Julio César García is what is known as a multifaceted artist: he is a singer-songwriter, paints and writes. He is about to publish a book and these days he has the exhibition "Searching for balance in the city of color and cellulose" on display.
The exhibition can be visited at the Casa de la
Cultura "Agustín de la Hoz" until October 7, from Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There are 37 pieces made in acrylic, watercolor and collage, in addition to a drawing on wood. The paintings have no title. Instead, the author has accompanied the works with a phrase or a small text that acts as a correlate to the canvas.
The exhibition opened on September 16 and so far it is going very well, there are people who have already promised to buy a painting and it has received very good reviews: "transparency and freshness", are the adjectives that a visitor gave him and with which he feels comfortable.
The utopia and the transformative power of colors
In this work, the artist has tried to imagine what his ideal city would be like. This is an exercise that at first may seem simple, but it is only an appearance. The challenge is there, anyone can take the test and stop to think for a while about what they would like the world to be like, what things would have to be changed to make it a better place. The ancient utopian thinkers left us extraordinary stories that mix literature with political philosophy, in the eternal search for the ideal society.
The author misses a well-organized society, with a well-structured health system and an enhanced and integrated culture. Julio César talks about "the city of color" because in his opinion color transforms reality and, in turn, he also undergoes transformations, especially in times of crisis: "In times of crisis, color suffers and it is a fact that deserves deep analysis. The walls turn yellow, the flies turn green, the bread turns green, the water turns brown and putrid, the face turns sad in blue, the squares forget the shadows and the light will drink the entire drought. Let the colors speak and may they have good consensus!".
That performative power of colors, that is, their ability to change reality, is very present in the philosophy that underlies chromotherapy, the therapy of colors. This ensures that colors affect our mood. We are constantly surrounded by colors and these have their own language. Experts on the subject ask us: Don't the famous sayings such as "green with envy", "red with anger", "white as paper" or "the pink of love" resonate with us?
Cultural panorama on the Island
According to the opinion of this young artist, "well-being is transmitted with culture and culture is essential in a society, a people without culture is a manipulable people." He believes that on the Island culture "is a disaster, folklore is greatly promoted, which is very good, but there are also many people who want to say other things." He misses the presence and support for more global and open thoughts to other cultures.
At first he was inspired, to create this work, by Arrecife; but then images of New York, Madrid, Barcelona or Ghana appeared. He says that large cities allow you to meet many different people, they symbolize that desired multiculturalism because they are a meeting point for different visions of the world. In his opinion, it is necessary to work on civic-mindedness and promote culture. In this sense, and returning to Arrecife, he admits that the room in which he is currently exhibiting his work is in precarious conditions. There is a very annoying constant sound, which the author has tried to alleviate and disguise with background music. But not only that: there is a danger that if it rains, the paintings will get wet due to the leaks.
Small biography of the author
Julio César García González was born in Arrecife in 1979. Thirteen years later he offered his first recital as a singer-songwriter, a musical style to which he has dedicated himself professionally since that date. With his first album "Kms de Sueños" he moved to the capital of Spain. In Madrid he made a small journey through the forums and media where the author's song was the protagonist. Multifaceted, committed and critical of the society that surrounds and envelops him, Julio César has developed a prolific work in the world of arts. Last year, and after his first contact with a camera, he held his first photographic exhibition "Las Canciones de las Fotos", in which he let his particular way of seeing and understanding life be felt. Now, with this first pictorial exhibition, the author seeks to express what he felt at the moment he created "Searching for balance in the city of color and cellulose".
