(born in Uruguay in 1954)
Via Crucis, 1993, Carrara marble, 390 x 150 x 90 cm

Provenance:
European Private Collection

Exhibited:
Brussels FIAL ’94, Parc des Expositions, 21-25 September 1994

Literature:
Pablo Atchugarry, Palma Arte Gallery, Fidenza 1994
(ill. on the front cover and in the catalogue without page number)
AA.VV., Alla ricerca del sublime, Museo Pablo Atchugarry,
Lecco 1999, p. 102
C. Pirovano, Atchugarry. Catalogo generale della scultura, Vol. I,
1971 – 2002, Mondadori Electa, Milan 2012, p. 132 no. 1993 6 with ill.
AA.VV., Le infinite evoluzioni del marmo, 2001, pp. 44-45
T.-H Borchert, A Journey between matter and light, Pablo Atchugarry, Oostkamp 2006, pp. 112-113
L.M. Barbero, Lo spazio plastico della luce, in Pablo Atchugarry, Brescia 2007, pp. 8-23

Although Atchugarry’s art is expressed in a variety of materials, from bronze to gloss paint, his preference lies with marble. Inspired by Michelangelo, the artist examines and scrutinises the material until he reveals the shape hidden in the stone. The light falling between the folds of the marble creates an interplay of reflections which enters into dialogue with his sculptures and emphasises their plasticity.

Atchugarry explains his own aesthetic world and, in particular, his discovery of marble, as follows: “I had my first chance to work with it in 1979, and it was love at first sight. Marble is my preferred material, in all its four variations, which I like to call ‘brushstrokes of nature’: the white statuario from Carrara, along with pink, grey and black marble from Belgium. I have also worked with bronze, steel and wood. In fact, a kind of dialogue is created between the material and the artist. It is not only the artist who chooses the material: the inverse also applies, with the material choosing the artist, guiding him through its beauty and imperfections. As Michelangelo claimed, when I sculpt, I am guided by the idea that the artwork should simply be taken out of the block of material in front of me.”

The monumental sculpture Via Crucis is also made from marble. Pablo Atchugarry worked on it shortly after his move to Lecco, where he met the Bonettis, who were art lovers and the first Italians to collect his sculptures. The couple commissioned the artist to create a large work with a theme reminiscent of the main Stations of the Cross. Work on Via Crucis began in the 1980s, but was not shown to the public until 1993, the year in which it was handed over to the Bonettis. It is the result of a long process of development, motivated by the bond of lasting friendship between the artist and his clients. The skilful interweaving of the lines and the unexpected development of its powerful mass reveal the artist’s mastery in shaping the material. This enables the powerful energy of the material to shine through just as strongly as the lightness that its silky smoothness lends to the white Carrara marble.

“Peeling off the layers of marble [...],
which is criss-crossed by an infinite number of gorges and abysses of darkness, to ultimately allow the iridescent purity of the stone to emerge, is almost a process of redemption that takes the spirit out of darkness and elevates it towards heaven. For this reason, admiring his works also enables you to sense the energy of creation in the mystical inspiration offered by sensual whiteness and disturbing depth.”
G. Folco