Almodóvar and his new turn as a painter

When we think of multi-talented artists, names like Leonardo Da Vinci come to mind, but certainly no filmmaker springs up. Maybe because it's the youngest art of all, or maybe just because it's the least classical of the arts, but the truth is that when an actor or director turns musician or painter... we get suspicious. Well then, this time it's Almodóvar's turn to be judged and picked apart by the masses. A two-time Oscar winner, Almodóvar is an icon of Spanish cinema whether you like it or not. Yours truly isn't much of a fan of his work, but when you spend an entire life devoted to art it's natural to be rejected now and then, I'd almost say it's essential. Anyway, Almodóvar has now tried out a new side of himself as a painter, and he's done it by drawing a horde of celebrities made in Spain. Controversy guaranteed. And he knows a thing or two about that.

Pedro Almodóvar y Jorge Galindo

Almodóvar's foray into painting alongside the artist Jorge Galindo

It couldn't have been any other way. Almodóvar wasn't going to start on his own, he did it with the famous artist Jorge Galindo. The exhibition, which can be seen at the Centro Andaluz de la Fotografía, is a collaboration between the two, and while it's true that it has been entirely led by Galindo, it's set in the world of Pedro's latest film, "Pain and Glory". Every canvas has a reading of its own and the joint work between the two artists has resulted in a new "adventure", as Almodóvar describes it.

Over the five months the project lasted, both of them created a collection which, as Almodóvar says, "it's all his fault (Galindo's), he called me because he had seen my still life photographs at the gallery in Madrid and told me he wanted to enlarge them so we could turn them into painting".

While it's true that Almodóvar had never made a direct foray into painting, he's no newcomer to the subject. In fact, he owns a collection of Spanish paintings by the likes of Berlanda or McNamara.

The showbiz exhibition

Painting doesn't attract as many eyes as cinema (let's not kid ourselves). That's why when someone as influential in showbiz as Almodóvar presents an exhibition (even if, in reality, only a percentage of it is his) it draws plenty of attention. The result was the attendance of all sorts of showbiz figures, such as the so-called Almodóvar girls, but also painters like Antonio López, who didn't want to miss it.

Who is Jorge Galindo?

Jorge Galindo surely needs no introduction for Artelista readers but, just in case, it's worth pointing out that this Spanish artist has exhibited his artworks in galleries in Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Mexico and the United States. His most famous artwork is probably "La pintura y la furia", but he has spent decades creating everything from visual pieces to animal painting.

La pintura y la furia, proyecto del artista Jorge Galindo