Inauguration of Cruañas (December 16th 2011)

Christmas 2011! As always during this season, it gives us great pleasure to have with us a guest of special renown. On this occasion we are together with Josep Cruañas, and precisely with his collection of “The colour of dreams”. It is said that he is a “self controlled impressionist”. Cruañas doesn’t deny that, but —avoiding any excessive labeling— he prefers to clarify that he is a follower of the figurative tradition.

Ignasi Cabanas welcomes the extraordinary Christmas’ exhibition: «Christmas is a special time for us, and we would like to offer to you something special as well. Josep is here for the second time in these circumstances. This fact alone is quite symptomatic! Cruaña’s work fills the Gallery: downstairs we see his watercolors; on the ground floor you’ll find the oil paintings. We are exhibiting here his entire range as a painter!».

As usual, Mr. Josep Mª Cadena, always tramples over “well known ground”: «We will not go into details, because we would never end! Josep Cruañas has devoted many years oil and watercolor painting. Watercolor was a bit more like his beloved, though somewhat secret, daughter! Oil and watercolor are two complementary techniques, though different. Oil requires some consideration at the beginning, a previous little composition… However, watercolor is the present instant, the feeling of the moment, but this feeling must still be valid later on. The watercolor has to be well mulled over before!».

After the acknowledgments, the painter emphasized a theme previously mentioned by Mr. Cadena: «The first vision of the cities! When you go to a city, you see first the “anecdote”, you are rather like a tourist. But when you go back there again, you realize that under that “skin” there is a world. This world is what the painter, based on experience, discovers. It is not surprising that we paint so many times the same topic: it has much to say and every time it tells me different things!».

Questions: —Why Amsterdam? —Frederic Lloveras and Sarsanedas took me there. This city has channels, there are old ships, quite pictorial elements… It has a taste of civilized city. And always in winter, when trees have no leaves and do not hide the landscape. —The urban landscape is a simple objective vision lacking in spirit? —No! The landscape is the pretext, in which there is no landscape, but the painter. It is the excuse to transmit on a canvas whatever you are carrying deep within.