concepts as everyone does... or that Joseph Boeuys created great objects by using a context that appears before us magically, only once we realize what the work is about (if we do realize it, which of course, is not the artist's problem).

I am not an artist who paints abstract figures, because I believe that figurative art is the greatest means of expression of all times. It was powerful when it was used in the first paintings of a hand created by hungry, scared human beings and found in dark and secret caverns, and it is still powerful now that it has evolved into Lucien Freud's flamboyant and infinitely sad paintings. Figurative art has resisted every war, every attack, every change of fashion or taste and every temptation. It has repeatedly recreated the world, and its complexity extends far beyond the mere composition of colours and rhythm, which are the main elements in abstract art in most cases.

I am not anymore a young person looking for fame. I have been working alone for 15 years precisely because I do not crave fame and fortune. I am not someone who will back down in the face of adversity; I believe that art is something that ought to be pursued in every place and in every moment, even if the circumstances don't help. Sometimes, in fact, painting in the face of adversity is the best way to discover that creation, and not creativity, is the possibility of making art even when circumstances make it almost impossible.

As a painter, I am not tremendously interested in influences, although I have learned everything I know by observing the work of both living and dead painters, from Masaccio, Titian and Caravaggio to the revolutionary Courbet; from Van Gogh, Soutine, Picasso and Bonnard to German expressionism, Beckmann in particular, as well as Bacon, Ofili, Richter and of course Freud. I cannot list every inspiration or influence that has contributed to shape my vision. Furthermore, I do feel that it is reality which interests me most. The visions I develop come from my observation of myself and others, as well as the way other people see themselves. What I am most interested in, is how my painting can reveal their secrets as well as my own.

I am not unconscious of the world around me, so my research is a constant challenge to understand all the questions that haunt me through a keen observation of the world around me and through a constant attempt to engage with it. Communication is a fundamental aspect of my life and work, and I hope to keep learning until the end of my life. I cherish advice and suggestions, particularly in relation to my work.

In my paintings, a branch of cherry blossom through its composition can become a scorpion while keeping all the beauty of spring's pink colours; a flower can thus become a weapon. My self-portrait with long neck and neon can allow one to consider the object as finding its ultimate meaning in a place outside the painting, initiating a dialogue between the subject (me) and the gaze of the spectator. In this case, every circumstance both is described and hidden at the same time, as if in a game of mirrors between the canvas and the "outside world." All my art can be interpreted in this way.


I work with real models; life, real objects and lighting are the substance I want to investigate. In my most recent work, the use of grey, works to create an intense level of light that can allow me to explore the effect of suspension and absence of gravity. I aim to decontextualize objects; rather than erase their significance, I intend to rediscover their meaning and find a new interpretation of reality within their shapes.

As for my education, I have to say I consider myself an autodidact. My learning has come from the many lessons I absorbed from classic and contemporary writers, art historians, musicians etc. I have also drawn my inspiration from the study of western imagery, through all its expressions, from aspects of renaissance paintings to Internet pornography. I am inspired by and interested in all human expression as a way to understand history and hopefully to find my place in it.

Rodolfo Villaplana
Visual Artist.


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