Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
by
Monica Grose-Hodge
In the summer of 2009 I traveled extensively around
Spain interviewing makers of traditional crafts, asking
them how things had changed since Franco’s era and
what they felt was needed to maintain the industry and
make it thrive in the future.
I am extremely grateful to the Winston Churchill Travel
Fellowship, which enabled me to carry out this work
and hope to use my findings in a bilingual publication
and an exhibition of some of the craftsmanship I came
across.
To follow is an account of most of the people I met in
chronological order.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
CASA FERMIN
This is a world renowned house for bull fighters’ apparel
making the famous ‘suits of lights’. They have always employed a local workforce, training them up in the workshop, however this is no longer the case as the younger
generation is not willing to invest their time in such an
apprenticeship. Furthermore, there are no textile degrees in Spain, so Don Antonio, Casa Fermin’s master
tailor has been looking to France for textile graduates
and is interested in working with the world of Haute
Couture to use their specialist skills.
FUNDACION CENTRO
NACIONAL DE VIDRIO
The brainchild of Áurea Juárez Galindo, this
national centre for glass has attracted famous
artists in this discipline from around the world
to teach short graduate and post graduate
courses. The centre also houses an amazing
museum, a Science Centre and a library for the
study of glass. It receives Government funding
which currently favours the facilities being used
for under-privileged students and school visits,
rather than for encouraging talent to flourish
where it may, and allowing the commercial arm
of the centre to develop. Its location on the
outskirts of Segovia make visiting the Centre
complicated.
ESPERANZA ROMERO
A well-established sculptor who lived in London in the 70s
and went to Camberwell and the Royal Academy of Arts
before returning to Granada where she now lives on the
steep hill leading up to the entrance of the Alhambra. She
takes part in ‘CERCO’, an international fair of contemporary ceramics organized by the Spanish province of Aragón,
the only significant event of its kind in Spain. She laments
the lack of support she has encountered and looks back at
the British Crafts Council with a little envy, explaining that
in Spain ‘freelance’ workers such as artists and craftsmen do
not get any tax breaks.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
RAFAEL MORENO
One of the few great guitar makers left in Granada. Rafa
knew that he wanted to make guitars from a young age.
Much to his mother’s dismay, he left school early and
sought out guitar makers that he admired and worked
with them for many years before setting up on his own.
A true ‘bon viveur’ he is quick to point out that if you
don’t love what you are doing it won’t be really good.
He finds it hard to let go of an instrument he has particularly enjoyed making. Over several glasses of wine
he reflected on the shrinking community of makers in
Granada, who still meet every Wednesday evening to
drink and share stories.
MURINA MENDOZA
She came from the United States of America to
Granada and stayed. Twelve years ago she persuaded
one the last leather workers in the city to teach her
the craft of embossing. Indigenous to this part of Spain,
the ‘Granadina’ style uses the hide of a goat, rather
than that of a cow. Now eighty-six years old, Murina’s
teacher has handed the business over to her. Murina
explained to me that master craftsmen can not take
on apprentices because they would have to start paying
national insurance and so lose their pensions. She is extremely distrusting of the local officials and thought her
efforts of organizing an association had been “a waste
of time”. She also runs one of the few shops dedicated
to the local crafts of this famous city.
RAMON RUBIO
Having specialised in plaster twenty years ago, while finishing a degree in sculpture, Ramon is largely self-taught,
having found much of the available information on the
subject to be incorrect. His background as sculptor and
conservator gives him a unique perspective on the subject, but he remains a lone voice in the field. He has
formed important ties in Morocco where he annually
visits workshops in Fez. He explained that sculptors
in Africa still have the technical skills, but will replace
rather than restore or conserve their cultural heritage.
Ramon is trying to set up a network of studios specializing in the culture of plasterwork around the Mediterranean, establishing collaborations and offering exchanges
between them, although he was at a loss as to where to
find funding for such a project.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
MAUREEN BOOTH
Originally from Norfolk, Maureen and her husband
have lived in Spain for over 40 years, running a studio
with short courses on etching and other print making techniques. She has a strong sense of Granada’s
literary heritage, illustrating books of poetry as well
as organising exhibitions. A typical British persistence has helped galvanizise people into action, and
having failed to set up a craft association, because
“the Spanish are too individualistic”, she is currently
trying to get the local government to convert a disused nineteenth century house into an exhibition
space for local visual and literary artists.
