TO MARTA LUCAS (1956 - 2011)

with Marta in front of the kiln in November 2010, Mendoza, Argentina. She was, is, and always will be my teacher.

INVITATION

Yesterday we opened an exhibition to show the work of my teacher, artist Marta Lucas, who passed away too recently not to remember the generous person of her.

Her gift to humanity was her life, part of which materialized in her sculptures rich in forms, textures, colours and fusion of metal, ceramics, wood and other materials.

Her artwork is now displayed in her home, open to all from 4 to 9 PM in Rufino Ortega street 162, City of Mendoza. Please come, if you are in town! The exhibition "Tierravida" will remain open until June 12th, 2011.

For more information visit Marta´s homepage: www.martalucas-tierravida.com and HERE you can find a coverage of the event in the local media (in Spanish).

Video "Tierravida" by Esteban Boasso

LEGEND

Seven months ago I appeared on the doorstep of the house of two artists Marta Lucas and Esteban Boasso disguised as a beggar-girl, dressed in a long brown dress holding an a peculiar staff in my hand. I had seen one of Esteban´s sculptures in Costa Rica. which had impressed me to the level that I wanted to know who and in what way had created it. The journey from Costa Rica to Mendoza, Argentina, had taken me over two years.

Marta came to open the door and guided me into the house. I saw a hall full of beautiful items, and while my host was preparing tea, went around to take a closer look. I was curious to know how she managed to create such a perfect form with organic texture looking at three spheres, that seemed like stones from another planet.

Installation of three ceramic spheres. Marta Lucas 2004.

I was amazed to find many of her works resemble nature where harmony is not found in symmetry but on the contrary is something ever-growing and always changing, pleasant to any viewer, yet also an eye-opener and full of surprises to those more curious.

When Marta returned I asked if she would take me to be her student. I could not pay her nor had a place to stay, I was not a relative nor in any other way acquainted to her - to receive a negative answer would not have surprised me. I had been on the road yesterday, and could easily be on the road tomorrow, my journey would just continue if she did not have time, I said.

Yet she took me in, a complete stranger coming from nowhere, she found me a place to stay, and then in her workshop she showed me her secret. I spent all together forty days forming sculptures, and then on my last day recycled all of them to their original form of shapeless clay. After this I disappeared myself leaving only my staff, the most valuable item as a gift to her. I promised that the skill I had received would continue in me, and just as she gave to me without self intrest, I would give as well. The time and space would come, I was sure.

I leave, I pass away, I die...for that place I cease to exist. I rarely keep in touch, I carry no phone and respond briefly to the few emails I receive. And then in another place and time I come to be reborn again.

I received the news of my teacher´s death when travelling the South of Argentina. It was a sad day, Diego from Costa Rica wrote to me and I immediately responded that I would return to Mendoza. Back then it was strange to give a reason why

Although I came back to Mendoza, I did not return - it was a new place and a new time.

MARTA´S LAST PROJECT

Esteban told me Marta had been working a lot with sculpture lately and preparing to open the house to be an art gallery. I offered to help finish the exhibition and Esteban invited me to live in the house together with his niece Valeria.

When I came with my things, there was light in the workshop - Valeria was making an urn for Marta´s ashes. Seven days later the wind spread them across the mountains in Punta de Vacas.

Photo by Rafael Edwards. See more images of the day HERE

It was the strangest event - a light separation of the body from the person. The body is no more and it parts. Love remains, for love does not die. When I looked at the faces of the people there was no sadness, but a peace. Perhaps it was just a mask one never knows really, yet I felt it and I was happy I had come. When I die, I want to go like this as well - up into the wind far away from a cemetery, no gravestone, just a free memory.

After the ceremony in the mountain, there were just ten days left before the planned opening of the exhibition. Esteban still had to restore some of the objects that came back from Marta´s last display of works in the Chacras, there were also those that needed to be finished. There were stands that wanted painting, distribution of 500 invitations was to be done and a media plan completed and last but not least we had to make the installations. Friends came to help and we finished on time.

Clarita came from Chile and helped with texts and graphic design

Valeria made a collage of Marta´s photos and Yessica helped me prepare clay for the workshop

Pablo helped with important technical details

Marina came from Buenos Aires to play flute on the opening day

I also helped here and there...

There were many more helpers - Lita presented our event on T.V., Susana painted walls and shelves, Laura promoted us in print media and radio; there were tens of those who helped make and distribute invitations, who took charge of food and drinks, Valeria and a bunch of her friends from work were to volunteer as waitors.

Yet three days before the event, the rooms were still empty...

This is what it looked like

Same wall two days later

...and the rest of that room

Images of other exhibited works:

"Ancient Worlds". Installation of seven totems, hand-molded ceramic, with oxide and engobe patines, suspended on iron structure with marble base. Marta Lucas 2000-2007.

"Primigenials". Group of sculptures. Mixted techniques: ceramic, hand-molded with oxide and enamel patines and hammered iron. Marta Lucas 2006.

"Origen". Mural. Mixed techniques: ceramic and glass with enamel and patine of oxides. Marta Lucas 2005.

There were over a hundred people who came to the opening, live music, food, drinks everything done with almost a zero budget, with kind help of good givers who offered their services. I stayed most of the time in the workshop inviting people who were interested to participate. It was a good experience for those not too shy to put their hands into clay, and a performance in itself for the observers. The idea was to give to all who wanted a chance to put themselves in place of an artist,to let them know the secret and then allow them to go back and really see that what it takes is not the technique, but patience. For Marta that patience came from love for the material, the knowledge of it and of herself which she expressed in her works - so many, so different, so beautiful.

It was after midnight when suddenly we heard sounds of an electric violin. Everyone gathered around the unknown man to listen to the magical music coming from his instrument. A loud applause finished the gathering and soon the house became quiet again.

It is hard to express what being here means to me. Having known and learned with such a great artist fills me with a sense of indescribable gratitude.

With one of the last works by my teacher