Francesc Ruestes

Because of the diversity of the materials that emerge in each piece, the work of Francesc Ruestes is difficult to define. Ruestes is, above all, a magnificent sculptor, a forger of iron par excellence whose work is well-known for its lustrous finishes that seduce, according to Francesc Miralles, by “the final result: a piece in which the material work is so perfect that it resembles an atemporal object, something that might have always been there… it doesn’t seem to have emerged from the forge, but instead from a jewellery workshop where the materials are refined and worked with softness.” Heir to the legacy of Gargallo and Julio González, Ruestes has chosen the forge as his tool, assuming all the technical difficulties that it carries, yet surprisingly, he has managed to conceal the rigidity of the material, giving it an appearance of something soft and gentle, as if he were drawing with iron.

Later, papers, photographs with Plexiglas appear; wood and everyday objects are integrated in a transparent fusion giving new meaning to each work. The Count of Lautréamont defined art as the “casual encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table”, alluding, as is well known, to surrealism. And perhaps the formative years that Ruestes passed in the company of Dalí and his followers in Cadaqués marked certain surrealistic tendencies in the work of the artist. But contrary to the automatism championed by the surrealists, the work of Francesc Ruestes does not emerge from the subconscious, but rather from a place of reflection that seeks a dialogue with the spirit. As the artist once noted, “I seek the silence of the past, the reflection of the present and the light of the future.”

Francesc Ruestes has enjoyed an active exhibition history with shows in Spain and France, principally. He has been awarded numerous prizes and grants, including the Ricard Camí and the Fundació Vila Casas prizes, among others. His work can be found in public places in addition to institutional collections.

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