TITO MARTINEZ & SONS
Tito has helped raise awareness of ceramics in Andalucian culture by ammassing a huge collection. He reproduces replicas for the Museum of History in Malaga
and also knows most of the traditional potters in Spain,
meeting them regularly at fairs in this and other regions.
He openly acknowledges that he was fortunate to know
some of the men who ended up in government after the
death of Franco and that having good contacts is vital
in order to succeed. One of his three sons, Pablo, is
talented and speaks eloquently about the latest exhibitions and trends. He would like to take the business into
the world of contemporary ceramics but his traditional
background and his father’s legacy might make this difficult.
RAMÓN GARCÍA ROMERO
A quiet man who has dedicated fifty years to
the ancient leatherworking techniques of the
Umayyads, in which leather is coated with silver
or gold leaf then embossed and painted. These
very elaborate and symbolic pieces were perfected in Cordoba by the ‘Guadamecíes’ in the
tenth century. He is the only person doing this
and has produced works for the Spanish Royal
Family and heads of state in South and North
America. He has opened his own museum.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
RAFAEL CENTELLA PALOMO
Rafael would love to teach the skills he has learnt from
making furniture all of his life, but without a teaching
qualification, he cannot pass on knowledge in an official
capacity. Indeed, the Head of the Carpentry Department at the local School for Applied Arts happened
to be there when I visited Rafael in his workshop, and
admitted he came weekly to continue “learning from
his Master”. Rafael showed me around his small flat
above the workshop, which is crammed with beautiful
pieces he has made for show rather than for clients.
Having remained a bachelor, he sleeps in the bed his
father made for his mother as a wedding gift.
EL ZOCO DE ARTESANOS
This is Cordoba’s equivalent to ‘Cockpit Arts’ or ‘Craft
Central’ in London; a group of studios for makers in a
beautiful courtyard in the centre of this historic city.
Sadly it is owned by the council and so bureaucracy
and lack of funding see it half-empty and lacking the
most basic of things such as a collective website and
help in administration. I spoke to a ceramicist called
Carmen Lucena who has been the spokeswoman for
the Zoco Association since she established it in 2004,
who agreed that money was needed to promote the
Centre more successfully and raise the importance of
Cordoba’s craft heritage.
JUANMA PÉREZ-VINAGRE
Living in Mérida, it is hard to escape the Roman heritage
as it is a place famous for its Roman theatre and museum.
Juanma and his brother have a shop on the main street selling souvenirs of roman reproduction as well as Juanma’s
own signature pieces. With very little education or help,
Juanma has succeeded in making a name for himself, winning
the Regional Prize for Master Craftsman and runner up for
the National Prize of Craftsmanship. He is engaged in community projects and employs mentally disabled men in his
workshop. He admits that running the business, teaching and
applying for competitions are quite time-consuming. All his
award money is spent on traveling and learning about the
contemporary ceramics scene.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
EDUARDO
The last basket weaver in the village of Trujillo, Eduardo is
the third generation of his family to make things out of willow. The entrance to his shop is like a ‘bodega’ with some
steps at the back leading up to a little courtyard with outbuildings for workshops and a trough for soaking the willow
overnight before use. There are works made by his father
and a commission of a bull’s head on display, but his main
work is bar chairs and furniture. Seeing a modern garden
chair, Eduardo admitted that you could buy the same plastic
copy made in China for a tenth of the price. This perhaps
goes some way to explain why weaving and basket-making
are disappearing so rapidly throughout Spain..
JULIÁN SIMÓN GONZÁLEZ
Living in Ceclavín, a remote village near the border with
Portugal, Julián once had a large workshop producing a
very distinctive style of pottery which involves embeding the design with fragments of white stone. Now semiretired, he only produces a small amount. He is the last to
use this technique, yet he sells it for very little money and
so concentrates instead on making rather predictable
souveniers. He finds and prepares his own clay sourced
from the local landscape, which yields a smooth red clay
that can apparently withstand unusually high temperatures when fired. Julian has no contacts with schools or
academies in relation to his craft. Elected ‘Master Craftsman’ of the region in 2005, but has no contacts with
schools or academies.
