Concha Jerez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Concha Jerez
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born | 1941 (age 83–84) Las Palmas, Spain
|
| Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
| Occupation | Artist |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Employer | University of Salamanca (1991–2011) |
| Known for | Conceptual art |
| Awards |
|
Concha Jerez, born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, in 1941, is a famous Spanish artist. She is known for being one of the first artists to create "conceptual art" in Spain. This type of art focuses on ideas and messages rather than just making beautiful objects. A big part of her artwork looks closely at how news and information (the media) affect us.
Contents
Concha Jerez's Artistic Journey
Concha Jerez first studied piano at the Madrid Royal Conservatory. Later, she got a scholarship to study in Virginia, USA, where she became very interested in politics and social issues. This led her to study political science at the Complutense University of Madrid.
In 1970, she decided to become a visual artist. Her first art show was in 1973.
Art and Censorship
When Concha Jerez started her career, Spain was under a strict government that controlled what people could say or show. This was called censorship. Because of this, her art often explored ideas about censorship and "self-censorship" (when people stop themselves from saying something for fear of trouble).
In 1976, she created her first large art piece called Autocensura (Self-Censorship). It used printed paper to show her ideas. Later, she started using new technologies in her art. She used video, interactive displays, photographs, and sound installations.
When I started in 1970, during the Franco era, the issue of self-censorship did not disappear when democracy began. I saw that it continued, not only publicly but also privately. Public self-censorship has unfortunately grown over the years. I continue to use these ideas in my art to show people that self-censorship still exists.
Exploring New Art Forms
Since then, Jerez has focused on performance art and creating "installations." An installation is a large art piece made for a specific space. Many of her installations combine different types of art, like video and sound. She is seen as one of the first Spanish artists to create conceptual art.
She started making "video art" in the early 1980s. Her first video installation was about a staircase. It was shown at a video festival in Madrid in 1984. She was also invited to create an installation at a media art festival in Germany.
Concha Jerez has also made "radio art" pieces for different radio stations in Europe.
Collaborations and Recognition
Since 1976, she has worked on many projects with the artist and composer José Iges. In 2015, they showed their joint projects in an exhibition called Media Mutaciones in Madrid.
From 2014 to 2015, a museum in Spain showed her exhibition called Interferencias en los medios (Interferences in the Media).
In 2015, Concha Jerez won the National Award for Plastic Arts. She won for being a pioneer in using technology in her art. The award recognized her research, creations, and new ideas that helped art move from older methods to digital art.
Jerez also taught at the University of Salamanca's Faculty of Fine Arts from 1991 to 2011.
Art and Social Messages
Her artwork often includes ideas about Feminism and left-wing politics. She believes strongly in fighting for women's rights and equality.
Of course, I have no choice but to be a feminist when you see the situation of women, with so many people affected by gender violence, unequal salaries, and difficulty getting important jobs. We must fight against these situations and teach from a young age to value women who are very capable in economic, political, and social areas.
Concha Jerez has helped organize and has been an active member of different groups for women and artists. This includes the Asociación de Mujeres en las Artes Visuales (MAV) (Association of Women in Visual Arts), which gave her an award in 2012 for her career.
In 2018, she showed her work Soliloquios cotidianos (Everyday Soliloquies) in an exhibition about loneliness in the modern world.
Also in 2018, her installation Textos autocensurados.Versión 1,1976 (Self-Censored Texts.Version 1, 1976) was chosen for a special exhibition. This exhibition showed art from the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in the Spanish Parliament buildings.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2011: Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts
- 2012: Asociación de Mujeres en las Artes Visuales Award
- 2015: National Award for Plastic Arts
- 2017: Velázquez Award for Plastic Arts
- 2018: Gold Medal of the Canary Islands
See also
In Spanish: Concha Jerez para niños
