Inauguration of Sanagustín (February 24th, 2012)

Javier Sanagustín has come again to the Rusiñol Gallery (“Harmony and silence”) in nature. Things that happen in life!: «February 24^th, 2012, It is exactly 25 years, today, when I exhibited here for the first time, and I must emphasize the many attentions which I have always received from the Rusiñol Gallery as well as their professionalism. I  welcome you and I hope you will enjoy looking at my paintings».

Mr. Ignasi Cabanas. Visibly affected, he informs us that at noon —just less than 6 hours ago— his aunt Lola has passed away. «Even though we are in mourning, we have deemed it convenient to keep our invitation to this inauguration, specially bearing in mind our personal friendship with Xavier Sanagustín and our commitment with all of you». Aunt Lola has been present in the life of the Rusiñol Gllery from its very beginning. Lately, even though she could not attend to our vernissages, she was always asking how many paintings had we sold out…

Josep Mª Cadena: «We all share the sorrow of the Cabanas family. I would like to stress their spirit of sacrifice on the day of this inauguration, in these moments of mourning; It has happened like that! We are with our friends and we are in defense of art, and we are involved with the prestige of both painters and art galleries, precisely in these times of crisis… Most of you already know Sanagustín’s work. He is a man of atmospheres, a man that captures the level of nature and wants to transmit it to others».

Josep Mª Cadena: «Nature tends to a trend; it has its own way to explain our feelings. Sanagustín knows how to capture it: he goes around the world with his painter’s gear, with his willingness to find things… and finds them! It is difficult: one may get tired while walking, one may get distracted with many things, one can have the feeling that… Not Sanagustín, though, he is never lost! (…). This is a lively exhibition, from a person who believes in things as he finds them and who knows how to add his own feelings to them. «The strength of his will is also growing: thus, those 25 years exhibiting».

After the acknowledgments Javier Sanagustín was prepared to answer some questions. —Actual or invented landscapes? –I paint from actual landscapes but I also paint in my studio. This does not mean that lanscapes come out better if painted in the nature. The important thing is to be in contact with nature. It is very clear that the landscapes I `paint do exist … but only the painter sees them like that. The painter already knows where he should go! —Why always during the Fall? —Now I am painting pictures with more summer light. It is more romantic to paint in autumn time, with the fog…