10 Questions with Fernando Velazquez

Born in Seville (Spain) in 1966, Fernando Velázquez is a contemporary abstract artist working primarily in oils to create expressive and ethereal paintings. Exploring themes of light, time, imagination, and the human condition, Fernando sees art as a means of perceiving and making sense of reality. Ranging from small to large-scale pieces, the artist adheres to a neutral palette, which in turn works to capture his interpretation of reality in its purest form. Fernando’s art is characterized by dynamic swirls and palpable energy. His layering of both texture and meaning gives a real sense of depth to his art.

Fernando embarked on his career as an artist in the late 80s. After living in California, he moved to London in 1996 for six years before relocating to Dorset. He currently resides in the countryside, where he paints in almost total seclusion. Throughout his career, Fernando has shown his works in fairs and exhibitions all over the world and has held solo shows in London, New York, and Madrid. Regularly receiving commissions for public and private collections, Fernando has collaborated with The Ormeley Dinner, The Aspinall Foundation, Rosenberg & Kaufman Gallery, and Universal Records, to name a few. In 2018, he won the International Art Prize Artzine and the Dorchester Open Exhibition Prize.

www.fernandovelazquez.co.uk

ARTIST STATEMENT

“If you ask me what my aim as a painter is, the answer is clear. I want to create a perfume that emanates from my work, my life, the way I am experiencing life. And yet, this has nothing to do with me. It will be a perfume that will belong to all of us. Art should be filled with true emotions connected with our world - not to the past, but to the way we are today. In this society of ours, full of horror, greed, fear and uncertainty, I feel the need to retreat and to come forward at the same time, like in a dance, the dance of life. But this alone is not enough for the artist's journey, as we must follow our instincts and go deeper to provide some responses. For me, those responses come from necessity, and here is where art can start growing through exploration, reflection, technical ability and love. I paint to find truth beyond technology and the precision of numbers. I am trying to give form to what I see when I close my eyes. Only then that perfume could emanate and travel throughout the world, touching people, and living in people.” - Fernando Velazquez

Alajar, 100 x 100 cm, Oil on canvas, 2014, Fernando Velazquez©

The Sleep of Reason, 50x120 cm, Oil on canvas, Fernando Velazquez©

INTERVIEW

You are a self-taught artist; how did you start getting involved with painting?

I started painting in secret and looking at pictures in art books when I was seventeen. Like many young people, I was full of emotions bursting to come out. The anguished paintings of the expressionists spoke to me, the impressionists took me places, and the abstract masters sparked my imagination. I knew then that I wanted to be a painter.

What is your personal aim as an artist?

I aim to create art that resonates with other people as much as it resonates in me. I paint to see and, then, reveal what I see to others.

Your work reminds me of Turner paintings but with an almost abstract-expressionist component to it. Where do you find inspiration, and what is your creative process?

Yes, Turner is there, hinting at the dissolution of form and moving towards the light. The abstract expressionists also talk to me, but just a few words, not enough to lead the way. Their voices are in the past. My inspiration comes from my inner experience, nature, emotion, and mystery. I paint what I don't know but feel is alive. The creative process has changed throughout my career, from battling with the canvas to the peaceful tuning into a state of mind that allows me to find form and meaning. I paint a great deal with my hands, touching the surface of the canvas. As I connect with it, I allow my mind to do the rest. My technique is sometimes very simple and other times more complex, but it is always there at the service of a state of mind coming from necessity, anxiety, and a search for beauty.

Tell us about the colours on your palette. You seem to work with either bright colours or very dark ones; how do you choose them, and do they have particular meanings to you?

Colour is a mystery to me. The browns and dark colours allow me to create contrast and dynamic gestures aiming to create a form, and they breathe within the internal light of the canvas. Greens bring echoes of nature and blues bring air. White is essential to create light and silence. Colour should always be tuned with the soul and the laws of physics in equal measure.

What is the most challenging part of your work?

For years, the most challenging part of my work has been to become accurate within a very open and experimental approach to mark-making. I was searching for life itself within the painting. Now, the challenge is to create a comprehensive vocabulary that can articulate the complexities of the human condition. Word by word, I am balding up small verses, sentences, page by page, to say what I feel about the world. The challenge is to convey universal truth with clarity.

Genie, Oil on canvas, 120 x 150 cm, 2021, Fernando Velazquez©

What do you hope that the public takes away from your work?

Inspiration. I want to touch people because those who are inspired are motivated to inspire others. I want to set a wave inside anyone who experiences my work. As they go into the world, my job is done. When I listen to bird songs, the music of Messiaen is part of my experience. Similarly, I want people to feel the timeless reality of their own existence when they look at my work.

What advice can you give to beginning artists?

I would tell them to be open to learning from anyone while not being afraid of being themselves and committing to their art. For an artist, vocation is the key. I would also advise them to take with a pinch of salt any advice from anyone who thinks they know better!

Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?

Yes. Art comes from feeling deeply all aspects of our existence; it can help us understand those aspects and understand who we are. Artists need to be true to their need for expression. They need to embrace a way of seeing that is unique to them. To achieve that is the greatness and sometimes the drama of creating.

Childhood, Oil on canvas, 76 x 51 cm, 2018, Fernando Velazquez©

Aeon, Oil on canvas, 150 x 120 cm, 2018, Fernando Velazquez©

What do you think about the art community and market?

It is changing towards a new way of communicating. The art community is now global and plural. Dialogue is fluid and fast, but I believe that the art of the future will also come from isolation, rejection of today's values and technology. I am suspicious of the art market by definition and yet, I am part of it. I hope that new market structures will emerge for our changing world, attracting new and more diverse kinds of dealers, curators, and collectors who are able to prioritize the value of art over its financial potential.

And lastly, what are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I am working on a new series under the general title "Saturnalia." The paintings are about light, nothingness, and beauty. After years of listening to music while painting, I am excited because I am now working in total silence, completely immersed in the process of listening carefully to the canvas. I am entering a new phase, where I can apply the experience of many years with ease I had not experienced before. For the first time in my career, I can smile when I paint. I believe that these paintings will soon touch many people, and that is extremely exciting.

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