Tell me a little scenes of vices / scenes of sacrifices.
ES: It was a theme I've been working for some time, has to do with the role of women in any society, although today we do not talk very much about it, because we respond to such questions with graphs and statistics in fact women have an important role as labor force, in terms of civic participation in society and when it comes to exercise power its influence is still very limited. Demographically speaking are roughly 50% of men and 50% of women the same is not true in the domes where decisions are taken, then this series is a way of illustrating this imbalance that exists. I also do a parallel with classical myth, because it was exactly the same for 3000 years, not that it was justifiable at that time, but it is currently not acceptable any way. It is incredible that in the XXI century there are women in some countries, who still receive one third of salary even doing the same work as men, a woman who decides to have children and want to continue working is ruled out and only have access to their acquired rights, because patronage has to comply with the law and if it is a society that calls itself modern, it makes sense. I chose the theme "scenes of vices / scenes of sacrifices," because it has to do with the myth of Medusa counted in a video. When the Romans decided to adopt, or rather absorb the Greek culture, many of these myths were rewritten by Roman poets, particulary the medusa, it is important for this parallelism of which I spoke. Ovid tells the history of a priestess of Athena, virgin, very beautiful and how both men and women were attracted by its beauty and fell in love up for her, particularly the god Poseidon, who confronts her and rapes her in the temple. This event precipitates a series of fatal events for this young woman, because rather than being defended, as she was assaulted and raped, the reaction of the goddess that should protect her is anything but protective, instead accuses her of seduction, manipulation and punishes her, condemning her to live for all eternity completely away from humanity, takes away all the beauty that she had, it gives her a head covered with snakes, an iron face and a maximum punishment gives her a look that transforms everything and everyone into pure stone, as long as they look into it. This is the parallelism with reality, as we often watch the news of women been stoned in Islamic belief countries, or nations like India where young girls are raped in public places and nothing happens to the offenders, or even if a girl gets pregnant at 14, 15 years old parents expelled them from home because it is a shame, of the religious dogmas. It is something that speaks to me very close to the heart and as an artist I also have to bear some responsibility and not just try to do a pleasing composition. One of the responsibilities of artists, is for example, to do a great work to show these great moments. We have the case of Picasso he painted in 1936, the Guernica, which was precisely one canvas to illustrate the barbarity of the Spanish Civil War, when the General Emilio Mola asks the Germans to bomb the city and I think this is a kind of aesthetic demonstration that got lost. Nowadays artists are more concerned with the 'I', the individual, we are so much more than that, because something this does not imply the other. It is our responsibility to the visual arts to do things that make people reflect and so it is also necessary, we cannot continue living in domes.
And in this sequence you selected figures, women, depending on the context of the project, or was there another reason for this choice?
ES: When I work with my models I inform them about everything, because deep down I'm working with someone who will do a performance, the process is a little more intense than just a position. Sometimes I give them texts to read, have available all information is important, because everything counts, muscle contraction, facial expression, all these details are captured in the painting, without having the notion that we look, but there is a feeling, an energy that comes out of there. The whole creative process in terms of pose is done this way, as a rule try to work with other fellow painters, stumbling artists who share more or less the same language has faster results.
How long it takes to execute a sequence?
EA: It depends, I will take six months to write on the subject, do research, take notes and then I have another half year to preprarar the series, to paint, but what often happens is that I have more than a sequence simultaneously, because at times when you immersed in one project , that is the only thing you see in front of you and you think about 24 hours a day, after a certain time it wears you off and you are exhausted, cannot develop further, because you are so saturated and the creative process does not happen. So, I feel the need to have other objectives in parallel, photography, design, since that stimulates your criativety, will help you to continue with this work that you are developing.
And the models are in place? Or you take photographs first?
ES: Yes, I have to take pictures, because it is impossible and extremely expensive to have a model at your disposal 6-8 hours a day, so what I do is sketches from the live model, photographer them in various positions and angles and work with positions that I find most interesting in a draft, back to final drafts, I photograph again and do the design from the photograpy with a difference ... What I notice is many artists project the picture to a screen and copy it. I do not do this, I use photography as a support, a tool, my drawing is measured, academic, nothing is copied, because in doing so I think you lose a little of your hand poetry is like calligraphy, you have your own, if someone wants to emulate has to train a lot and still does not becomes of them. My drawing is my writing, when people looking at my work they can recognize it and I think it's something that has been lost a bit and more between the artists and painters working the figurative, it is a method, but from my point of view, it is cheating. I am more the type of the easel style and the ink running, or charcoal covering my hand looking at the figure that is front of you, I am a traditionalist in that way.
What's of the island on you as an artist?
