José Gonzalez Espaliú
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José Gonzalez Espaliú (Pepe Espaliú) (October 26, 1955 - November 2, 1993) was a Spanish artist and activist, best known for his performative and conceptual pieces. [2][3]
Biography
Early Life and Education
Common Artistic Themes
Notable Works
"Carrying"
"The Nest"
El Nido/The Nest (1993) was Pepe Espaliú’s final and “most personal” performance piece.[4] The performance took place over the course of eight days on the grounds of the Museum Arnhem in the town of Arnhem, Netherlands.[1][4] Each day, Espaliú, dressed in mens' formalwear, climbed a ladder to an octagonal wooden platform elevated in a tree and walked in circles, methodically removing more and more clothing as he walked.[5] On the final day of the performance, Espaliú undressed to complete nudity.[4] The artist compared the emotional and spiritual elements of his physical performance to those of Sufi whirling: continuous circular motion with the aim to become “purer and emptier” [5] and “closer to God” with each rotation.[4] Publicly, El Nido was received as “a revelatory piece, simultaneously direct, sad, final, hopeful, witty and serious." [4] On a metaphorical level, the piece was interpreted as an attempt by the artist to “[construct] a symbolic shelter” and enact the connections between “the carnal and the psychic, the interior and exterior." [1] Much like in “Carrying” (see above), the performance “El Nido” shares its name with an Espaliú sculpture. The latter is composed of eight crutches—an object that was a motif in Espaliú's final works[1]—of different colors, all leaning on one another in order to remain standing.[5]
"Untitled"
Other Thematically Significant Works
Reception
Exhibitions
Legacy of Activism
References
- ^ a b c d "Visual AIDS | Pepe Espaliú". Visual AIDS. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
- ^ Conejero, Alberto (January 8, 2020). "Pepe Espaliú, el cielo perseguido". El Mundo. p. 13. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Montes, Javier (February 4, 2022). "Pepe Espaliú inédito: de icono en tiempos del sida a creador universal". Retrieved November 13, 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e Grant, Simon (April 1, 1994). "Reviews - Pepe Espaliú". Art Monthly (175): 22 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c Morgan, Stuart; Morris, Frances; Bałka, Mirosław; Beuys, Joseph; Bourgeois, Louise; Tate Gallery, eds. (1995). Rites of passage: art for the end of the century ; [Miroslaw Balka, Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois ... ; exhibition at the Tate Gallery 15 June - 3 September 1995]. London: Tate Gallery Publ. ISBN 978-1-85437-156-0.
External links