ALEJANDRO BOTUBOL

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Portrait photography and interview by BARTE.

Formidable Magazine. What was your first creative drive?

Alejandro Botubol. As any other kid I was always drawing, at school I would draw manga characters, landscapes, and I did it all on my school desk. It was a natural process for me, I’d isolate myself from the teacher and get into my own bubble. Everybody liked my drawings, even the cleaning crew would not erasure them…. (laughs).

F.M. Is there a defining moment that made you realize art was your thing?

A.B. Serendipity. When I was 17 I was painting outdoors and I met people who was getting together to go out and paint. Then I started winning contests and selling some pieces. As a teenager I was amazed, I could get cash for the weekends just for painting… Coolness.

F.M. Inspirational artists?

A.B. I can’t say I like this or that artist, I’m more influenced by art movements. Also at any given time I take from different eras. Right now I’m really into light, artists like Turner, Whistler o Monet. Also I’d have to say Camarón de la Isla. I like flamenco and to me he is pure, raw energy.

F.M. How would you define your work?

A.B. My work it’s what it is. It comes from my gut feeling. It’s the result of my surroundings, my studio, it’s a translation of whatever happens around me, I search my own space, I search for objects and I observe how the light falls on them and how their shadow falls on the canvas. Then I play around with these objects and I take lots pics with my cell as a way of sketches that I use later on as reference for final paintings.

F.M. What’s in your play list?

A.B. A little bit of everything; from Joe Cocker to Los Chichos, from classical to Pescaito Frito, high and low, it’s a mix and match thing.

F.M. What film is your life like?

A.B. Wow! It’d be a Fellini film, kind of like Amacord. Right now it’s very intense for me, I had a Francois Truffaut phase recently, but right now it’s so extreme it has to be Fellini.

F.M. How is a day in the life of Alejandro Botubol?

A.B. It’s a lot about self discipline and hard work at the moment. I come early in the morning to the studio, have a coffee, answer mails and then I check on my “babies”, I groom them and I see how they grow up and take form.

F.M. Best and worst night out?

A.B. The perfect night is always unplanned. It’s a night I wasn’t even planning on going out and something comes up so unique I couldn’t do the same again. Worst night… when I come out of the studio, and whatever I’m working on is in my head, and it just sticks to my head all night long.

F.M. What do you love and hate about Madrid?

A.B. I like how intense Madrid is. I’m used to cities with lots of energy, action and diversity, and Madrid definitely has it all. On the down side, tapas are not as good as back home… (Laughs).

F.M. Our motto is “A life less ordinary”, what makes life less ordinary?

A.B. When you approach life spontaneously. If you get fixed on you place in life, your health, romance and so on, none of this will ever come. So it’s all about going with flow and taking whatever life brings your way.

F.M. Any future projects?

A.B. 2015 is going to be intense. I’m working on projects with Espacio Valverde Gallery for JustMad art show and with OTR for Arco Madrid art show. Also on spring I’ll show at Trama Gallery in Barcelona. At the same time I’m working on another show for ECCO in Cadiz. So… yes busy, busy!