Inauguration of Joan Martí (October 16th 2009)

This is a painting by Joan Martí. Last February he stepped over the threshold of our terrestrial life. He passed away, but he did not leave us; he is rather waiting for us. Meanwhile, he accompanies us with his works of which, his best “toils ” are his family and friends. They have all gathered at the Rusiñol Gallery; it is up to them to outline the profile (this time, “not so fast “) of the so much longed for painter: come to see the “Últimas obras de Joan Martí. Exposición homenaje” (Joan Marti’s last Works. Tribute exhibition). Thanks, Joan, for so much beauty!

Ignasi Cabanas, director of the Rusiñol Gallery, welcomes us and meets those who take the chair in the presentation of this tribute-exhibition: particularly Encarnita, Joan Marti’s widow; the city mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès, Mr. Lluís Recoder; Mssrs. Manel Guardiola and Jordi Bech, Joan’s intimate friends; and, of course!, Josep Mª Cadena, an expert old hand who knew very well the honored painter.

Josep Mª Cadena, veteran connoisseur of the artistic and cultural atmosphere of Barcelona: «He started by being an “illustrator”: he illustrated front pages and novels (…). He believed in art and in progress within art. In fact, he might have remained an illustrator: it would have been safer. But he chose the most difficult way: to gamble with every painting, to gamble with life (…) Joan used a very significant pseudonym: Petronius. He was the arbiter of elegance: in diction, in the contents and presentation of all things. «His art had to be his way to reach all others by giving them a lesson about manners, without stridencies, with a colour balance».

Lluís Recoder, mayor of Sant Cugat: «Encarnita invited me to this inauguration and I did not want to miss it. This is his first exhibition after his passing. To be in the mid of all these paintings makes us to revive many things. With an exquisite technique, he has left us very good examples of his art in many corners of our town, which he loved, which he made his own, his very own. We have remained, however, with a pending matter: he was very generous and he offered himself to teach us gratuitously. We considered it, but it could not be! Because the administration is very demanding … This is how Joan was: optimist, generating always a good atmosphere and harmony».