Lola Montejo

I grew up in Madrid in the 80’s. It was after the death of Franco and 40 years of dictatorship. A movement arose, “La Movida Madrileña”, Madrid was in the center and as the name suggests, “Moving people of Madrid”. The city turned into a destination for different cultures to meet and develop. Groups of intellectuals began to pursue new forms of expression. Artists unveiled new ideas, fashion and music also took drastic turns.  This new formed freedom led to radical cultural change and Spain was on a journey towards democracy and liberty. It was an exciting time and place to grow up. I remember the attitudes of people, newfound freedoms of speech and this amazing sense of pride. The country was doing well, economically growing. Everyone talked about how progressive Madrid was becoming and you saw it on people walking down the streets dressed in flamboyant clothing, going to plays and art galleries. I felt as if I was living in a modern era and on the edge of the latest and newest things.

I have always been attracted to modern aesthics. At ten years old I visited the Prado museum and found a deep a connection to Spanish modern art. The work of Picasso, Joan Miro, and Antoni Tapies spoke to me.

Spanish art is rooted in a tradition of abstraction and possesses such qualities as all over composition, sculptural thinking, planarity and fractious relations between forms. My work draws from the history of Spanish art and these formal qualities.