Almeida

José Luis ALMEIDA nace en Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Es Escenógrafo y vestuarista teatral (Universidad del Salvador de Buenos Aires) residente en Barcelona desde 1986. Gradualmente va concentrándose en la pintura como forma de expresión y aunque se considera esencialmente autodidacta enriqueció conocimientos haciendo cursos especiales en el estudio de los pintores Joaquim Santaló y Ramón Boter. Continuó investigando en su personal manera de expresarse plásticamente y a partir del año 1999 comienza a exponer su obra.

Coleccionistas privados de España, Argentina, México, Inglaterra, Francia, Italia, Holanda, Dinamarca, Suiza, Alemania, Estados Unidos, Bélgica y Australia poseen obras de Almeida.

«Muchas veces en los pintores figurativos encontramos justo eso: figuras, más ó menos definidas, trabajadas, reconocibles, pero la mayoría de ocasiones vacías de un significado concreto y filosófico. No hay en la creación de las mismas más interés informativo que la pura estética de la presencia humana y su entorno.
No es el caso de José Luis Almeida con un estilo y técnica inconfundibles que es la totalidad de su obra.
Escenógrafo, diseñador de vestuarios para teatro y danza, artista multidisciplinar (amante del cabaret y el music hall), este argentino afincado en Barcelona ha ido cosiendo su propia muñeca de trapo, un personaje a su medida en el que ha ido pegando retazos de cada mujer conocida en la noche, y también pequeños trozos de él mismo, sus triunfos y fracasos personales.
Su personaje central “Dadde”, representa -más que una serie de pintura figurativa-, el retrato de una sub-sociedad latente y viva a la que tantas veces se le niega el respeto y la cordura debidas.
A veces nos presenta a su musa como una “santa no santificada”, pues (siendo de todo menos virgen) agrupa las bondades y generosidad que las santas y mujeres venerables deberían tener. Éste aire sacro lo consigue utilizando en ocasiones una estética un tanto barroca. Dignifica a la mujer y establece una relación de admiración y respeto por parte del espectador hacia Dadde, su vida y su realidad.
Es una reivindicación, una promesa, un deseo intrínseco en todos los seres tolerantes del mundo hacia una realidad en la que cuenten más las personas, y menos su condición social y las cosas que poseen. Un ser lleno de valores reales, de comprensión hacia las miserias humanas, los vacíos y la soledad del ser. La búsqueda interior y las preguntas trascendentes que todos nos hacemos acerca de la vida aparecen en sus últimos trabajos.
Su sabia mano fusionando hasta más de 10 texturas en la misma pieza, hacen que su obra esté estéticamente a la altura de los grandes figurativos de lo últimos años y convierta a esta protagonista y heroína de realidades suburbanas en una serie de obras para coleccionistas ambiciosos. La personalidad de sus trabajos lo hace realmente inconfundible, cargando con la dificultad que eso conlleva por ser un artista no subyugado a corrientes ni movimientos. No debemos olvidar que es lo que ha convertido en imprescindibles a la mayoría de maestros del mundo del arte que ahora reconocemos como pioneros y creadores de un mundo propio y único».

REBECA PONTE LÓPEZ

«Many times in the figurative painters we found right that: figures, more or less defined, worked out, already known but most of the time empty , without philosophy and concrete meaning. it does not have in the creation of the same but only informative interest that belongs to the pure estetica of the human presence and its surroundings.

Not the case of Jose Luis Almeida with unmistakable style and technique which is the totality of his work.
Scene writer, designer for theater and dance, artist to multidiscipline ( he loves Cabaret and Musicals), these argentine man, living in Barcelona has created his own handmade doll, a personality right done, where he put in every detail of any woman known at night, and as well small parts of his own, his triumphs and failures.

His central person “Dadde”, represents – more than a figurative painting- the image of a “nearly-under-society” , lives and where often it denies the respect and sanity due.

Sometimes he presents us his “musa” like a “saint, not santyfied”, but (to be all , except virgin) he put together kindness and generosity that the saints and women used to have. This spiritual air he reachs sometimes in using a barrocan style. Dignifies women and establishes a relationship of admiration and respect for the viewer to Dadde, his life and reality.

