José María Yturralde
Eón, 2019 (left) and Hygieia, 2021 (right)
The titles of the works that make up these Constellations invoke stars and celestial spheres, refer to both stars and gods from different religions and cultures (Egyptian, Greek, Japanese, Arab), linking the perception of celestial phenomena with their relationship to the cycles of nature and mystical beliefs. These spaces of meditation have the conciseness of expression and emotional intensity of a haiku, forming poetic dialogues with time, space and emptiness.
Mérope, 2021 (left), Zaniah, 2021 (middle), and Cygni, 2021 (right) - works from Enso Series -
Starting with the series Enso, his interest in the symbolism and transcendence of the circle has developed. In Zen Buddhism it evokes the universe, emptiness and infinity, while for other cultures it is associated with the concept of perfection and the sacred, of the beginning and the end.
Keb, 2021 (left), Byakko, 2021 (middle), and Satyt (Enso Series), 2021 (right)
The titles in the current exhibition invoke stars and celestial spheres, like some of those in Horizons, where he reflected on the sublime and contemplation. And while previous compositions embraced Eclipses and Twilights, his new works also include Abysses exploring the curved line.
José María Yturralde (Cuenca, 1942) has been recognized by the jury of the National Prize for Plastic Arts for his “trajectory with a high level of experimentation that has connected art and science, and in which his work of spatial and formal research stands out, his teaching task in the field of research on mathematical parameters, along with artistic ones”.
In the jury of this prize given by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, María Dolores Jiménez - Blanco (general director of Fine Arts) has been the president and Carmen Giménez (deputy director of the State Museums) has been the vice president this year. The jury included Àngels Ribé (artist), Juan Carlos Moya (project manager of CEART Fuenlabrada), Manuel Fontán del Junco (director of the Fundación Juan March), José Luis Pérez Pont (director of the Comunidad Valenciana Consortium of Museums), Orlando Britto (director of CAAM Las Palmas), Begoña Torres (deputy director of Registers and Documentation of the Historic Heritage) and Susana Blas (curator).
