BGW. The Pencil, the Coordinates and the Sea. Manolo Sierra

Pencil on paper is the preferred technique in this exhibition. The apparent simplicity of this procedure has been captivating me for years. Graphite may be the second or third oldest mineral in the Universe. The term graphite derives from the Greek ‘γράφειν’ (graphein) which means ‘to write’, and it is well known that graphite is mainly used to make pencil leads.

In my work, writing is part of the beginning of the pieces, like sketches, and in this line of work I have needed to place myself in the idea of origin. There is always a clear intention to capture moments, places, people and decisive elements of a vital moment. The pencil has allowed me a kind of review or reset of the situation. I have searched within my origins and looked at the present, heavy with salt.

The exhibition is divided into two parts: there are some drawings taken from the family album: grandparents, parents, uncles… and there are others drawn from life, showing people, landscapes and places that are lived, everyday and close. Between origin, distance and the present lies the search that pulses through these drawings.