Passion with flying colours

It would be rather difficult to judge an artist's nationality — British, American or Latin American — by his or her paintings. But intuition can help single out the painting with the greatest passion.

Needless to say, all artists are passionate about their work, but Spanish and Latin American artwork displays unmatched ferocity and wildness.

And so it is for the 200 creations on display at The New Generation Ibero-American Art Exhibition for Spanish and Latin American Artists at Emirates Palace.

The works — photographs, sculptures and oil paintings — are by 40 new generation artists between the ages 25 and 60 and hailing from Spain and Latin America. The artworks are for sale at prices ranging from $2,000 to $25,000.

Describing how the Spanish and Latin Americans approach paintings, Eduardo Marceles Daconte, curator of the exhibition, said:

“They use their hands, they dip them in paint and splash it across the canvas, they use everything while painting. But what they don't do is paint detailed lines with a paintbrush.''

Eclectic show

“This is a small representation of what contemporary artists in Spain and Latin America are doing,'' said Mari Gamarra, chief executive of Contemo corporate art.

“We decided to bring it to the GCC — to Abu Dhabi in particular — because of its exploding art scene,'' Daconte said. “Abu Dhabi is open to the rest of the world and with the Guggenheim and Louvre Museums coming up, there will be an artistic explosion.

"It is time to go beyond the borders of the Middle East. There isn't much known about Spain and Latin America, which is why we decided to organise this exhibition here.''

The exhibits, Daconte added, focus on the recent trends that have aroused the interest and admiration of art lovers all over the world.

They are a demonstration of the rich and diverse cultural expressions of contemporary artists in Spain and Latin America.

“There are plural trends in all the artworks. You will see abstract figurative paintings, ecological artwork and works that focus on nature.

"But since our countries have been ravaged by war and violence, the artists convey peace and joy through their paintings,'' Daconte said.

And in Latin America in particular, joy and peace find expression through colour.

According to Daconte, the thread that ties all the Latin American and Spanish paintings are colour and passion, no matter where the artists live — the UAE, Morocco and the United States — or how their chosen subject and its interpretation has been shaped by the nations they have been calling home.

Take painter Clarisse Meneghetti, for instance. Having lived in the UAE for five years, her paintings are mostly of camels and Bedouins.

Yet that Latin American and Spanish style of painting and its zealous expressionism radiates from each of her works.

“I've been living in the UAE for the past five years and I love it. My children go to school here and I consider it like home. But my roots are in Brazil. This is the reason why I use so many colours,'' she said.

And that is why the horses, camels and Bedouins in her paintings stand out from thousands of similar creations.

“I use only the spatula when I paint. I like to capture strong expressions, such as that of a camel or the proud Bedouin man I once saw riding his camel. I always carry my camera and if I see something inspiring, I take a picture and then go home and paint.''

Clarisse uses strong movements, gestures, emotions and, above all, colour in all her paintings. Her drive to preserve the culture of the UAE is what spurs her to paint camels, falcons and horses.

“Everything is going so fast in the UAE,'' she says. “I am worried that the country will soon lose many of its traditions because of all this modernism. I want to preserve some of its culture through my paintings.''

Another artist who has also been living in the UAE is photographer Clara Martinez. And while Spanish and Latin American artists have been known for their use of colour, this photographer from the Dominican Republic prefers black and white.

“I've taken colour photos but feel that black-and-white photographs have a stronger effect,'' Martinez said.
Though she has only one frame on display, it is one of the largest and will probably attract the most attention, especially that of UAE nationals.

Abu Dhabi from above

The photograph is a two metre by one metre canvas made up of 70 black-and-white aerial shots of Abu Dhabi. This is the first time that it has been displayed.

Taken from a helicopter, the photographs, which are of different sizes and depths, cover all of Abu Dhabi.

“Last year, I was invited to take aerial pictures of Abu Dhabi starting from the mosque to the whole of Corniche,'' Martinez said.

“These photographs were displayed at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage and were just long strips of photos.

"But never has a combined group of photos of the size and calibre of those shown at the exhibition been displayed, she said.

“I've been working on this piece for the past year as a sort of testimonial to Abu Dhabi,'' she added.

The New Generation Ibero-American Art Exhibition for Spanish and Latin American Artists is on at the West Wing Gallery of Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, until March 22.