FÁTIMA QUESADA
Making tiles in the traditional style is not an easy way to make a living. Fatimá was
quick to point out the difficulty in getting people to value traditional tile making
in terms of the skill involved and sustaining this classic craft of this region. She
explained how her industry has to constantly fight for clarification between craft
objects that are hand made and those that are manufactured. Her workshop on
the outskirts of Granada employes skilled craftsmen on a project-by-project basis,
highlighting the irregular income of this profession. 20 years ago European funds
where provided to maintain traditional crafts, however they ended up being used
for vocational training in modern skills such as electrical installations and plumbing. Her concern was that schools for the applied arts have turned their backs on
traditional crafts in favour of innovation, design and modern technology.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
JOSÉ ANTONIO PÉREZ
Zamora is renowned for its religious processions and even
has a museum dedicated to them and their famous floats.
José and his father (pictured here) have a workshop specializing in producing and restoring them and are kept very
busy all year round. His father explained that he had not
gone to art school, but his son had studied carpentry for
five years at Salamanca, (which has now been reduced to a
three year course), and this allows José to teach woodcarving profesionally. On the day I visited, they had two apprentices with them and José was at the college marking exam
papers. Despite being highly respected locally, they have no
contacts abroad. In Spain there still exist a lot of family-run
workshops and it is up to the younger generation to decide
how to maintain the business.
SPANISH TEXTILES
All seventeen autonomous provinces have
their own customs. Traditional Spanish textiles are rarely exhibited in museums and ‘El
Museo del Traje’ (museum of costume) in
Madrid only devotes one room to them, concentrating more on twentieth century fashion trends. There are also no textile courses
at degree level in Spain.
MARIA JESÚS and MERCEDES PASTOR MORÁN
On the outskirt of Zamora is a village famous for producing the regional costume of Extremadura. A centre was built for seamstresses in the
1960s to safeguard this tradition, but only five ladies work on a parttime basis now. These women produce garments that are made either by
embroidering on felt (as seen here), or coloured felt pieces sewn onto a
background and embellished with metal studs. Every garment is unique;
the patterns are allowed to evolve spontaneously, so there are no recorded patterns available. A skirt can take five women three months to
finish and will cost 1,300 euros, or 3,000 Euros for a entire outfit. Initially
Maria Jesus (sitting on the right) was reluctant to let me photograph the
work, this suspicion and protectivism is understandable when trying to
compete with cheaper foreign options. Mercedes understood the importance of raising awareness of the critical state their craft is in and that
garments need to be appreciated more by the public. She felt that the
only way their group of retired ladies would be willing to teach, would be
if they received a fair and regular salary, rather than relying on commission work for a living.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
ANNA CHAPENEY
With a background in conservation, Anna worked
as a curator in Norwich before moving to Spain.
She became interested in the regional textiles and
has collected over 200 samples that were being
thrown away or have been donated to her. As an
outsider, she appreciates the rich heritage of this
area and believes that people need to learn and
take pride in what it has to offer. She dyes her
own wool and offers courses in the ‘Rivera Sacra’
area of Galicia. She is becoming a repsected authority on the subject and is currently writting a
book.
LLUIS GRAU
As a long-standing member of the Basket-makers Association of Britain, he met Anna Chapeney at an event in Birmingham and moved to
Galicia to be with her. Originally from Cataluña, he is passionate about
rescuing traditional shapes of baskets. He loves the various designs and
explains that they have evolved through the nature of their use, rather
than through fashion. During my visit, I saw baskets for carrying different
types of vegetables, baskets used as cradles or in grape picking and mining. In preserving these traditional shapes, you can see how Lluis retains
their functional beauty, but at the same time, allows them to become
more aesthetic and artistic objects. He teaches and gives demonstrations
here and abroad. He and Anna support the Heritage Craft Association,
which is trying to safeguard traditional British craft, but they were not
aware of a national Spanish organization trying to copy what the Crafts
Council has been doing for the last three decades. On hearing about it,
they both agreed that Spain needed to learn from it but that Spain had
very different and unique problems.
