La vocació (i els títols de crèdit) Jo anava per ser pintor. De ben petit ja ho dibuixava tot, i ben fet. Per aprendre l’ofici vaig passar per les escoles d’art Massana, Sant Jordi i Sant Lluc. Volia les eines, volia els pinzells. Però llavors van arribar els anys 60.
El segrest de la publicitat (o la primera classe) Vaig descobrir el disseny gràfic i vaig acabar fent de professor a l’escola Elisava. Però el grafisme em va portar a la publicitat, i el que havia de ser un peu als anuncis es va convertir en una marató internacional: de director d’art vaig passar a director creatiu de súper agències a Barcelona, Madrid, São Paulo i Milà. Era l’època daurada. Si ets el director creatiu no pintes gaire, és cert, però viatges una barbaritat i en primera classe. Em deia a mi mateix que la pintura estava en crisi i que jo tenia sort. Però em vaig atipar dels publicitaris que es creien artistes: fer un bon anunci et fa un publicitari amb èxit, no un artista.
El refugi i la cicatriu del target Mai vaig deixar de pintar; era on em trobava a mi mateix. Ho feia des de l’abstracció, perquè pensava que la figuració copia la realitat, mentre que l’art abstracte és una realitat en si mateix. Però la publicitat deixa cicatrius, i la meva era la dèria del target: per a qui pinto? Per a mi? Per a altres pintors?
L’evolució al revés Estava cansat de la típica pregunta: «I això què significa?». Em vaig adonar que la pintura abstracta sovint és un club tancat i que la figurativa necessita un argument. Pintar bé ja no era suficient; els quadres havien de tenir una història que tothom pogués entendre. Així que, en comptes d’evolucionar cap a l’abstracció com fa tothom, jo he fet exactament el camí invers. Benvinguts a les meves històries.
The Calling (and the First-Class Ticket) I was meant to be a painter. From the time I was a kid, I drew everything—and well. To learn the trade, I went through La Massana, Sant Jordi, and Lluc. I wanted the tools, I wanted the brushes. But then the ’60s happened.
The Advertising Kidnapping (or First Class) I discovered graphic design and ended up teaching at Elisava. But design led me to advertising, and what was supposed to be just dipping a toe into commercials turned into an international marathon: from art director, I went on to become creative director for mega-agencies in Barcelona, Madrid, São Paulo, and Milan. It was the golden age. Sure, when you’re the creative director you don’t actually paint much, but you travel like crazy—and always in first class. I told myself painting was in crisis and that I was just lucky. But I got sick of ad people who thought they were artists: making a good commercial makes you a successful adman, not an artist.
The Sanctuary and the Target Audience Scar I never stopped painting; it was where I found myself. I worked in abstraction because I believed figuration merely copies reality, whereas abstract art is a reality in itself. But advertising leaves scars, and mine was the obsession with the «target audience»: Who am I painting this for? For myself? For other painters?
Backward Evolution I was sick of the classic question:«Yeah, but what does it mean?» I realized that abstract painting is often an exclusive club, and that figurative art needs an argument. Painting well wasn’t enough anymore; the paintings had to tell a story everyone could understand. So, instead of evolving toward abstraction like everyone else, I did the exact reverse.Welcome to my stories.
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