The Gentle World of Marta Carrasco
The Corporación Cultural Las Condes presents the exhibition ‘Marta Carrasco: The Art of Illustrating’, a well-deserved homage to one of the most influent children’s books illustrators in the editorial world in Chile.
This exhibition, conformed by 44 original pieces ( 37 illustrations and 7 oil paintings ) distributed amongst two small halls, is the first and most ample in its kind dedicated to this renown illustrator.
Carrasco's delicate pen strokes, and her preference for the watercolour and ink technique, reflect a direct influence from British and American illustrations for Children’s books of the Victorian era and Early 20th century.
Her later work, however, declares a certain influence from Scandinavian and Easter European illustratiosn, due to their level of detail, colour palette, and composition.
Born in Santiago in 1940, as a child Marta dreamt to become a ballerina, loved to ride horses and climb trees. But at age ten she contracted polio and her world changed forever.
'Mother with babe in arms' , ink and watercolour. (1991)
Born in Santiago in 1940, as a child Marta dreamt to become a ballerina, loved to ride horses and climb trees. But at age ten she contracted polio and her world changed forever.
Devoid of the freedom and mobility that her legs once gave her, Marta focused on literature and drawing, in a similar way to how Frida Kahlo's life changed after her bus accident.
In 1956, Marta started to study Psychology at the University, but a year later she took free courses of drawing and painting at the Fine Arts Academy. Some of these courses were given by her paternal uncle, illustrator Gustavo Carrasco, and soon Psychology was left behind.
Fresh from the influence of her professors, Marta dedicated her first years of artistic life to the creation of oil portraits under commission.
In 1956, Marta started to study Psychology at the University, but a year later she took free courses of drawing and painting at the Fine Arts Academy. Some of these courses were given by her paternal uncle, illustrator Gustavo Carrasco, and soon Psychology was left behind.
Fresh from the influence of her professors, Marta dedicated her first years of artistic life to the creation of oil portraits under commission.
These works, on an impressionistic technique in which oil painting imitates the pastel technique, already demonstrates her keen interest and focus on childhood, maternity and family life.
Thus, it is not strange that only a few years after entering the arts world, the famed director Vittorio di Girolamo called her to collaborate with Zig-Zag Editorial, the largest in the country at the time.
Thus, it is not strange that only a few years after entering the arts world, the famed director Vittorio di Girolamo called her to collaborate with Zig-Zag Editorial, the largest in the country at the time.
Under this editorial, Marta created a popular column of handicrafts in the women’s magazine ‘Eva’, as well as puppetry workshops for children on TV.
In 1984, Marta Carrasco was the first Chilean illustrator invited to the Bologna Book Fair, the most important hub in the children’s illustration world.
Illustrations for a card set, 'Traditional Trades'
In 1984, Marta Carrasco was the first Chilean illustrator invited to the Bologna Book Fair, the most important hub in the children’s illustration world.
Along this recognition, a few years later she received the award ‘Apeles Maestres’ from the Catalan government, for her book ‘The Club of the Different’. This was the first time that the Prize was awarded to a book written and illustrated by the same author.
In spite of these recognitions, in Chile Marta had to continue illustrating educational text books, and strive to achieve her personal projects.
In spite of these recognitions, in Chile Marta had to continue illustrating educational text books, and strive to achieve her personal projects.
It’s at this time when she receives one of the most recognizable commissions in her portfolio: the color illustrations for the re-edition of the ‘Papelucho’ books by Marcela Paz.
It’s interesting to notice that, despite having already a well-defined style of illustration (thin, well-finished pen strokes), Marta honors Papelucho's original illustrator (Yola) by using her same style of intermittent, thicker brush strokes, as a way of not breaking from its traditional aesthetics.
One of Marta’s last and most memorable projects was the making of the children’s animation shorts ‘Tata Colores’ (‘Gramps Colours’).
It’s interesting to notice that, despite having already a well-defined style of illustration (thin, well-finished pen strokes), Marta honors Papelucho's original illustrator (Yola) by using her same style of intermittent, thicker brush strokes, as a way of not breaking from its traditional aesthetics.
One of Marta’s last and most memorable projects was the making of the children’s animation shorts ‘Tata Colores’ (‘Gramps Colours’).