ELIAS DE GUNDIVÓS
A laborer rather than a craftsman, Elias is very modest about
his ability to throw a pot on a hand-spun wheel. The pots
are scorched after firing and then the interior is sealed with
melted resin. He sees his skill as an opportunity to put his
village on the map and safeguard its future. Approaching both
local hotels and the regional tourist board, he has successfully publicise his work. He gives demonstrations to the tourists and has been given a bit of money to restore the village
parsonage, a stunning 18th century building with a beautiful
enclosed yard. His planes are to encourage other ceramicists, both students and professionals, to stay in Gundivós to
exchange knowledge. Elias is entrepreneurial and very hard
working. He sees his craft is a means of earning a living and
the fact that he is the last to use this process makes it a more
valuable commodity.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
OSCAR SANCHEZ LOZANO
Having done an evening course in bookbinding during
his student days, he returned to it for part-time work
while studying sculpture at the Slade School of Art in
London. However, he was dissatisfied with the course
that concentrated on theory rather than practical skill
and wanted to use his hands more. He continued to
refine his bookbinding skills at the Wyvern Bindery
on Clerkenwell Road and on his return to Madrid he
opened up a workshop, a reception room and a gallery space, (the eye-catching interior was created by his
partner). In Spain the Book Arts are fairly well represented and there are national awards and professional
courses. Oscar relies upon good old-fashioned ‘word
of mouth’ recommendations for new work, whch keep
him fully occupied.
ANTON HEUNIS
A Jewelry Maker, trained in South Africa and Germany, but now based
in Madrid, Anton has clients in London, New York and Japan. He has
benefited from being able see Spanish Jewellery scene from an international perspective and acknoledges that the work ethic in his own
country is too relaxed for clients abroad. He has found students in
Spain to be poorly trained, having been taught design before basic
techniques and handling of materials. Anton’s appraisal of jewellery
making in Spain is that different regions have different tastes with a vibrant movement currently taking place in Barcelona, where as a more
conservative one is happening where he works in Madrid.
ENRIQUE DE LUCAS TROJADA
A successful building conservator in Toledo, Enrique also
manages to find time working as an artist in traditional and
contemporary crafts. Having always lived in this beautiful city,
he naturally fell into conservation and finds it a useful basis
from which to experiment with old and new processes. He
studied conservation at university in Spain which is a country that can now boast of having a couple of private Conservation Colleges. Even so, Enrique admits there is very little
dialogue taking place with conservators abroad and hard
pushed to name other respected people working in his own
field at home. He explained that conferences are organized
by Suppliers to the trade, rather than the Educational Institutions.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
FRANCISCO BROS GUITARS
Both his parents were guitar makers and Francisco’s son is now working as his apprentice. Having started making guitars 50 years ago, the
family opened its own workshop in 1974. Modern technology has allowed them to compete on an international level by speeding certain
processes up, but the workshop prides it self on traditionat values.
He is a member of the Guild of Spanish Guitar Makers that want to
protect the “Spanish Guitar” from cheap imported replicas. A man
of few words, Francisco’s website and literature go to great lengths
to explaining what differentiates Spanish instruments from others.
Clearly he understands the need to educate his public in order to
gain the respect his workmanship deserves.
GARÍN
Established in the 18th century when Valencia was the world centre for
silk weaving, (over ten thousand weavers were registered in 1774), the
Weaving Company of Garín won a gold medal at the London Universal
Exhibition of 1862. However, disaster struck the industry with deseased
Mulberry trees and terrible flooding soon after.The company is still family run and enjoys a historic reputation, working for English Heritage,
the Bolshoi Theatre and the Catholic Church. They have fifteen full-time
weavers but also produce machine woven textiles. Interestingly, their
largest client is still the local population who spend up to £15,000 on the
silk garments of the regional dress.
TONI MARÍ SART
A force of energy and warmth, Toni’s frst love was wood,
but circumstances lead him to an apprenticeship with a
blacksmith at the age of fourteen. A fortuitous conversation with an architect gave him his first commission as an
artist and now he is one of the best known sculptors in
the region. This part of Alicante has a large proportion of
retired foreigners and Toni admits they have introduced
the concept of public art to the Spanish. A modest man,
he feels fortunate for being in the right place at the right
time. His gratitude and generosity is shown in the time he
dedicates to teaching and taking on apprentices.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
GRACIA JEWELLERY
Trinidad and her husband are keen to show off the Jewellery Makers
who work behind glass at the back of their shop. Trinidad comes from a
family of famous jewellery makers from Valencia and teaches fine art at
degree level. The jewellery they design is based on a rich understanding
of traditional Spanish jewellery as well as a love for the contemporary
and the exotic. They purchase coloured gems as far a field as Brazil and
Asia. Three years ago they designed a workshop/gallery space where
they could design, meet clients and also hold events. The premises are
also regularly let as an exhibition space for postgraduates who Trinidad
works closely with. She admits she learns as much from them, as they do
from her.
