Martín Chirino López (1 March 1925 – 11 March 2019) was a Spanish sculptor. Cofounder of the group El Paso (The Step) in 1957, Chirino worked mainly with iron and his work is categorized as
abstract art
Abstract art uses visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world.
Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th ...
.
Biography
First years
Chirino was born on 1 March 1925 in
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in the auton ...
, in the
Las Canteras
Las Canteras is a '' barrio'' (neighbourhood or district) of Montevideo, Uruguay.
Location
This barrio borders Malvín Norte to the west, Maroñas / Parque Guaraní to the northwest, Bañados de Carrasco to the north and northeast, Carrasco N ...
area.
![Lady Harimaguada-Chirino-Las Palmas de Gran Canaria](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Lady_Harimaguada-Chirino-Las_Palmas_de_Gran_Canaria.jpg)
In 1948 Chirino traveled to Madrid, where he studied at the
Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal acad ...
.
In 1952 he finished his Fine Arts studies obtaining the degree of professor. The next year he traveled to London where he attended classes at the
Royal Academy of Arts
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
where he finished his education as a sculptor. After that he returned to Las Palmas where he developed a strong cooperation with his friend
Manolo Millares
Manolo Millares (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, 17 January 1926 – Madrid, 14 August 1972) was a Spanish painter.
Biography
Self-taught as an artist, Millares was introduced to Surrealism in 1948. In 1953, he moved to Madri ...
.
Relocation to Madrid. El Paso
After doing his first exhibitions in the
Canary islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
Chirino traveled to Madrid on 14 September 1955, along with his friends
Manolo Millares
Manolo Millares (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, 17 January 1926 – Madrid, 14 August 1972) was a Spanish painter.
Biography
Self-taught as an artist, Millares was introduced to Surrealism in 1948. In 1953, he moved to Madri ...
, Elvireta Escobio,
Manuel Padorno and Alejandro Reino.
He did his first individual exhibition at the
Ateneo de Madrid
The Ateneo de Madrid ("Athenæum of Madrid") is a private cultural institution located in the capital of Spain that was founded in 1835. Its full name is ''Ateneo Científico, Literario y Artístico de Madrid'' ("Scientific, Literary and Artistic ...
. In February 1957 the group
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
(The Step) was founded, with
Antonio Saura,
Manolo Millares
Manolo Millares (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, 17 January 1926 – Madrid, 14 August 1972) was a Spanish painter.
Biography
Self-taught as an artist, Millares was introduced to Surrealism in 1948. In 1953, he moved to Madri ...
, Manuel Rivera,
Rafael Canogar
Rafael may refer to:
* Rafael (given name) or Raphael, a name of Hebrew origin
* Rafael, California
* Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Israeli manufacturer of weapons and military technology
* Hurricane Rafael, a 2012 hurricane
Fiction
* ''R ...
,
Luis Feito
Luis Feito López (13 October 1929 – 7 February 2021) was a Spanish painter. His work was influenced by cubism and informalism. Feito lived and worked in Madrid until his death from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madrid in February 2 ...
, Antonio Suárez,
Pablo Serrano
Pablo Serrano Aguilar, (8 March 1908, Crivillén, Teruel – 26 November 1985, Madrid) was a Spanish abstract sculptor.
Personal life
1920–1925. Pablo Serrano studied as a boarder in the Escuelas Profesionales Salesianas in Sarriá (Barcel ...
,
Juana Francés, José Ayllón and Manuel Conde. Martín Chirino joined the group after his exhibition at the Ateneo de Madrid, along with
Manuel Viola.
In May 1960 the El Paso group was dissolved due to internal differences. Chirino then opened his workshop in
San Sebastián de los Reyes
San Sebastián de los Reyes (colloquially called "Sanse") is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1492, it is located north of Madrid.
Geography
It forms an urban continuum with the neighboring Alcobendas,
Transport ...
designed by Antonio Fernández Alba, an architect close to the disbanded El Paso group.
