José Luis Gutiérrez Muñoz

Born Place: Madrid Birthdate: 1963 Creative environment: Madrid Artist Web Formation:

Graduated in Fine Arts specialising in Sculpture from the Complutense University of Madrid (1986). PhD in Fine Arts (UCM) with a thesis on 'Sculpture as a Metaphor of Nature. Critical Review of Sculptural Modernity' (1993). Head professor and director of the Department of Sculpture in the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid. Director of the Research Group on Art at the Service of Society, UCM. In charge of several development cooperation projects in orphanages in India, Nepal and Ecuador (2004-2005).

Awards and Honours:

First Prize for Sculpture. XIV National Sculpture and Painting Competition, Villa de Parla (Madrid). First Prize for Sculpture in the V Visual Arts Competition, Universidad Popular de Torrejón de Ardoz. Madrid (1994). Second Prize for Sculpture. XIII National Sculpture and Painting Competition, Villa de Parla. Madrid (1993).

  • ABOUT THE ARTIST

He visualises sculpture as a metaphor of nature. This is why his doctoral thesis, founded on this epigraph, reflects the concept of the artistic piece he made during this period. It explains: Through allegories I find the most appropriate way to express a certain nostalgic or melancholic feeling to which we are driven by the irreversible nature of the modernisation process. Thus, my specific attempt to use nature for artistic creation is marked by a certain pessimism that hinders me from following more romantic sculptural approaches.


On this basis, among his pieces we find ourselves faced with deeply evocative themes (El aroma de lo inútil [The aroma of uselessness], Tribulación [Tribulation], Te propongo un lugar [I propose a place]) that shape several compositions that are more than products of inspiration, improvisation, and creative impulse. On a deeper level there is certain introspection on artistic trends and the confrontation of personal duality (reason and intuition/reflection and action), which constitute the soul of his art.


In these bronze and marble pieces, the artist always portrays certain vulnerability. They represent a rational and precise study of volumes, finishes, and the message that he wishes to convey which, in the case of Cientos de Miradas [Hundreds of Looks], is very explicit. In sculpture and art he has recently discovered an ideal way to contribute to solidarity and raise social awareness of the most disadvantaged.


SOLO EXHIBITIONS


1993. Galería Manuel Macías. Madrid.


1991. Centro Cultural Fernando de los Ríos. Madrid.


Galería Manuel Macías. Madrid.


COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS


2009. Invierno 09 [Winter '08]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2007. AAF Affordable Art Fair London Spring Edition. Capa Esculturas. London. United Kingdom


2006. Index Dubai 2006. Capa Esculturas. United Arab Emirates.


Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid. 2005. Index Dubai


2005. Capa Esculturas. United Arab Emirates.


2004. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2003. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


2002. Lineart International Art Fair. Capa Esculturas. Ghent.


2001. Capa Esculturas inauguration. Brussels, Belgium


1997. Estampa [Print]. Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Galería Arte 10 - Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


1996. Galerie Dialogue. Paris. France.


Estampa [Print] Salón Internacional del Grabado y la Edición de Arte Contemporáneo [International Printmaking and Contemporary Art Fair]. Galería Arte 10 - Capa Esculturas. Madrid.


1995. II Certamen Cultural Fundación del Fútbol Profesional [II Cultural Competition of the Professional Football Foundation]. Madrid.


XIX Caja Madrid National Sculpture Competition. Sala Casarrubuelos. Madrid.


XI Bienal Internacional del Deporte en las Bellas Artes [XI International Biennial of Sport in Fine Arts] Exhibition Centre of the Ministry of Culture. Madrid.


Inclusion in Capa Esculturas permanent exhibition. Madrid.


1994. "Mariano Benlliure" Sculpture Award. Conde Duque Cultural Centre. Madrid.


1991. Galería Brock. Barcelona.


AWARDS AND RECOGNITION


1994. First Prize for Sculpture. XIV National Sculpture and Painting Competition, Villa de Parla. Madrid.


First Prize for Sculpture in the V Visual Arts Competition, Universidad Popular de Torrejón de Ardoz. Madrid.


1993. Second Prize for Sculpture. XIII National Sculpture and Painting Competition, Villa de Parla. Madrid


1990. IV Edition of the International "Mastru Mimmiu Solinas" Wood Sculpture Symposium. Buddusó, Sardinia (Italy)


Sculpture Prize. International "Mastru Mimmiu Solinas" Symposium.


1989-1991. II, III and IV Sculpture Workshops, Calatorao. Zaragoza.


1986. Sculpture Prize. Provincial Council of Segovia.


End-of-study scholarship, Segovia. Faculty of Fine Arts of Madrid.


1990. Council of Buddusó Scholarship. VI Edition of the International "Mastru Mimmiu Solinas" Wood Sculpture Symposium. Buddusó. Sardinia. Italy.


PUBLICATIONS


La escultura como metáfora de la naturaleza. Revisión crítica de la modernidad escultórica, Publications Services of the Complutense University of Madrid, 2001.


Sólo para locos. Ensayo de crítica de arte. Master's Degree in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Visual Arts 02, Madrid, Felsan, 2002. pp. 51-69.


Perdedores: Vladimir Tatlin y Arno Breker. Revista de Bellas Artes La Laguna, Publications Service of the University of La Laguna, 2003, pp. 133-152.


Talibán. Master's Degree in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Visual Arts 03, Madrid, Felsan, 2003. pp. 23-33.


Bellas Artes en la cooperación al desarrollo. Actas del III Congreso Universidad y Cooperación al Desarrollo. Madrid 2006 Published by the Complutense University of Madrid, pp. 508-531.


Escultura en piedra. Aportaciones tecnológicas y nuevas posibilidades creativas. Renovar la tradición. La Laguna. Publications Service of the University of La Laguna, 2006, pp. 143-164.


AAVV, Conceptos fundamentales del lenguaje escultórico. Madrid, Ediciones Akal, 2006.


Arte para la sociedad. Tribuna Complutense, Nº 56, 16 May 2007, p. 24.Meena. Zigzag. nº 200, p. 56, December 2007.


Arte al servicio de la sociedad. Color en orfanatos de Ecuador, India y Nepal. Libro de Actas del Congreso Internacional sobre Arte Contemporáneo como Herramienta de Inclusión Social. Published by the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Unión Fenosa. A Coruña, 2008.


Sonrisas de colores. Proyecto color en orfanatos. A Coruña, MACUF, 2008.Color, arte y salud mental en los orfanatos. Psicotropías, Nº 6, pp. 6-9, Barcelona, Ediciones Mayo, SA, 2008.


Color en orfanatos. Ayuntamiento de Pinto, 2008. La pequeña gran historia de Pradeep. El Mundo (Cantabrian Edition), Sunday 26 October 2008, p. 8.


AA VV. Procedimientos y materiales en la obra escultórica. Madrid, Ediciones Akal, 2009.


Works by José Luis Gutiérrez Muñoz