ECOMUSEU, Valls D’Àneu
In the southern region of the Pyrenees there is a museum that
collects and displays crafts from this unique area of Spain. More
than that, it has set out to revive traditional crafts in the region by
supporting local craftsmen, holding exhibitions, selling their wares
in the shop and running workshops for the wider community to
engage with. One of the more successful projects has been a sort
of local “ Antiques Road Show” where people are invited to bring
family heirlooms and Specialist’s to appraise and relay their construction and history. The objective is to raise the cultural value
and appeal of crafts within the local area in order to highlight
their place in the region’s cultural identity. Research and conservation is lead by the wonderful Ignasi Ros.
PONT DE QUEROS
A skilled Basket-Maker and an accountant with business acumen,
these two men developed the idea of finding new ways of using
this traditional craft. By working with architects rather than producing small utilitarian objects, they are now working on national
and international projects, the latest being the Spanish Pavilion
at the “Expo Shanghai 2010” designed by Benedetta Tagliabue.
Contemporary designers can and should interpret the value of
traditional skills to produce a full range of new possibilities.
Applied Arts in Contemporary SPAIN
OSCAR ABBA
An Italian by birth, Oscar first took a degree in psychology
in Rome, but changed direction when moving to Barcelona,
studying for three years to be a Jewellery Maker, which included a spell at the prestigious MASSANA Art and Design
School and two apprenticeships, where he learnt the most,
in terms of technique. He enjoys traveling abroad and particularly likes working on projects inspired by historical
references and includes the Victorian and Albert Museum
amongst his clients. He is impressed by British technical
standards and our appreciation for tradition.
TRES TINTAS
In 2004 the Bermejo family revived their wallpaper company by redesigning their archives and
teaming up with the best graphic designers in
Cataluña today. Danny and his two brothers still
work for their father who started the business
50 years ago and their collections can now be
bought in over 36 countries worldwide.
CERÁMICA CUMELLA
Antonio Cumella Serret is an unusual craftsman, in
that he grew up in a highly artistic environment surrounded by famous Spanish artists and writers. His
father worked in artistic ceramics, but Toni has been
directing the family workshop (started in 1880) towards the production of ceramics for building purposes, working closely with famous architects such
as Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue and on important
projects like the Sagrada Familia and Gaudí’s buildings. Thus the production techniques of firing Terracotta to 1.000ºC have evolved into firing stoneware
at temperatures between 1.250-1.300ºC. This relationship with the architectural world is actually driving the present production methods, which can be
classified within three lines, each with its particular
features: standard pieces, building restoration and architectural projects of new conception.Antonio regularly dispatches his son on working holidays abroad
to research ceramics in other countries.
Traveling Itinerary
Madrid:
www.fermin.com
www.fcnv.es
Granada:
www.carruajesperezcervera.com
www.molero.eu
www.abacoarte.com
www.adominguezsa.com
www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/Creditos/608/0/
www.alizaresfatima.com
www.esperanzaromero.com
www.granadastudiovisits.com
www.centroalbaizin.og
www.alhambra-patronato.es/index.php/Creditos/608/0/
Jaen:
www.alfareriatito.com
Cordoba:
www.artesobrepiel.com
Merida:
www.terracotamerida.com
Galicia:
www.annachampeney.com
www.lluisgrau.com
www.obradoirodeartesania.com
Toledo:
www.adralcreaciones.com
Alicante:
www.guitarrasbros.com
www.tonimari.es
Valencia:
www.garin1820.com
www.trinidadgracia.es/
Pyrenees:
www.ecomuseu.com
Barcelona:
www.cumella.net/quefem.htm
www.virmit.com
www.mariscal.com
www.trestintas.com
www.teixidors.com
www.artesania-catalunya.com