Solo work
![Mediterránea (M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Mediterr%C3%A1nea_%28M._Chirino%29_MEAL_Madrid_01.jpg)
In 1964, a two-month trip to Greece inspires his "Mediterránea" series. In 1966 he attended the inauguration of the
Museo de Arte Abstracto Español in
Cuenca, Spain
Cuenca () is a city and municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha. It is the capital of the province of Cuenca.
Etymology
Its name may derive from the Latin ''conca'' meaning "river basin", referring t ...
, the museum purchased two of his works for its permanent collection: "Raíz" (1958) and "El Viento" (1966).
In 1969 the Grace Borgenicht Gallery of New York City, hosted a solo exhibition of "Mediterráneas". The sculptures in this collection are made of iron sheets painted in vivid colors. Around this time Chirino started to work with sheets, creating hollowed volumes.
At the ''X Concorso Internazionale del Bronzetto de Padova'' Chirino was given his first international award. At a new exhibition at the Grace Borgenicht Gallery, he presented his new collection, the “Aeróvoros”, apparently ingravid, flying sculptures that where baptized by Maud Westerdahl. The
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Museums in this group include:
Locations
Americas
* The Solomon R. Guggenhei ...
acquired one.
In 1978 he received the first prize at the International Biennale of sculpture in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
.
In 1979 his exhibition "Afrocan" at the Grace Borgenicht Gallery received positive reviews from the New York press.
260px, _Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife">Canarian_Parliament_Building,_
_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife">Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.">Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.html"_;"title="Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife">Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.
In_1980_he_received_the_Spanish_National_Award_for_Plastic_Arts_(Spain).html" ;"title="Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife..html" ;"title="Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.html" ;"title="Canarian Parliament Building,
Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.">Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.html"_;"title="Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife">Canarian_Parliament_Building,_Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.
In_1980_he_received_the_Spanish_National_Award_for_Plastic_Arts_(Spain)">National_Award_for_Plastic_Arts_for_his_body_of_work._Five_years_later_he_was_awarded_the_Gold_Medal_of_Merit_in_the_Fine_Arts_(Spain).html" ;"title="Santa Cruz de Tenerife">Canarian Parliament Building, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.">Santa_Cruz_de_Tenerife.html" ;"title="Canarian Parliament Building, Santa Cruz de Tenerife">Canarian Parliament Building, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In 1980 he received the Spanish National Award for Plastic Arts (Spain)">National Award for Plastic Arts for his body of work. Five years later he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (Spain)">Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts.
In 1989 Chirinos was appointed director of the newly inaugurated Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno (CAAM) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. At the time he was also director of the Círculo de Bellas Artes of Madrid a position he had held since 1982.
In 1996 "Lady Harimaguada" was inaugurated, it was later adopted as a symbol of the city and the design used as the trophy awarded at the
Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 1999 his Spiral was installed at the
Canarian Parliament
The Parliament of the Canary Islands is the regional legislature of the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. The Parliament has seventy members and members serve on four-year terms. The parliament is based in Santa Cruz de Tenerif ...
Building, that uses it as its symbol. The
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also known as the ULPGC (''Spanish'' Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is a Spanish university located in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital city of Gran Canaria island. It is the univ ...
also includes in its logo an image of the sculpture "El Pensador" installed at its Tafira campus.
In 2002 Chirino resigned as director of the CAAM, in the middle of a controversial remodeling of the museum.
on 11 October 2014 he was appointed as honorary member of the
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
The Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (RABASF; ), located on the Calle de Alcalá in the heart of Madrid, currently functions as a museum and gallery. A public law corporation, it is integrated together with other Spanish royal acad ...
.
Martín Chirino died in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
on March 11, 2019 at the age of 94.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chirino, Martin
Spanish male sculptors
1925 births
2019 deaths
20th-century Spanish sculptors
20th-century Spanish male artists
21st-century Spanish sculptors
People from Las Palmas
21st-century Spanish male artists