El Hortelano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Hortelano
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| Born |
José Alfonso Morera Ortiz
August 6, 1954 Valencia, Spain
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| Died | December 20, 2016 (aged 62) Madrid, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Known for | Painting, drawing |
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Notable work
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Osa Mayor, Pater Noster, Madre Agua, Humano |
| Movement | La Movida Madrileña |
| Awards | Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts 2009 (Ministry of Culture of Spain); Pop Eye Prize for Plastic Arts 2011 |
José Alfonso Morera Ortiz (born August 6, 1954 – died December 20, 2016) was a Spanish painter. He was known by his artist name, El Hortelano, which means "the horticulturist." He was a key artist in a cool, new cultural movement called La Movida Madrileña. This movement happened in Madrid during the late 1970s and 1980s.
El Hortelano's art style changed a lot over the years. At first, his paintings had distorted figures. Later, he used warm orange colors and focused on nature. Many people think he was one of the most important Spanish artists of his time. He even won the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts in 2010.
Contents
Early Life of El Hortelano
El Hortelano's father, José Morera Martínez, was a pharmacist who also loved to paint. His mother, Cándida Ortiz Ortiz, wrote seven books of poetry. So, art was a big part of his family! Like a relative from a century before, El Hortelano became a painter who loved nature.
When he was ten, El Hortelano got sick and had to stay in bed for a long time. From his window, he saw a neighbor drawing. This neighbor was Ambrós, a famous comic artist. Ambrós created characters like Capitán Trueno. Inspired by comic heroes, El Hortelano chose his own artist name: "Morera El Hortelano."
In 1972, he left university and traveled around Europe. He read underground comics by his friends like Mariscal. He also published some of his drawings in magazines. His first art show was in 1973 at the Yes Gallery in Valencia.
The Movida Madrileña Movement
When El Hortelano was 21, he moved to Madrid for military service. There, he met the painter Ceesepe at a flea market. They quickly became friends. El Hortelano designed covers for a magazine called Star. He also met other rising artists at a bar called La Bobia.
El Hortelano and Ceesepe opened an art studio. This studio became a central spot for the Movida Madrileña movement. In 1976, painter and photographer Ouka Leele joined their group. She even got her artist name from a star in one of El Hortelano's artworks! They found inspiration in Madrid's lively bars at night. In 1977, they showed their art in group exhibitions in Madrid and Barcelona.
In 1978, they moved to a palace tower in Montjuïc, Barcelona. There, they met more artists. El Hortelano also designed fabrics for a company called Etamin. His designs featured funny, transformed faces.
Art Shows and Videos
In 1980, El Hortelano had his first solo art show called "Moda" (Fashion). He showed drawings and paintings of imaginary designs. These included flying costumes and characters with bodies made of TVs or phones. The show opened in Barcelona in a very dramatic way. El Hortelano arrived on a hospital bed, pushed by Ouka Leele and a friend dressed as nurses! This unusual entrance made the newspapers.
A video about the show, called Koloroa, was released later that year. In the video, El Hortelano and Ouka Leele acted as newsreaders. Koloroa was shown at the Fundació Joan Miró and later on TV. It was also aired in New York, Japan, and other countries.
During these years, El Hortelano and Ouka Leele traveled a lot. They visited Europe, the United States, and Mexico. They even shared a loft in New York with other designers.
El Hortelano also took part in many group art shows. In 1982, he moved to an attic in Madrid. This new place gave him fresh ideas for his paintings. He started to see how everyday things looked like the moon or clouds. For example, a cut nail could look like a crescent moon.
He also learned how to make engravings. He created a series of drawings based on a famous song by Radio Futura.
Important Art Series
El Manifesto Emocionado (1984)
In 1984, El Hortelano went through a difficult time. His paintings from this period show feelings of quietness. The energetic characters he used to paint were gone. He painted the absence of people, showing their jackets on chairs or shoes on a table. He also published two books of poems and art during this time.
El perdon de los pecados (1985-1990)
A painting from 1985, "El misterio del mundo" (The Mystery of the World), was a turning point for El Hortelano. It was a huge canvas full of bright, open space and optimism. This painting started a new series called El perdón de los pecados (The Forgiveness of Sins). These paintings used intense yellows, oranges, and reds.
In 1986, he designed the cover for a record by the band Gabinete Caligari. He also received a grant to live and work in New York. He rented a loft in Tribeca with his friend Ceesepe.
Pater Noster (1990-1994)
El Hortelano received another painting grant in 1990. This time, he went to Rome. He started painting large works that looked like frescoes. They used the colors of Roman walls and featured classical buildings. He worked on a series called Pater Noster for four years. This project included twelve large paintings, each based on a sentence from the Lord’s Prayer.
Savitaipale (1995)
While in Rome, El Hortelano met and fell in love with Sanna Kohonen, who was also a painter. After his time in Rome, he went to Finland with her. They spent three months in a town called Savitaipale. He named a series of works after this town. These works were on handmade paper and featured ants, leaves, and water drops. He even put painted paper in a lake to see how it would change.
In 1991, he returned to Madrid. He later moved to a house outside the city. There, he finished his Pater Noster series. He also worked with Ceesepe and Mariscal on illustrations for a book. He designed the cover for a Radio Futura album, showing a man looking at a starry sky.
Osa Mayor (1996-2004)
In 1996, El Hortelano began a new series called Osa Mayor (Ursa Major or The Big Dipper). In these paintings, tree branches with snails and water drops crossed a night sky. The second part of this series had seven large paintings. Each was named after a star in the Big Dipper constellation. They showed a lonely man and tiny creatures against the huge universe. He used this idea for a poster for the 1997 Madrid Carnival.
Red Sea paintings
In 1998, El Hortelano traveled to India, Nepal, and Jordan. His visit to the Red Sea inspired a series of paintings. These works showed thousands of sea creatures swimming among coral. He used many layers of paint and varnish to make the paintings look like clear water.
Madre Universo
El Hortelano returned to Madrid in late 1998. In 2000, he designed one of the floats for the Three Wise Men parade in Madrid. It was called "Madre Universo" (Mother Universe). The float had moving planets, represented by his friends in costumes, surrounded by children dressed as stars.
In 2001, his art was shown in big exhibitions in Madrid and Valencia. He also took part in other group exhibitions, including one in Korea.
Madre Agua (2004-2008)
The series called Madre Agua (Mother Water) celebrates the beauty of water. The artist showed the tiny world that lives in or near water, as if seen through a microscope.
Humano (unfinished)
At the time of his death, El Hortelano was working on a series called Humano (Human). This series included one hundred small artworks. He wanted to honor human beings and the human hand in these pieces.
See also
In Spanish: El Hortelano para niños
- Movida Madrileña
- Ouka Leele
