陈列您的艺术作品给每天无数的访客观看

I first saw images of Fernando Viscasillas’ work on computer. They arrived through the electronic mail. I continually receive messages from artists all over the world offering their work, in which I am rarely interested. But in the images that Fernando sent me there was something that moved me and made me respond and, therefore, see more.
Bearing in mind the well-known limitations of the digital image, works full of colour and shape appeared on my computer screen and then filled mi mind. They attracted me. They filled me of happiness and even seemed to have movement.
The simplicity and the energy of this artist to define his works using a black outline to define each individual, yet without removing the flexibility of that shape or introducing any hardness to the form; the positive energy transmitted by his ironic characterization of his subject and his architectures. Images full of strength and meaning recall memories of previous journeys, and filled me with curiosity.
Without yet knowing anything about the artist I felt, through his works, his pleasure in living and his individual way of seeing the world.
I answered his message and we organized the first exhibition in Italy, where I had the pleasure of meeting him. During this first meeting I had the opportunity of listening to him telling both personal and non-personal stories, which he does in a very complex and articulate way, with a great deal of special features and humorous anecdotes. He adds different characters and situations, with little physical description of the things or people involved, but with a clear and precise presentation of the personalities or the character of objects, leaving us imagine the rest. This made me realise that he did the same with painting. He tells us about moments, situations, personal or oneiric encounters and mis-encounters in which many shapes and colours intervene, and which contain several architectural styles. He does not represent one in particular, neither certain sights of a palace or a city, but several together. Nor does he present a realistic portrayal of a single individual, but rather shows a few indivuduals together in one work. But the character and the strength he uses for this purpose do not leave any doubt about their identity.
The exhibition was celebrated in my art gallery in Bologna, where I discovered that Fernando Viscasillas’ family had enjoyed a prestigious past, with his great-grandfather having been a diplomat, member of the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna and Rector of the College of Spain in this city. But I did not discover this until after I had organized the exhibition, during a visit from Fernando Viscasillas to my gallery. He told me the fact as if he was an individual with little importance. In life all facts are related, so the presentation of his works in Italy and, especially, in Bologna, was inevitable.
The same thing happens in his art. In his paintings everything seems coincidental and connected only by chance, together with other things, but it is not exactly true. The selection of the places which he paints and the colours chosen are sometimes provocative, not real. Sometimes, the image is flat, in two dimensions, and at other times, it has three, or both possibilities occur combined in the same painting. He places the images without a defined focal point and without any respect for perspective; he never makes a mistake in the balance of the composition or in its complexity. Everything is developed with complete harmony.
Without a doubt, Viscasillas’ painting reflects his nature and personal expressive language. I have always admired creators and artists of all kinds, because they reveal themselves through their works with no shields or masks.
It is not my intention in this presentation to define the artistic language relating to historic references of art or defining techniques or styles. Personally, I consider it to be relative, and above all, impersonal. It would be limiting to define his art as expressionist or surrealist, or to say that colours or technique suggest references to other artists. I prefer to talk about Fernando, without reminding readers of well-known names, which only serve to simplify issues.
Fernando Viscasillas is Spanish and an artist. Logically, he is a product of the time and characters of the history of art, and should not be considered in isolation. I would like to note the fact that he has had the maturity and lucidity to create an individual language, unique, clear and recognizable which addresses all our temporary, geographical and architectural directions. A language made out of not only shapes and colours but also irony and sensibility. He tells us in his work what he remembers having seen somewhere, but, above all, and using the perspective of time, he transforms those images within his mind. People looking at the works of Fernando Viscasillas, try at first to recognise the place, but after a little while this loses importance and they enjoy the image with the conviction of having been there at some time.
It is a few years since I have worked with Fernando’s work. We have celebrated art exhibitions in different places in Italy and the rest of Europe, and every time I approach the spectators who observe and meditate in front of one of his painted architectures I realize they are experiencing a deep and touching emotion; I realize they are re-living the landscape of their most intimate memories.

Silvana Cagnolo
May 2005

Galleria d’arte Catùs
Via Zanolini 7/b
40126 Bologna Italia

BOLOGNA

2005
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 260 X 195

LE DUE TORRI

2005
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 200 X 200

TORO

1993
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 400 X 220

VENEZIMAGIN

2004
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 146 X 114

FRAGMENTOS DE LA ARQUITECTURA.

1997
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 260 X 195

TORRE CONTINUA

2005
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 195 X 130

F. V. WITH " BOLOGNA "

2005
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 260 X 195

FV WITH " BOLOGNA TRYP "

2005
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
cm 390 X 195