These shorts were a huge success among the young public during the last decade of the 20th century, and represented a milestone in the animation industry in the country.
Unfortunately, not all the pieces in this exhibition indicate the dates of creation of each piece, which make it impossible to establish a clear chronological line of Carrasco's career, or a progressive comparison of her technique.
However, it’s interesting to observe the number of different supports on which Marta made her works.
Unfortunately, not all the pieces in this exhibition indicate the dates of creation of each piece, which make it impossible to establish a clear chronological line of Carrasco's career, or a progressive comparison of her technique.
However, it’s interesting to observe the number of different supports on which Marta made her works.
Although the exhibition does not provide any information on them, the visitor can appreciate the use of different types of papers - both plain and watercolour -, of different weights and textures, even cardboard (used for the tempera illustrations for ‘The Other Shore’, a lovely book written and illustrated by Marta, published posthumously in 2009).
Many of the works of this exhibition are incredibly delicate, more so given the small format of most of them, particularly the dainty pencil drawings created for ‘Perico Trepa Por Chile’ in 1978.
After appreciating Carrasco's Children's Book illustrations, on an adjacent hall we find a different facet of this illustrator.
'La Otra Orilla', Ekare Editions, 2009.
Many of the works of this exhibition are incredibly delicate, more so given the small format of most of them, particularly the dainty pencil drawings created for ‘Perico Trepa Por Chile’ in 1978.
After appreciating Carrasco's Children's Book illustrations, on an adjacent hall we find a different facet of this illustrator.
There we find exhibited seven of her original oil paintings, along several ink drawings on the subject of maternity, as well as an interesting view to one of Marta’s personal and unpublished project : the series ‘Free Women’, in which she draws a series of women free from all kinds of attachments.
A rather unusual work for an illustrator known mainly for her sweet images of childhood.
Next to this series, her self-portrait in pen and ink shows us a pensive but alert Marta, lively, about to capture a new fantastical idea to put it on paper.
In a third hall, we find four glass cabinets displaying her sketch books, field books, her watercolours, pencils, and her pencil case with her initials, mock-up books of projects that Marta created and never got to publish, puppets made by her for ‘Tata Colores’, aside from a collection of national and international books of different eras published with her illustrations.
'The Letter', part of the 'Free Women' series,
ink and watercolour (1984).
Next to this series, her self-portrait in pen and ink shows us a pensive but alert Marta, lively, about to capture a new fantastical idea to put it on paper.
In a third hall, we find four glass cabinets displaying her sketch books, field books, her watercolours, pencils, and her pencil case with her initials, mock-up books of projects that Marta created and never got to publish, puppets made by her for ‘Tata Colores’, aside from a collection of national and international books of different eras published with her illustrations.
All of these objects provide us with a deeper and more human dimension of this creator that marked a ‘before’ and and ‘after’ in the work of illustration in Chile.
Marta Carrasco died in 2007, victim of a cancer that ailed her for thirty years.
Marta Carrasco died in 2007, victim of a cancer that ailed her for thirty years.
However, pain and sickness were never reflected on her work, which remained permanently ethereal and idyllic, far from all perturbation.
Her idealised vision of childhood - maudlin, soft, innocent, rounded and without edges or roughness- bring us to a dream world where problems do not exist, where we are all happy, and children never fear or suffer.
Her idealised vision of childhood - maudlin, soft, innocent, rounded and without edges or roughness- bring us to a dream world where problems do not exist, where we are all happy, and children never fear or suffer.
That is, the world we all wish we would live in.
Event: Exhibition ‘Marta Carrasco: The Art of Illustrating’.
Location: Centro Cultural Las Condes, Apoquindo 6570, Las Condes. (Metro Manquehue)
Dates: May 05th to 27th , 2018.
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 am to 6 pm.
Cost: Free
More Info: http://culturallascondes.cl/2018/04/30/marta-carrasco/
'Once Upon A Time A Space', ink and watercolour. (Detail)
Location: Centro Cultural Las Condes, Apoquindo 6570, Las Condes. (Metro Manquehue)
Dates: May 05th to 27th , 2018.
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 9:30 am to 6 pm.
Cost: Free
More Info: http://culturallascondes.cl/2018/04/30/marta-carrasco/
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