Interview with Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. The photo-deconstructed city.

    We have spoken with Andrés Castrillo Ferrer, Valencia based engineer and artist due to his first UK exhibition. The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol, offered the “Selected Wall” to his work. This image magician has many things to tell and many more to show. Let us carry on the session.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Berlin Symmetries and Asymmetries 1.

 Who is Andrés Castrillo?

    It is difficult to describe yourself. I would say I am a young art and design lover, in all their branches. Since I was child music, cinema and photography were in my life, owing my parents’ influence. Music was always on, we used to visit museums (endless sometimes), trips (I reckon I am fortunate to have travelled widely, discovering people and cultures everywhere). I remember my first photographic camera with those Kodak reels. Everything adds up. Everything is still adding up. My taste and art sensibility was encouraged by my parents, directly and indirectly. Step by step, I discovered music, design, painting, sculpture, dancing, photography and photographic edition. I have always been a creative person, drawing and building things. I do not know if creativity may be either inherited or taught, at least, regarding photography, I consider myself a creative person.

Andrés's work on "Selected Wall" at Grant Bradley Gallery.

Engineer and photographer. This versatility favour your artistic scope, doesn’t it?

    Absolutely true. My works have undeniably been affected by my engineering studies. I would be lying otherwise. Geometry, symmetries, proportions, composition, shapes and textures of architecture are, them all, influenced my work.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Berlin Symmetries and Asymmetries 2.

This piece belongs to “Symmetries and Asymmetries” series. It has been considerably welcome everywhere. What about its inception and reason?

    A specific answer is hardly possible. I mean, I do not know when my interest in symmetry began. Years ago, I made my first photographic editing and also experienced with Symmetry. I used to take close-ups. Those objects were isolated and I retouched them afterwards. Symmetry allowed me to create new and complex objects, ending up in fancy results. These works have been carried out by many aims.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Berlin artworks 1

Abstraction is again on the table. This captivating mighty deconstruction gulps everything. Shapes duplicate and turn upside down as a twentieth century Escher. Deconstructed Architectural Photography could be a good definition.

    Thank you for the comparison with Escher. I will take it as a compliment. I feel closer to Yturralde myself. Escher lacks of latter’s minimal touch by impossible figures and the first is much overloaded. I followed Yturralde’s work thoroughly. It is true, anyway, several of my Berlin photos could look alike some Escher’s drawings.

    I kind of like that name. There is already good architectural photography so mine is one step forward, an altered view, grabbing what you are looking to separate it, play with it, redesign it, building a whole new deconstructed reality.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Alicante, Vineyards 1

Dibond. What is this technique of work and why do you feel attracted to it?

    It is assembling technique rather than printing technique. I suppose you mean the mounting material over the photo. On the one hand we have the printing which may be laminated; on the other hand the medium of work (both things have a wide range of options). I will stress the assembling technique: Dibond. By the day of my first printing came, I checked all my possibilities, them all have strong and weak points. I used to dislike frames and wanted my work to be floating on the wall. Therefore I rejected foam core board due to its lightness and its lack of elegance. Later I rejected methacrylate because sometimes may unstick easily due to its temperature sensibility and inner movements. All this process produces bubbles on the work surface. Secondly, the only possible finish is quite glossy instead of matt and I wanted both options on my will.

    Then I had to cut the list down to three options: different sorts of forex, aluminium and dibond. You will get dibond if you stick two layers of aluminium with rigid forex. The result obtained is more beautiful and looks quite more professional than forex by itself and more rigid and more consistent than aluminium by itself. My three first prints were on aluminium though. Later I couldn’t get aluminium for my prints and I tried dibond. I got impressed with the result. I might use aluminium for small scale prints again or could even try new ways in the future.

Andrés beside some of his works.

This is your first exhibition in UK. Is it time to leap abroad?

    I would rather say it is a chance. I mean this has been a good opportunity thanks to my sister, you and Marten, the gallery manager. I hope it is the first of many in UK. My heartfelt thanks to you all for your effort and trust on my work.

    I would like to carry on exhibiting abroad. Obviously Berlin is my highest priority. I know that day will come. 

You worked beside Chef Julio Milla on the elegant, fashionable and prominent series called “Restaurants Artworks”. Tell us something about this project.

    I first met Julio shortly after my first exhibition in Valencia. He got in touch with me and told me he loved my work and asked for my collaboration on a couple of his restaurant halls. I was completely free and it was a real challenge. It ought to be serious and modern but classic too. I was working on it long, looking for the balance between modernity and classicism. He strongly relied upon me. I joined symmetric backgrounds by Valencia based ceramist Enric Mestre’s works with food, crockery and cutlery in foreground. He liked it very much and picked eight of them to decorate his restaurant. I am really proud of this project.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Restaurants artworks 1

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Restaurants artworks 2

What are your next projects?

    I am currently working on my new series that will be on my website soon. It is based in the sculptor David Rodríguez Caballero. I first met his work at Museo del Carmen in Valencia. I liked his aluminium geometric sculptures with planning line. I realized I could make a new whole project by them. I have again symmetric backgrounds with some elements in foreground.

    Some sculptures are on my mind for forthcoming series. Henry Moore held an exhibition here in Valencia. I have got many photographies of Enric Mestre, a sculptor friend of mine, so it won’t take too long for me to set up his own project.

    I am thinking of make children’s rooms decorations but at the moment it is just an idea. Far away from my current work I will combine landscape pictures with illustrations. The latter come from a 1930s French magazine called “L’illustration”. It is a source of inspiration to me. I would like to experience with portraits and 3D modelling. I might be nice to mix both things in a new practice.

Andrés Castrillo Ferrer. Enric Mestre Deconstructions 1

How is the panorama in your city and Spain for new artists?

    It’s terrible. Economic crisis and political corruption are everywhere. People mistrust everything. There are no sales at all. Galleries are closing; there is no offer of modern art for the public. To be known is quite expensive and tricky, almost unthinkable without inner help, which becomes harder within photography world. In old-fashioned Spain everybody bets on renowned artists turning away from new artists. There are so many untrue photographers that to try to demonstrate your professionalism is quite difficult. Paintings have an aura of uniqueness unlike photos. The existence of print run in photography jeopardizes their sales.

   As you can imagine, Madrid and Barcelona are both the best and the worst places to be. You would have more possibilities than anywhere but more competence too. Valencia is far away from them. I hope it will change soon. We have Bristol in the meantime.

August 2014