Lorenzo Frechilla Del Rey (1927-1990), Untitled, Circa 1980

Lorenzo Frechilla Del Rey (1927 Valladolid - 1990 Madrid), Untitled, circa 1980. Bronze elements mounted on an iron plate, 27 cm x 20 cm, signed “Lorenzo Frechilla” in the lower left, marked as copy no. 20/35 in the lower right. - isolated scratch marks, otherwise in good condition    



- Minimalist dynamism -


The polished bronze forms appear radiant against the brown-colored iron background. The contrast between the dull iron and the reflective bronze also contributes to this effect. The reflections entering the rays make the bronze forms appear like moving, living structures. And indeed, they appear to be something that has grown organically. However, they do not form a continuous connection, but rather three separate elements, with the middle one seeming to float between the other two. This creates a space of tension that incorporates the brown background and is dynamic in itself. Lorenzo Frechilla Del Rey has created an abstract, minimalist relief sculpture that is also a dynamic image.    



About the artist


Lorenzo Frechilla del Rey studied sculpture at the College of Arts and Crafts in Valladolid under José Luis Medina, Ángel Trapote, and Antonio Vaquero. In 1948, he founded the avant-garde artist group “Pascual Letreros” together with followers of Spanish-American constructivism after Joaquín Torres García, with whom he exhibited until 1954. From 1951, he lived in Madrid, where he was heavily involved in the Círculo de Bellas Artes, an important cultural institution with international appeal. In 1961, he and his wife, the sculptor Teresa Eguíbar, joined the international artist group “Este–Oeste” and traveled with them throughout Europe in the 1960s. In 1978, he took part in the Mediterranean Sculpture Symposium. His artistic work is characterized by abstraction: while his early sculptures still feature figurative elements, they are already distinguished by independent, non-imitative forms. His abstract works are rhythmic and musical compositions of matter and emptiness. Frechilla del Rey created numerous sculptures for public spaces in Spain and Europe; his works are in major museums and also in the collection of the Spanish royal family. He received several awards for his work and was appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Valladolid in 1988.