Exclusive Interview with Guillermo Lorca
Art Revealed: Guillermo Lorca
In May 2017, The Guide Artists proudly featured Guillermo Lorca on the cover of Issue 3, including an exclusive and highly significant interview. In this in-depth conversation, Lorca shares his artistic journey, creative philosophy, and the vision that drives his work. This special feature stands as a milestone for the magazine, highlighting an artist whose story continues to inspire and shape contemporary art.
Tell me about your background. Where did your life as an artist begin?
It all started in my childhood if one observed my behavior was evident that someday would be an artist. I tended to be immersed in my thoughts but always doing manual and creative things. In adolescence, I dedicated my time more to the sport than to other pastimes. An injury to my knee gave me some free time. I remember that there was an image of a Christ with an interesting perspective that I wanted to copy. Then I got excited and drew a lot, the idea of dedicating myself to art began to prowl around my head.
Can you talk a little about your formative years as an artist?
I took classes with different teachers, but never more than a couple of months. They were
very useful anyway. Later I went to study art but much of the time I spent painting in my workshop, trying to learn the techniques of the great masters. An excellent book by Velázquez helped me a lot to learn. It had natural size and very good resolution of his pictures, always had it on hand to see how he solved the problem of painting an eye, skin, etc. I never finished the art school, I had many disagreements with the teachers, there was not a good understanding.
A while later I spent a season where Odd Nerdrum where I could see how he managed to give that characteristic expressive force in his paintings.
Another important part of my training was psychological therapy. It helped me to release many fears, to handle my feelings, to know me and others with more wisdom. I think it affected for the good in my creative process.
What motivates you as an artist?
Being able to communicate things that I am not able to move to words. Make a beautiful object of all this tangle of feelings, that if I do not, they would be lost forever, devoured by the implacable passage of time.
The act of creating, in general, is tremendously motivating, as is the value that people give to your things.
Was creativity a part of your childhood?
Definitely. I used to spend a lot of hours imagining fantasies of all kinds, playing and I loved to draw. I was a dinosaur fan.
You said you grew up in Santiago. What was the culture like there?
It is difficult to define, it is a hybrid between European (especially Spanish and French) and Latin American culture of the extreme south (Argentina, Uruguay). The dictatorship had a strong impact but we must also highlight everything we have grown as a country. I would say that it is characterized by its ambivalence.
The artistic scene was dominated by a political discourse against the dictatorship and left thinking, as much of all South America, but I think here, have been especially strong. The all powerful globalization has changed this as everywhere. I am the one who sees that with good eyes.
“Always try to be authentic with yourself and with your work, without neglecting discipline and motivation.”
Did you have any mentors along the way?
Of course. Odd Nerdrum is necessarily one of them, he is a fabulous painter. I do not know if I could speak of other mentors, but many influences. There are so many artists that I admire that it is difficult to list them. I can name Tiépolo, Rubens, Velázquez, Ribera, Franz Von Bayros, Doré, Kubrick, Miyasaki, Tarkovsky and many others.
Are your family and friends supportive of what you do?
I always had the support of my family, it was not a problem. For me, the life of the poor artist was never an option. I remember telling my mother, “If I’m not with a clear career projection at age 21, I’ll retire and look for something else.” Gladly everything worked.
What advice would you give to a person starting out?
My recommendation is that they define their goals very well. That focus on the first step and everything to achieve it. That first step does not have to be very far, it has to be something that you can achieve not to fall into the spiral of frustration. It complements the steps inspired by achieving a greater ideal, without confusing clear goals with the ideal. Learn from others but at the same time question everything. Do not fall for making clichés.
How does where you live to impact your creativity?
In the things I’m constantly watching, the world offers a number of images to explore. There is a lot to enrich the inner world, I am always with wide eyes.
What is your favorite music?
Listen to a huge variety, from opera to pop music, alternative rock, piano... although it is the only opera that can get my hair out of the way.
Do you have a favorite book?
Dostoyevsky is one of my favorite authors. I also loved “El gran cuaderno” by Agota Kristof and “Of Love and Other Demons” by García Márquez.
Who is your role model?
Rubens. I like what he achieved in his life, successful, seemingly happy without neglecting passion, strength and the somewhat obscure side in his paintings.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My advice would be to always try to be authentic with yourself and with your work and not neglect discipline and motivation.
What is your dream project?
In many years more to do a great retrospective and to discover, in the interaction of the works, the narration of my unconscious throughout my life. Make this narration a work in itself.