His personality is a promise, a deeply desire in all the tolerant beings of the world, toward a reality, where are more important the human beings, than there social standing and the things there are belonging to.

A being full of real values of understanding of human misery and loneliness gaps being. The inner search and transcendent questions we all ask about life appear in his later works.

His creative hands are able to put more than 10 textures in one and the same picture, this is the reason why his works are esteticaly at the height of the biggest figurative artists of the last years and he converts these main person and heroe of subburban realities in a serial of peaces for ambitious collectors.
DADDE has company of various other persons, which are incorporated very fine and precise to a second, third or up to fourth plan. His work is realy special and singular, knowing that Almeida is an artist non subjugated to currents nor movements.
We do not have to forget that this is the one that has turned essential to the major part of masters of arts, that right now we know as pioneers and creators of a own and single world».

REBECA PONTE LÓPEZ

«El universo de ALMEIDA tiene una íntima conexión con su vida, con su persona y con la visión del mundo que le rodea. Ello se traduce en un intenso amor a la vida que le da forma en un personaje femenino: “Dadde”. En su obra ella sirve como vehículo expresivo de emociones, propias de la vida de todos; emociones que van desde lo terrenal como el sexo, la maternidad, el desaliento, la provocación de hacer con su vida lo que quiera en cada momento; hasta lo extásico de lo religioso: como ser ultraterrenal pero a la vez surgida de entre nosotros. Es la “virgen” de los caídos en el combate de la vida, de los instintos ocultos, de lo que silenciamos.
Su técnica puede ir desde el más absoluto neo-expresionismo hasta composiciones quasi “pixélicas” de la figura, a modo de puzzle; y será precisamente el espectador quien reconstruya este rompecabezas tanto visual como simbólico.
Hace uso de distintas materias de carga: arpillera, maderas, tierras… con un espíritu muy póvera del reciclaje, intenta darle vida a aquello inanimado, que ya no sirve para nada.
El grattage, el frottage, las veladuras, la infinita superposición de planos hacen que en su obras se revele lo figurativo ante nuestros ojos no inmediatamente sino lentamente, casi como un cuadro impresionista».

Paula Sueza
Historiadora de arte

«ALMEIDA´S universe has a deep relation to his life, to own and to his point of view about world around that means a great love towards life represented as a female character called: “Dadde”. She is the way to show feelings in this work, feelings that belong to all of us; feelings from, earth as: sex, motherhood discouragement to, religious ecstasy as being ultraerthly but born among us at the same time she is the virgin of those that wasted life battle, the virgin of deep and hide instints, and keep silent.
His technique goes from the most absoluttly new-expressionist to almost pixelic composition of form, as a puzzle; and the audiennce will be who makes this jigsaw in visual and symbolic way.
He makes use of different materials: such as wood, sacking, lands…with a retraining spirit, he tries to give life to inanimate things, which is not useful.
Grattage, frottage, veiling and super imposed plans make in his work a figurative idea or a meaning which is not inmediately but slowly, nearly an impressionist picture».

Paula Sueza. Art historian.

A CONCEPT OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGE

«Everything, we speak of it, an artist and its mentality, and still more importantly its works to become acquainted, does not appear only a high requirement, but one teaches to be, if I speak of away a creator, that estimates itself.
In this case jose luis almeida and his works lets us, like you can determine, again and again be astonished, how and exhibits what large and special reach, how it cannot be different.
Up-to-date he shows us his latest works completely naturally and exactly. With all his strong caracter, which is own to him, exactly the same as his seriousness and nearly already pedantic accuracy.
Everything logically planned, but not freely of points of reference.
Almeida works on very exactly the composition, the more with difficulty, so much the better. he creates on professional wise different color structures with his rithm and expression to connect.
One feels the movement and vitality.
Summarized, undisputed the work of an artist with body and soul on neoromantical wise his work fulfills.
Likewise to the possibilities of estetica in the today’s time believes.
The art of j.l almeida does not need a further presentation, than itself. therefore look at his pictures exactly, and you will completely enjoy them».

Jaume Soler i de Magriñá
Art historian. Curator. Conservative MNAC in Barcelona.