César Manrique


César Manrique Cabrera was a Spanish artist, sculptor and nature activist from Lanzarote. In his early career he was primarily a painter, influencing early Spanish informalism and abstract art. He is however primarily known for his architectural projects in Lanzarote, constructed from the 1960s to 1990s. These were designed to promote sustainable tourism, while respecting the natural landscape and character of the island. As an activist, he worked to preserve the natural beauty and traditional architectural principles of Lanzarote, and was successful in his drive for regulation against high rise hotels. In 2019, the hundredth anniversary of his birth, the island's main airport was renamed in his honour.

Early life

Manrique was born in Arrecife, Lanzarote, one of the Canary Islands. His father Gumersindo Manrique, originally from Fuerteventura, built the family house in Caleta de Famara. Manrique himself once said this house and its surroundings has impressed him greatly. He demonstrated artistic talent from a young age.
He fought in the Spanish Civil War as a volunteer in the artillery unit on Franco's side. The violence of war troubled Manrique, and he would not talk about what he had experienced afterwards. He returned to Lanzarote in 1939, climbed on to the roof of his home, stripped off his military uniform and set fire to it. His experiences left him with a wish to produce uplifting, inspirational art.
He attended the University of La Laguna to study architecture, but after two years he quit his studies. Instead he studied at Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where he graduated as an art professor and painter.

Career

Madrid (1945-1964)

He moved to Madrid in 1945 and received a scholarship for the Art School of San Fernando, where he graduated as a teacher of art and painting. He lived with his partner Josefa "Pepi" Gómez, who came from a wealthy family and through whom he developed connections in the art world. They lived at two locations in Madrid over the period, and would regularly host "artists, architects, and poets, as well as ambassadors, politicians, business leaders and aristocrats" at social gatherings in their home. These connections would offer a means for Manrique to gain commissions for his artwork.
Manrique lavishly decorated his Madrid home with art, and designed several elements such as the lamps, chairs and ceramics. The art historian Carlos Diaz-Bertrana has suggested that this represented an early indication of how he had "spilled over beyond the canvas", by moving into other art forms. During his time in post-war Madrid he avoided becoming involved with Francoist politics personally, despite his connections in the area. He once stated that he preferred "to be an eagle rather than a sheep". His works in the period contributed to early Spanish informalism and abstract art. In 1959, he shared an exhibition with, an enameller and art critic with whom he would develop a lasting friendship.

New York (1964-1966)

After the untimely death of Gómez in 1963, he felt the need to leave Madrid- which reminded him of her. On the advice of a cousin he moved to New York in 1964, where he stayed with the Cuban painter Waldo Diaz-Blart. A grant from Nelson Rockefeller allowed him to rent his own studio. He set up on the Lower East Side, where he could be close to the art scene that was present there at the time. He painted many works in New York, which were exhibited in the prestigious "Catherine Viviano" gallery as well as the Guggenheim Museum. His exhibitions at the Viviano in particular were foundational in his establishing a presence in the New York art scene, and more broadly the art market for North America. The period saw him exposed to pop art and abstract expressionism.
Manrique however grew to dislike New York's culture and lack of natural settings, and came to miss the volcanic terrain and friendly people of Lanzarote.

Lanzarote "Volcano Home" (1966-1988)

Manrique returned to Lanzarote in 1966; the island would be his home for the remainder of his life. Upon arriving, he intended to start an artist's colony on the island. Pepín Ramírez, a childhood friend of Manrique as well as the president of the island helped Manrique realize this idea. While travelling in the volcanic plains left behind by the 1824 eruption, Manrique discovered a cave, and climbed down to discover several volcanic bubbles and a tunnel. He decided to develop the location into his home, and over several years excavated and augmented the caverns, adding above ground elements also. It would form the centrepiece of his "artist's colony" on the island, and a spot for regular nude, hedonistic parties. The site has been described as "the lair of a Bond villain who ditched world domination to throw the swingiest parties in town".
Manrique gained a lot of attention with his commitment to protect Lanzarote from what he regarded as pernicious tourist developments. Manrique was not against tourism on the island. On the contrary, he thought tourism should be the economic engine of the island. He had a major influence on the planning regulations on Lanzarote following his recognition of its potential for tourism and lobbied successfully to encourage the sustainable development of the industry. One aspect of this is the ban of high-rise hotels on the island, which do not fit the aesthetic harmony that should cover the entire island, according to Manrique. Those high buildings that were built before the ban are generally keeping with the use of traditional colors in their exterior decoration. Homeowners are encouraged to protect this visual unity by keeping the exterior of the houses white.
With his goal in mind- helping improve tourism to the island while maintaining its natural beauty- Manrique spent much of the following 25 years designing and building structures, attractions, and public sculptures. An early example of this was the El Diablo restaurant, which uses uses the heat of the Timanfaya volcano to cook food upon a well-like structure. The building has large panoramic windows which offer views of the volcanic landscape. He also designed the visitor center for the Timanfaya volcanic park as well as its devil symbol. This was followed by the Mirador del Río in 1973; a scenic overlook of the island which includes a cafe worked into the volcanic rock. Manrique published a book in 1974 called Architecture Unpublished, collaborating with the renowned Spanish architect Fernando Higueras.
In 1976, Manrique designed the overhaul of the Castillo de San José at Arrecife, which saw the historic structure refurbished. The fortress building became home to the International Museum of Contemporary Art, which showcases the work of both Canarian and international artists. He also developed the restaurant on site. Manrique worked on an extensive remodeling and excavation program of the volcanic caverns at Jameos del Agua through the 1970s, adding an auditorium among other changes. Manrique desired to respect the natural formations of the cavern in his works, stating that "the most important aspect of art is nature. In Jameos del Agua, I did nothing more than underline the beauty that was already there." It opened to the public in 1977.

