Presentation
Guinardó, Gràcia and old Barcelona, these are the areas that define the geographical frame of Josep Cañada's work. It is within these neighbourhoods that we can find the coexistence of strong contrasts such as the most sordid urban and human structures with the close and the intimate.
If the aim of all art lies in the artist's interpretation of today's world, it is therefore not surprising that the work of Josep Cañada often reveals aggressiveness in its’ forms and textures, which at the same time however are never dehumanizing.
Josep Cañada's access to the world of art has not by any means been easy. Although he studied at the art school of «arts i oficis» in Barcelona, he is essentially self taught, and maybe because of this and his strong spirit of pursuit, he has always been forced to dig deeper, such that at times his lack of resources has had an over stimulating influence on his work.
In spite of this, he has never been led or conditioned by technique; on the contrary, he has always been able to adapt it to his needs, almost turning it into a kind of game for himself. The conventional methods and materials he uses have always had a creative impulse in themselves.
An oil painting does not necessarily have to look like an «oil painting», nor has an airbrush sketch to become an exhibition of this technique. In Josep Cañada's work neither the method nor technique never takes the lead.
Josep Cañada, a tireless worker, continues to outline his objectives based on a philosophy of «doing». Artistic progress comes to him from his own dialectical process of work. Work which has resulted in diverse series in which we can find the key elements that define the whole content of his work. We can observe how the figure slowly disappears to let abstraction take its place, and how the austere chromaticism accents with its small counter points of vivid colours; or geometric forms that introduce stability within an apparently tormented context, of black holes and aggressively directed strokes.
Restless by nature, he became interested in new technologies and introduced digital media into his production. In this initial period, the illustration of the book The trial, by Franz Kafka, which contains more than 700 of his drawings was a very significant work. In this field also, he explored the digital manipulation of the photographic image, onto which he imposed a daring pictorial treatment.
The need to expand his living space brought him to Terra Alta where he has discovered new landscapes that have influenced his palette. This in turn has become more austere and rigorous, and has resulted in works where he has experimented with new textures and media.
Also noteworthy is his involvement in the dissemination and promotion of much of his own work in the environs of this district and that of other artists who have collaborated on projects such as L’abecedari de la llibertat (The Alphabet of Freedom) de Corbera d’Ebre and Art al Ras (Art in the Open), a sculptural route along the pathways of Terra Alta. In this area of cultural promotion, it is worth noting his involvement in the organization of the art biennials of Corbera d'Ebre and the publication of the art magazine Mansanes i pataques.
Definitively, we are standing before the wide open and thought provoking world of Josep Cañada. It is now our wish to build contacts with him, as artists and spectators, always so necessary and invaluable. Let’s hope that this will be possible and that we will find fulfilment in doing so.