MARÍA
JOSÉ and ME
Although I’ve been in Spain just about three months now, I’m just not getting accustomed
to the Andalucían’s accented-´speedy-gonzalez´ style of speech, so imagine how
uncomfortable it would be to spend a day with a person who did not
speak your language or vice versa. Well, this was my reality about two
weekends ago when I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday morning at the
museum with María José, daughter of the artist Amalio and President of
´Fundacion Pintor Amalio.´ The office manager Juan Diego was out of the
city attending a wedding and María Jose´s husband Manuel (Museum
Director) was out running errands. Fortunately for me, that day, María and I
were the perfect duo.
You
see, I consider María José my future self, in that, I see myself being at the helm
of my father’s Legacy back at home in Trinidad and Tobago. It’s almost like
life imitating life, and one of the reasons I felt so connected to this
internship placement. Although we don’t know each other, I know she can
identify with being the daughter of a prolific artist, and some of the weight
it may carry. Although she grew up in a different era, we share a bond
having artists as parents. It’s amazing to me how even though there was a
language barrier, we managed to understand each other perfectly; perhaps it was
the filial connection of two women, similar to that of a mother and
daughter.
Like
her farther, María José is also an artist, and is currently an Art Professor in
the Fine Arts Faculty of Seville. María José sees the world in hues of blue. I
consider her style ethereal, she has somehow been able to capture what we
see in such a delicate manner, taking her audience to higher regions beyond the
earth almost heaven like or a blue utopia. Her work is best described in
this excerpt taken from www.fundacionamalio.com ¨In her search for new
artistic concepts, María José´s exhibition entitled Ämbito 4¨ stands out a great
deal, where the artist allows the observer to infuse himself into the works,
where he finds himself surrounded by painted walls with conceptual streets,
imaginary landscapes and dreamed cities.¨ María José has been able to whole
heartedly involve the visitor using harmonious blues that makes persons
surf along those certain or imaginary worlds of the artist herself.
María
José is a genuine reflection of her art work, most delicate and feminine. From
our very first meeting, she greeted me with open arms, the European styled
double kiss and a huge smile, what a welcome! Even though we can’t understand
each other one hundred percent, she is endearing and easily one of my favorite
people in Sevilla.
