José Casas

About the work

From the outset, the landscape of Blanca proved to be an inspiring and decisive element. Its terrain, with its imposing rocky mountains, contrasted with the softness of the clear blue sky, creating a fascinating visual interplay between texture and color. I observed how the light of day and night transformed the appearance of the same element, giving it an ephemeral nature that I wanted to convey in my work. In my paintings, delicacy and tenderness are combined with the harshness of the landscape, giving rise to a sensory and conceptual exploration of the environment.

My walks through the village and its surroundings became a process of observation and reflection that I later captured in sketchbooks and preliminary drawings. These records became the basis of the project, allowing each work to be born from a direct relationship with the territory. Even the Negra center itself, with its peculiar architecture and dialogue with the local rocks, became part of the aesthetic and conceptual discourse in my work. The way in which natural elements burst into built spaces reflected the idea of coexistence between the organic and the artificial, a concept that I sought to convey in my pieces.

To carry out the project, I purchased second-hand fabrics at the local market. These materials, with their own history and symbolic significance linked to intimacy and everyday life, were integrated into my artistic process in a natural way. Pillowcases, sheets, and handkerchiefs, with their particular embroidery and textures, were respected and enhanced in the process of pictorial intervention. The primer applied to the fabrics was key to giving them an organic and sculptural appearance, using a mixture of wood glue, matte plaster, and lime, materials typical of rural construction. Through folds and pressure, I caused accidents and cracks that gave the pieces a unique character, evoking the textures of the Blanca landscape.

The painting process was strongly influenced by the landscape, both in its materiality and visual expression. This relationship was reflected in the title of the final exhibition, “El cielo me cuenta algunas mentiras” (The sky tells me some lies), which marked the culmination of my stay at the residency. The exhibition was presented at the Centro Párraga, consolidating the process of research and materialization of the works created at Negra.

In collaboration with Acción Cultural Española.