ES: I'm from Porto Santo and have been on the island of Madeira, I think that these islands gave me was precisely this attitude that I have as an artist, this dissatisfaction and it is still good. However, is still a very small land, with complicated mentality, it is difficult to have a project, or a bolder alternative because good or bad it is complex to get out of a certain module and explore other bold visions and this constant dissatisfaction It is what made me develop my concept and behavior, as an artist. I pity is that Madeira has excellent artists who had to stay on the island, had to seek alternative careers could not follow the arts and are valid people, taking into account the national and international scene, I think they should have a voice, be seen and configured.
And that's what brought you to London?
ES: What brought me to this city was a series of circumstances, but also. London one day may be the best city in the world, can be spectacular, on the other is a stepmother, cold and indifferent and then the following day like you're at home. It is a city constantly changing and I need this constant conflict, disruption to create, because when I am serene and calm, are the worst periods of creativity that I have. I start thinking about landscapes and then have to put me back in the confusion to be able to think (laughs). London is fabulous in terms of creativity, inspiration.
And the artists are encourage even foreigners?
ES: Yes, yes. In this city you have the politically correct way that everyone agrees and well, but it also has its dark side in London you have a huge support for the arts, you have the National Gallery, one of the largest museums in the world where you can see the paintings of the great masters of painting, for free and works of the thirteenth century until practically the twentieth in this sense is a city that vibrates wonderfully. Now, the art market is a trap, it's complicated, passes for having relations, have to go out, mingle and these are the type of things for which I do not only have the will, nor patience. I am a very reclusive artist, I paint, rarely go to openings, or events when I appear already all is has ended, or I go in middle of the month will see the exhibition that interests me. I do not like to show up, I'm still very art for the art and I'm sorry that things have to work thru social gatherings. There is this ambiguity and it is a paradigm to which you have to get used to and I know that I will resist and will remain so.
Now I know you're going to present to inaugurate an exhibition in Alcanena? A museum? Gallery?
ES: Yes, the 5th of December, but it is an "art stage by João Carvalho," he is an industrialist and patron, as it supports the arts, mainly figurative, which is a style that is not very supported in Portugal. The galleries prefer and bet more on conceptual and abstract art. The figurative painting has been ruled out for some time now, he has been focusing on contemporary Portuguese artists, has been show them and I think this initiative is to be welcomed. They invited me a few months ago, I made the presentation of the scenes of vice and sacrifice, was approved and we will expose it in this space, which in the future will be an art gallery, currently they do occasional shows in order to learn from their own activity.
You already talk about some of your opinions on the arts in Portugal, but how do you see the national overview for artists like you and others?
ES: It's complicated, because I'm a bit away. But as far as I can keep up with the social media and some publications also I think we have to be able to have a greater voice at European level, because we have such good artists, as an example, Nuno Nunes Ferreira and Dalila Gonçalves, among the Madeiran artists and Paulo Ladeira and I'm sorry we do not get to see more of this works. Those who are in the trenches to be able to show our work, I think all in all we are not that bad, we could have more validation, when we have a state that does not support or encourage the arts, or culture in general, the work is much more complicated. However, it is these hard time when they close the doors on you that you can be the true artist, because you have the freedom to show what you're capable. In adversity is that a subject has to show everything it has and Portuguese artists do it very well.
In addition to this exhibition, are you working in another series?
ES: Yes, I do. In fact this series of vice and sacrifice was completed in 2014, I however, painted "go back home" and at the moment I'm working on a set of triptychs, portrait, too, but it's an experience, I am focusing on new formats canvas, explore new techniques and see some results before using them in a series of paintings seriously. I have a project entitled, "fear of God, fear of hell" that has much to do with our culture, with our fears, traditions, heritage and beliefs. It has to do with the fact that we deal with certain rules, laws, restrictions and pressures. This project is developed by a figure a bit schizophrenic, according to the exterior follows the social conventions, but inside, has enormous conflicts and I will think of them. I have yet to write about it, what the show would be and how can I enrich this language.
Are you thinking of triptychs, you will portray families, different pictures of the same group?
ES: Technically yes, I represent myself (laughs). They are self-portraits, but why? Because that's what I have at hand, it's an excuse to study painting, to develop way to study the stroke, the consistency of paint and I'm getting to the point where the detail is as important as the final work. Every line, every stroke carries the same emotional and aesthetic that painting as a whole. The Impressionists tried to do this has always value the painting not only for its composition, as the matter because everything you see involves a series of readings and observations, which can be obvious or subtle, it requires much of the work as the author. In the intervals of the great series that have eight to 12 canvas, I do two or three portraits, I draw every day to be able to develop further. There is the pressure of evolution, it's not just wanting to improve, but evolve in the rest, it is a very personal, individual, solitary race.
