Pablo Lara participates in theTransArte exhibition, at the Benalmádena Costa Exhibition Center, in collaboration with Mariola Membrives, with his Jondo collection, an interaction between voice and aesthetic resonators. Plastic-musical dialogue in a complete and significant message with the jondo as a space of access to the pure, to the essential.
-Pablo, what does your exhibition proposal for TransArte consist of?
-My proposal is an investigation into the aesthetics of flamenco, of the jondo. Beyond more folkloric representations, there is a jondo culture in our land that has its mainstay in flamenco, but that is present in our way of being, in our way of relating and living, of having passed as a culture until today. In this exhibition, in addition to the sculptures that try to capture this essence, the performance carried out with the cantaora Mariola Membrives, to show the dialogue between sculpture and voice.
– What is the jondo aesthetic resonator?
-They are sculptures that serve as amplifiers of the essential, that remind us of the greatness, values and deep feelings that we are capable of putting into play on this earth. They are mirrors of our culture.
-Tell us what role the artist Mariola Membrives plays in your creation…
-Flamenco is especially present in music, theater, photography, even cinema. Within these disciplines there are some creators who are currently taking flamenco to really interesting levels of research, incorporating new concepts and drinking from the old springs. In baile the greatest representative for me is undoubtedly Rocío Molina and in cante Mariola Membrives. Mariola is a student of ancient flamenco, but also of jazz, of the most contemporary investigations, she searches where no one else dares and comes out victorious… she is a very wise being. And she is also very sincere, so I could investigate with her this relationship between aesthetics and voice knowing, not only that the process was going to be of the highest quality, but also that the result was going to be true.
-At that moment when Membrives stands in front of your sculptures, what feelings does he tell you that inspire him?
-The moment Mariola interacts with the sculptures, magic happens. Feelings appear, of the most varied and deep, although a spirituality also appears, a greater connection or call it what we want. It happens that things start to fit and for her it makes sense and for me too, without words we know that the resonators work.
-I have seen the fusion or symbiosis of flamenco with dance, painting, poetry… but I never imagined seeing it hand in hand with sculpture…
-Picasso already started it when he worked on primitivism in sculpture. The primitive is deep. But it is true that in Andalusia sculpture related to our deepest culture is not worked much. Curious.
-You have trained both in Spain and in London, but instead of focusing on what could be more commercial, you waste a great passion for disseminating the “knowledge of our land”, of Andalusia… In addition to flamenco, have you incorporated other artistic branches or have you been inspired by Andalusian authors in any of your creations?
-Traveling abroad has always reaffirmed me in the cultural capacity of Andalusia. We are exporters of art like no other region in Europe and yet we still do not invest in this powerful industry that we have. Berlin, London, New York are necessary places for any artist. I love to know what is being done in the world, I follow many foreign artists, but my great daily references to inspire me continue to be Lorca, Alexandre, Machado, Falla, Valderrama, La Paquera… not only because they are great masters, but also because they are telling part of my own life, I am more in contact with them in some way.
-What techniques and materials do you use in your creative process?
-Lately I’m more focused on iron. This material called me at a time when I wanted to tell something old, something profound. Although I love working with clay, painting and exploring materials in general. Each story has a different material and way of proceeding. I can’t stop researching this.
-Many flamenco artists have told me that, as is often said, they are not prophets in their land in terms of public recognition as well as financially…Personally, it frustrates me to observe the passion that exists abroad for our people , while here they are not valued the same… does something similar happen to you sculptors?
-If the performing arts and music are bad, I won’t even tell you about painting and sculpture. There is widespread poverty. I have worked 15 years as an engineer living very dignified being one of the average. To live as an artist in a dignified way that does not work. And it takes more artists than engineers in the world to make it a more habitable place. Malaga is one of the few places where they are realizing that culture gives money, quality tourism and identity. If this became general, another rooster would sing for us. Or maybe we would have to cut a road with sculptures and paintings, can you imagine? What a good performance. Of course I could go to France, Denmark, Sweden and earn a living without problems as an artist, but I prefer to be here present transforming our society from within. In fact, my deep aesthetic resonators are my way of influencing and communicating the need for change.
DO YOU WANT TO MEET THE ARTIST PABLO LARA?
- Friday, August 5: Workshop at the Benalmádena Costa Exhibition Center to discover the keys to Lara’s work and a guided tour. Free admission at 7:00 p.m.
- You can visit TransArte: art beyond formatat theBenalmádena Costa Exhibition Center throughout the summer
- To know more: Benalmádena, a national benchmark for avant-garde digital art
