Eduardo Arranz Bravo

EDUARDO ARRANZ BRAVO (Barcelona, 1941-2023).
Untitled.
Stone sculpture.
Signed on the base.
Measurements: 98 x 47 x 19 cm.

This unique stone sculpture by Arranz Bravo presents a fascinating contrast between the head of classic invoice, and the body, which breaks with the proportions and deliberately moves away from realism. The head, crowned with a sort of garland that evokes ancient classical statues, gives the piece an air of timelessness and a nod to Greco-Roman sculptural traditions. However, the body opts for the aesthetics of the formless, suggesting more an emotional or conceptual state than an anatomical one. This interplay between the classical and the modern creates a visual tension that invites reflection on the permanence of certain ideals (such as classical beauty) versus the transformation of forms in contemporary art. The garland, which could be interpreted as a symbol of victory or consecration, contrasts with the ill-defined corporeality, perhaps indicating a search for transcendence or a questioning of established values. The texture of the stone, carefully worked, highlights the dualism of the work: the neatness in the details of the head versus the cruder surfaces of the torso. Arranz Bravo shows his ability to fuse past and present in a single block of matter.

Trained in Barcelona, Paris, Madrid and Italy, Arranz made his individual debut at the University Club of Barcelona in 1961. In 1967 he abandoned the lyricism of his first period and approached the New Figuration. In the seventies he formed an artistic partnership with Rafael Lozano Bartolozzi, with whom he would carry out artistic projects that would mark the history of Spanish contemporary art for more than a decade. He has exhibited all over the world, and among his awards are the Grand Prize and Gold Medal at the International Biennial of Ibiza (1964), the Prize of the II Biennial of Sport (1964), the Figure Award of the Biennial Estrada Saladich (1967) and the Drawing Award YngladaGuillot (1968). His work is present in the MoMA in New York, the Museum of São Paulo, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Madrid and the Fine Arts Museums of Vitoria and Seville.