The greatness of minimalism: Interview with Carla Cascales
He explains how he works, what his sources of inspiration are and how his aesthetic translates into his home.
We met Carla back in 2010, when Monapart was just starting to open its eyes to the world. And we are happy to see that, since she left the nest (because of our hummingbird), Carla Cascales has grown as a professional to become the renowned artist she is today. One thing is clear to us: we would stay forever in a space filled with her work.
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation begin?
As a child I always loved to draw and paint and I did it all the time, but when the time came to decide what to study, and maybe for fear of not being able to live a stable life, I decided to study Advertising and Design. One of my first jobs was as an intern designer for Monapart..
Time went by and, although I liked some things about these disciplines, I noticed how I needed to get away from the computer and get back to using my hands. I was never very good at working in big studios or agencies and I always found a way to build my own style of illustration and design that allowed me to work as a freelancer directly for well-known brands such as Nike, Oysho, Uniqlo, Louis Vuitton, Mini, Massimo Dutti, Martini, Cervezas Alhambra...
I needed the freedom to create for the pleasure of doing so without a commission or set guidelines, and the more time passed, the greater this feeling became.
Although everything was going well, that restlessness in me was still present. I needed the freedom to create for the pleasure of doing it without a previous commission or set guidelines, and the more time went by, the greater that feeling became. Until one day, after working almost exclusively for Inditex for a year, I decided to start my own art studio at www.carlacascales.com. With the savings I had been able to scrape together I gave myself a year's cushion, and if it didn't work out I thought I could always find a job as a designer again.
My knowledge of painting and drawing had been acquired over the years and through practice, but sculpture was something I had not mastered, although I have always been fascinated by architecture, light and shadows, interior design... Sculpture for me is very powerful, a volume that occupies a space just like our own body, that coexists in space.I was always fascinated by it but never had the time to experience the field, so the time had come, 3 years ago now.
Any first memories related to your work?
I have to explain here that my father is an architectural model maker, one of the traditional ones, who worked everything by hand. When I was a child, together with my sister, we always visited his studio and helped him with some tasks such as building miniature trees for the models. During the economic crisis my father had to close his lifelong studio, as new visualisation and 3D printing technologies made that same work mechanically much faster and cheaper, so it was a profession that was practically lost. But I always thought that all his knowledge could not be lost, knowing how to treat the materials, how to turn them, how to work them with my hands... So during the first year of my career, I was able to learn how to make 3D prints. I tried to learn everything I could from my father, he taught me how to carve wood, how to use his radials, how to weld metal.... I saw an opportunity to acquire all this knowledge and apply it to a new artistic discipline. Now, 3 years later, the studio has grown a lot and I do projects for everyone. My father is a fundamental person in the studio, my teacher and a great support and help to carry out all the sculptures with the highest possible quality.
What do you find most satisfying about your work, and is there anything you are particularly proud of?
What I like most is the freedom I feel and the best work is always the next one. Right now I'm preparing an exhibition for Arco, I'm really looking forward to showing the new pieces.
What are your sources of inspiration?
I think my work is a mixture of the disciplines I am most passionate about. I am fascinated by Brutalist architecture (Le Corbusier) and that of the Modern Movement (Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Tadao Ando); the aesthetic vision of Japanese Wabi-Sabi; the strength of abstract expressionism in painting (Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline); the delicacy of Minimalism (Agnes Martin, Carl Andre); the mastery of form of Brancusi, Hans Arp or Noguchi; the stroke of Matisse; the sensuality of Georgia O'Keeffe... and I'm sure I'm leaving out many, many others.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order!
Colour: Ocean blue.
Book: The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck [Spanish edition of Alianza Editorial].
Peli: Canine by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Disc: Black tears by Bebo Valdés and Diego el Cigala.
Is your home a reflection of who you are?
It's only been a month since I moved house, I felt I needed a change and I have found a place that I love. It is a tiny flat but with very high ceilings of volta catalana very well preserved and two beautiful windows through which the sunshine comes in. I am very minimalist in decoration, as with my work, I like to have little but quality furniture, I confess that I still live with some boxes of books and that I have hardly anything on the walls, but I am not in a hurry, I want to complete the space little by little with objects that really mean something to me.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
A painting by Georgia O'Keeffe for the living room.
A great plan at home always includes...
A glass of wine with friends and order some food. Or cooking something in the oven with my partner and watching a good film.
Do you have a signature dish?
In season, baked artichokes with salmon come to mind.
What is your favourite place in your city?
One place I love to go for a walk is around the Fundació Miró on Montjuïc, it relaxes me a bit outside the centre and architecturally I find it very inspiring.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
It's been many years since I worked with you, I think you were among the first to appreciate my work so thank you from the bottom of my heart, I'm glad to see you in so many cities!