Move to Haria and final works (1988-1992)

By the 1980s, Manrique made the decision to move out of his elaborate volcano home. He designed a new, more simple Palm Grove House in the small Lanzarote village of Haria which would become his permanent residence, while redeveloping the volcano home into an art gallery. For this purpose, he launched the César Manrique Foundation. The goal of this group was to provide public access to the property as well as to further his goals of art, education and nature conservation in the Canary Islands, particularly Lanzarote. Though Manrique was in his early 70s by that point, he remained active, and in 1989 began work on the Jardin de Cactus at Guatiza, a vast garden in a remote area of the island containing hundreds of species of cactus and an elaborate restaurant. The site opened in 1991, and was his last major contribution to the landscape of the island.
In 1990, he created one of the BMW Art Cars as a collaboration with the German designer and paint artist Walter Maurer. Their collaboration for the international automobile company increased Manrique's fame beyond the country's borders. Manrique maintained a close friendship with Walter Maurer for the rest of his life, and was involved in a constant artistic exchange. Before the collaboration with César Manrique, Maurer had already designed BMW Art Cars with other highly recognised international artists such as Andy Warhol, Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein. The work for the joint Art Car was carried out in Maurer's studio in Munich. César Manrique took care of the initial design proposals, coordinated them with his artistic partner Walter Maurer and was responsible for the final approval, while Maurer was responsible for applying the design to the BMW 730i.
Manrique's final artistic works were his wind toys- dynamic sculptures that are animated by the wind. The first installed was Veleta in Arrieta. Many of them went on to be constructed after his death, based on the notes and drawings he left behind. The last building credited to the artist was the Parque Marítimo César Manrique which opened in Tenerife in 1995.

Personal life

Manrique met his partner Joesfa "Pepi" Gómez in 1945 when he moved to Madrid. The two have been described as a wedded couple, though legally they never married. This was due to Gómez's previous husband, who likely died in the Spanish Civil War, but as no body was ever found Gómez was unable to prove she was a widow. Gómez and Manrique remained together until her death in 1963. Her passing devastated Manrique, and prompted his decision to live in New York for a period in the mid 1960s. Discussing her passing later, Manrique stated: "Until her death I was like a small child, who didn’t worry about anything, except painting... Every corner of my house in Madrid smelled like Pepi. So I decided to go to New York."
The César Manrique foundation has stated that he was likely bisexual, something that "added to his scandalous image" in an otherwise more socially conservative Francoist Spain. He was friends with a great many artists including Andy Warhol. He had a reputation for nude, hedonistic parties, and would frequently host these gatherings at his home in Lanzarote. He was however a non-drinker and non-smoker, and was passionate about his health and fitness.

Death & legacy

[Image:2008-12-16 Lanzarote FundacionCesarManrique.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The large mural outside his house, in the fountain area]
On September 25, 1992, Manrique suffered a fatal car accident. He had recently undergone cataract surgery and was not meant to be driving, however the driver assigned to him by the Cabildo had called in sick and he had decided to drive himself. His car was struck at a roundabout in Tahíche, Teguise, just outside the Fundación, his Lanzarote home. He was aged 73.
After the accident, one of Manrique's wind toys, Fobos, was installed to mark the location. He was buried in a cemetary in Haría. On the anniversary of his passing in 1993, UNESCO declared the island a biosphere reserve in recognition of Manrique's work on nature and sustainability.

César Manrique Foundation

[Image:Windspiel CesarManrique.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Wind Toy by César Manrique]
[Image:FundacionCesarManrique1.JPG|thumb|200px|right|One of the living spaces created within the volcanic bubble]
The César Manrique foundation was set up in 1982 by César Manrique and a group of friends but wasn't officially opened until 1992 after Manrique died. The foundation, based at Manrique's home, following his move to a townhouse in the north of the island, is a private, non-profit organisation set-up to allow tourists access to Manrique's home. The foundation is also an art-gallery featuring art created by Manrique himself as well as Art that he acquired during his life. The gallery includes original sketches by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. The money the foundation takes from ticket sales goes toward raising awareness about the art of Lanzarote, as well as being used to fund the foundation's "artistic, cultural and environmental activities".
Manrique's home itself is built within a 3,000 m2 lot, on the site of the Lanzarote eruptions in the 18th century, and was created upon Manrique's return from New York City in 1966. The rooms on the first floor, including the artist studios, were created with the intention of keeping with Lanzarote traditions, yet making them more modern with open spaces and large windows. The "ground floor", more appropriately titled the "basement", contains five areas situated within volcanic bubbles, the rooms bored into volcanic basalt. There is a central cave which houses a recreational area, including a swimming pool, a barbecue and a small dance floor.
Once outside the main house, the visitor comes to the outside area, where there is a small square with a fountain in the middle before approaching a small café area and the visitor shop. This area was once César Manrique's garage.
One of the foundation's fundamental missions is to oppose the spread of high-rise concrete across the Spanish coastline and her islands. The foundation recently brought attention to 24 illegally erected hotels in Lanzarote.

Honours

Works

[Image:MiradorDelRio-Graciosa.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Mirador del Rio]
In Lanzarote:
Image:BMWArtCar-Manrique.JPG|thumb|right|Art Car, exhibition at the BMW Museum in Munich
Outside Lanzarote: