Manolo Valdés (1942, Valencia, Spain) has developed a distinctive style that explores history without taking away from the original subject. After attending the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Carlos De Valencia, Valdés began his career as one of the founding members of Equipo Cronica in the 1960’s. Equipo Cronica was frequently associated with the artists who contested Franco’s regime, questioning its official culture as repressive. Quoting figures from well-known works of art by old masters Velázquez, Rembrandt, Fra Angelico and 20th century masters such as Matisse, Picasso, and Lichtenstein. Valdés reimagines these familiar works by taking them out of their original context. In both his paintings and sculptures Valdés inflates the figures size, minimizing detail and abstracting form, while incorporating unusual materials and roughly applied paint.

Manolo Valdés

Manolo Valdés (1942, Valencia, Spain) has developed a distinctive style that explores history without taking away from the original subject.

https://data.wengcontemporary.com/media/Manolo_Valdes_Las_Meninas_Content_Sheet_UPDATED_2024_Compressed.pdf

Las Meninas are porcelain sculptures made in four different versions that are distinguished by their decoration and style; Reina Mariana I, II, III and IV. During his early visit to the Prado Museum in Madrid, Manolo Valdés discovered two famous paintings by Diego Velázquez, which would come to be his primary inspiration for the Las Meninas; The Portrait of Mariana de Austria (1652-53) and Las Meninas (1656). From the beginning of his works in art school until now, Valdés has never ceased to reimagine this figure with its recognizable feminine charm in different styles and mediums. Valdés’ decors for Las Meninas porcelain sculptures draws inspiration from a broad range of artists – Joan Miró, Willem De Kooning, Sonia Delaunay, Fernand Léger, Roy Lichtenstein and his own work.

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