CERCLE 1

11 B orn inBarcelona in1940, Jordi Rollángaveuphis initial commerce studies to train for five years at the La Llotja School of Art andAr- tistic Trades, which he alternated with frequent attendance at work- shops at the Barcelona Royal Artistic Circle. The BRAC awarded him a scholarship in1965 that allowedhim to travel aroundFrance, Holland, elgiumand Italy, furtherenrichinghis studies. In1966, hehadhis first soloexhibitionatBarcelona’s Sala Jaimeswith the female form as a theme thatwouldbe repeated throughout his ca- reer,with theexceptionofa three-yearbreakspent inabstraction. Since then,Rollánhashadaround200exhibitions in theUS, France, Italy,Mo- roccoandMonteCarlo, albeithisgreatest exhibitionpresencehasbeen inGermanyandSwitzerland. Tell usabout yourpassion forart... My passion for art goes back tomy childhood - I alwayswanted to be apainter. Even inmyworst timesmycalling forarthasnever leftme. Doyou think that beauty should still bean ideal inart today? Beauty has always been and alwayswill be present in art. I think that an artist should knowhow touncover the positive aspects of even the most sordid themes, andhow to turn something that couldbe thought of as ugly andunpleasant into somethingbeautiful. Goya’s blackpaint- ingsareanexampleof this. What doyou thinkof theart that is currently leading themarkets? Timewill tell... Tell usabout your relationshipwith theBarcelonaRoyal ArtisticCircle. My relationshipwith the Circle dates back to1964, firstly as an intern and then later as a member. The Circle has been like a second home for me. There I’ve met great artists whom I’ve learnt a lot from and I’vemademany friends. I’ve also been amember of various directing boards. TheArtistic Circlewas in its day a leader in the social andartistic life of the city of Barcelona; balls, parties and important social acts that they are going to reinstate. Do you think that it’s possible to go back to the glorydaysof the late19thandearly20th centuries? It’s impossible to recover what was done in the past, but I do believe that theCircle canoncemore leadup the city’s culturewitheventsdif- ferent from, but equally important as, those in the past. For this, we need to look for a more modern vision, and create new designs and proposals. TheRoyal Circlehas hadgreat celebrities from theworldof art amongst its members, such as Mariano Benlliure, Ramón Casas, Anglada-Cama- rasa, Joaquín Sorolla, Ignacio Zuloaga, Benito Pérez Galdós, Joaquín Mir, Lluis Masriera, Àngel Guimerà, Apel·les Mestres, Pablo Picasso, En- ricMorera, JosepMaria de Sagarra, Antoni Gaudí, Pau Casals, Francesc Cambó, VictòriadelsÀngels, orMontserratCaballé... real beaconsof their time. All of them are nowmembers of merit, like yourself. What does it mean tobepart of suchaprestigious rollcall? Throughout itshistory theCirclehashad thousands of artists asmem- bers. I feel veryproud thatmyname ispart of suchaprestigious list of artists that aremembersofMerit. Tell us about you recent works. Where is the soul of your inspiration at themoment? My recentworkshave followed the inspiration causedbymy seeingan apple, hearingamelodyor readingapoem. What is youropinionon the stateof art at themoment? Bad. Aregoodartists lacking? There is a lack of interest in art, and a lack of cultural policy that sup- portscreation.There isa lackof involvement frombusinessandprivate and official institutions that used to support art. When this is solved, therewill bedecent artists. After a long career like yours, what has enriched your dedication to art and theartsmost? Inmy long career, what has enrichedme has been to always have the samedesire topaint, ofwakingupeverymorningandhaving thedesire toget toworkandnot flagwhenwhatyou’re trying togetacrossdoesn’t quitecomeoff,which isoften.█ ‘Passiondrivesme ’ JordiRollánLahoz. Foto/PhotoCarolinaCárdenas