MY TALISMAN

Solo exhibition of Conchi Alvarez, curated by herself.

In these confused and pandemic times, the artist is analysing, scrutinizing and somatising events from the observatory of her studio. Many creators will pour their entire menu of thoughts, feelings, emotions and concerns that this situation has caused them into their work. Some may even create masterpieces, as Boccaccio did with his ingenious piece “Decameron”, inspired by the bubonic plague of 1348 which he happened to live. The rest will see their creation affected to a greater or lesser extent, but in all of them there will be some personal repercussion that, directly or indirectly, will be reflected in their work.

Many artists live in that studio as anchorites. That space becomes their world, the centre of a contemplative life; in a watchtower that allows them to have an enviable perspective; in a lighthouse that provides them light for artistic creation, ultimately, it becomes the ideal space to carry it out. However, that atelier is also the space where their fears swarm, the habitat where monsters sprout, the ecosystem where doubts, insecurities and uncertainties vegetate… but also, it can be the space where the talisman is forged allowing you to fight and defeat all of it. This is the case of “My talisman”, the new solo exhibition by Conchi Alvarez.

At first glance, the exhibition seems to be part of a joyful urban landscape, exulting in colour and optimism. But in reality, each one of the acrylics on paper hides the apotropaic value that it has for the artist. For many years, and now more than ever, this series has been the talisman with that magical propitiatory character of Palaeolithic paintings. The act of realistically painting the animal, encouraging its appearance, its possible hunt and therefore, the continuity of the tribe, their survival. In this case, each one of those paintings becomes an amulet to ward off nightmares, bad omens, and concerns. But also, in the very act of painting each work, along with the nostalgia for the loved and relished space, you will find a deep desire to recover it, to relive it, recreating and feeling once again all the magic that resulted in the seduction between the urban corner and the artist, who endorses the words of Gustave Moreau: “I do not believe in what I touch or in what I see, but in what I do not see and in what I feel”