| WELCOME | BIOGRAPHY | CARVING | COLLOQUY | POETRY | A WORD IN YOUR EYE | BLOG |
 |
Santiago Bell Santiago Bell was a victim of the Chilean dictator General Pinochet and, following imprisonment and torture, took refuge in the UK. I could speak for ever about Santiago, for he was a man of exceptional quality and resourcefulness. His knowledge of education, politics, art, literature and the human condition was such that it somehow flowed effortlessly within him and through him to those he met. Convivial? Certainly. Funny? Wickedly so. At heart he was a disciple of the Dadaist Movement. You could not be with him for long without laughing and never with him without being challenged and enriched. Running through his fun, laughter and amazing creativity was a seriousness which I can only describe as profound. Likewise, I cannot stand before one of his carvings without a sense of wonder - wonder at the craft skill; wonder at the artistic vision; wonder at the fusion of many issues into one object which remains impressively singular as an object! I cannot begin to say how delighted I am to show the work of Santiago on this site. He was the person who opened my eyes to a new world. Sadly he died in June 2005 aged 73.
Santiago Bell The misery and injustice in Chile drove Santiago Bell into involvement in the political struggle. In the 1960-70s he held a number of key positions in the process of agrarian reform brought about by the Socialist Government and the United Peoples Movement. He also worked with the radical educationalist Paulo Friere. He was arrested with the Minister for Agriculture and imprisoned in September 1973 and subsequently tortured by the military fascists who had overthrown democratic Government of President Salvador Allende. In 1975, thanks to the intervention of the British Government, Amnesty International and “la solidarité mondiale” (World Solidarity), he was released. Because of his dual Chilean/British nationality he was able to come to Britain. He had various jobs as a manual worker in England, Austria and Belgium between 1976-1984. In 1986 he was offered studio space at the Bromley by Bow Church where he became a major influence in creating a visionary community, sharing his seemingly endless skills with whoever crossed his path. Santiago and his wife, Miriam, returned to Chile where he once again sought to express his commitment to life through his artistic skill and his vision of community (human solidarity). His children and grandchildren live in England, Belgium and Austria. He will be missed by family and many friends in countless countries. His own words Written for an exhibition of his work in Bradford, West Yorkshire I hope my exhibitions will be events rather than occasions for people to come and stop and stare. My aim is in stark contrast to what might be called the ‘art market’ type of exhibition where the prior questions will be “will it match the décor”, “what is the price” and “is it a good investment”. My hope is that people will come, demand explanations, ask questions, engage in conversation, take photographs, have a cup of tea, face disagreement and discover the solidarity of having valid opinions. I refuse to acknowledge professionalism in the world of plastic art. For me, creativity represents the inheritance of our species, and the absence or suppression of this activity has dehumanising connotations for all of us. It is not surprising that repressive regimes have little time for this sort of activity. At the present time, we ourselves are cursed with the designer culture and mentality in design, architecture and fashion. In allowing our creative inheritance to be marketed and shaped in such a way, we are being robbed of some of our deepest value. My work is a response to such heresy. These sculptures were conceived within the context of an ordinary life. They could have remained within the anonymity of that situation had it not been for the demands of love, justice and liberty. My love for the future of our species, of this planet, has forced me out of my modesty, my cowardice and has overcome my fear of becoming another megalomaniac who wants to cloud humankind with his own ideological follies. These forms were constructed from scraps of wood taken from domestic and other objects. They have been transformed by the power of thought. The process of the familiar being transformed into something unrecognisable and new, carries in itself a question for our time. I do not consider myself to be a woodcarver as such. Wood was my chosen medium for practical reasons. It was available and could be acquired second-hand. Working in wood requires hard physical effort and is for me a trial and a pleasure, both blessing and punishment. All of the work in this exhibition has been produced in addition to earning my living. The more recent ones were conceived and made in a community based workshop where I am employed to assist people of all ages to engage with wood and dreams. Alongside, and influenced by children and pensioners making toys, rabbit hutches, window frames, toilet-roll holders and bookcases, my recent works came into being. Within my life there is the continual engagement with the tension that exists between practical reality and artistic vision. My work is the outcome of that struggle. In my life I see a converging of social and cultural currents. There is the Latin influence of education and religion closely tied to the poverty and deprivation of my Chilean upbringing. Imprisonment and torture added a whole new dimension. My consequent life in Belgium, Austria and Britain has focused my European inheritance and Scottish roots. All of this is now being overlaid with the remarkable experience of living and working in one of London’s poorest, but culturally richest, areas – the East End. Because my life has taken the paths it has, it is not surprising that my work expresses the conflicts of living in the present while remaining open to the past. How to live in the present with EVERYTHING you know is a vital question for those engaged in politics, religion or art. Santiago Bell
|
