What is New and What is Old?

In today’s digital age, few artists refer to the legacy of the Old Masters for inspiration. But for Manolo Valdes, art history has always been his major source for creating works that can look familiar in form yet original in style.

“I am just a narrator who comments on the history of painting in various ways,” Manolo explained. “It is a game that consists of changing the code and the key to the art work… Many of my colors, materials and textures are the product of relived experiences of other masters.”

Rembrandt, Rubens, Matisse and Lichtenstein largely influenced his work but Diego Velazquez seemed to be his obsession. Velazquez’s “Meninas” came to live on the streets of Madrid, Paris and Zurich, allowing passersby to touch the rough surface of his large-scale bronze sculptures of Queen Mariana and princess Infanta Margarita and many other figures. The Meninas was painted in the 17th century but can be as relevant in the 21th century, breaking all limiting barriers of the concept of history into the timeless, ever new realm of contemporary art.

“Infanta Margarita”, resin.

Two of Manolo’s sculptures can be seen from October 2022 to March 2023 at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, a small village surrounded by old trees and fresh air in Westchester County, New York. “Caballero” is a bronze sculpture that makes reference to Velazquez’s equestrian portrait of Phillip IV while “Butterfly” is inspired by Henri Matisse’s Woman with a Hat. When I saw it while the sun was high, I thought for a second that the golden butterflies were dancing around the woman’s head.

“Butterfly”, bronze.

“When you see a sculpture outdoors, the way you look at it is dependent on the surroundings, the light, the time of the year,” Manolo said.

Manolo Valdes’ work is featured in 40 public collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museo Reina Sofia in Madrid.