Introduction to the Book Room Maragall Barcelona Catalan jewelry
Canut, M. Angels, Citizens, Josep SAMARANCH, Maria Luisa
Josep Civit i GIRAUT joies
Barcelona, SD-Edicions, 2005
Presentació del llibre: Josep Civit i GIRAUT joies
Submit a llibre de joieria és sempre un motiu de satisfacció i avui tenim el goig de fer-ho amb el que du per títol Josep Civit, Joys, of Sd-Edicions-Hipòtesi.
És el testimoni del que serà l’exposició retrospectiva de joieria que juntament amb M. Luisa Samaranch hem organitzat i que s’inaugurarà el proper dia 2 de juny a Hipòtesi on hi estan tots convidats.
With the hope that this exhibition does not remain in time as a distant memory, hem volgut atorgar-li un valor de perdurabilitat editant aquest llibre on hi trobaran reflectida aquesta vessant artística, la joieria i l’orfebreria, which has been the backbone of personal and artistic life of Josep Civit.
Hem volgut testimoniar i homenatjar a Civit donant una visió evolutiva i de conjunt de la seva obra. S’ha dut a terme amb la intenció de mostrar un recull per aquells que l’han anat acompanyant i per aquells a qui ara els hi desvetllem. No és un estudi exhaustiu, és un primer pas, an open door to new contributions.
It is documented by numerous photographic illustrations presented chronologically by 1940 fins a 1980 i dibuixos de taller, gargots tal com l’autor els anomena, que acabaran convertint-se en unes joies tècnicament complexes d’una gran riquesa plàstica
Thees joies reproduïdes han estat escollides per la seva singularitat i representativitat. El lector podrà copsar el caràcter innovador i evolutiu de l’obra així com el profund coneixement de l’ofici, a trade that will end up excelling.
La tria d’aquesta documentació ha estat laboriosa per la quantitat de material i per la importància del mateix.
Civit, ha treballat l’or, Platinum and silver which serves to experiment and investigate, divertir-se i treballar-la amb exquisidesa. Embolcallar, enredar, acompanyar i presentar les diferents pedres, i elements de moda que en cada etapa va incorporar.
La seva obra és caracteritza en els anys cinquanta pel treball de la plata amb el cisell, amb unes formes resultants arrodonides, smooth, intimistes, que acaronen les diferents pedres amazonites, rodonites, cornalines… evolucionant a formes més volumètriques on s’evidencia un apropament a l’obra de Ninon Collet.
Realitza obres d’orfebreria obrades amb coure sol o combinat amb plata ampliant així el ventall cromàtic i de textures. Les formes resultants es tradueixen en figures verticals, rectilínies, que a finals dels anys seixanta transporta a les joies impregnades d’un geocentrisme agosarat, en el seu repertori inclou les perles cultivades, coralls, lapislàtzuli, malaquites…
En la dècada dels setanta investiga amb el bufador, obtenint unes textures, Volume i Matīss, que homenatgen la recent arribada de l’home a la lluna. Una contraposició d’acabats de metalls matisats i polits, and sinuous lines of symmetry, de plans i volums caracteritzen aquesta etapa, en la que adapta la pissarra i el lapislàtzuli, la fòrmica i el pi d’Oregó cap a finals dels anys setanta.
Per endinsar-se a early eighties to experiment with finishes, working surfaces flat and smooth on the use of alternating polished and nuanced or contrasting color with polished silver and oxidized, en una reinterpretació de formes naturals, còdols, versionant-los en or i plata que avui la podem reconeixem en les escultures que aquí es presenten.
Josep Civit és un home que ha viscut obert a totes les corrents artístiques, ha begut de les seves fonts i s’ha endinsat en elles en el transcurs del temps. Conegudes son també les seves aportacions artístiques en el món del pessebrisme , la pintura i l’escultura que avui presenta.
Per acabar, voldria afegir que aquest llibre ha estat possible gràcies a l’entusiasme i dedicació de M. Luisa Samaranch, I would like to thank the collaboration of Elisenda Capdevila and Josep Civit.
Also extend our thanks to Mr.. Raimon Maragall la seva amabilitat per l’atenció i per l’entusiasme en acollir el llibre a casa seva, his art gallery in another sign of his sensitivity to the arts world. Volem acompanyar-lo i felicitar-lo per la presentació de les escultures de Josep Civit on hi podem reconèixer autentiques joies de ferro de gran format i, Josep Civit congratulate this magnificent exhibition.
Moltes gràcies per la seva atenció
M. Àngels Canut
Art historian
Josep Civit
Josep Civit i Giraut was born in the district of Horta in Barcelona 1927. During his childhood, the workshop bread family became its first workshop, which began in an unconscious and playful practice craft.
The'm menut, spent long periods in front of a table of baked bread dough and modeling clay, figures cooked by his father after. He also practiced origami and woodworking. Growing acquired skill with the hands and the knowledge of different materials and textures expand your horizon formal.
The interest awakened him everything that could be realized manually took witness the process of making earrings that her mother had instructedl joier Emili Estradé. So, only fourteen, attended the workshop and see how they worked operators. The rising concern for this job took him to practice with the metal, serrar to the soldar, thus making the first exercises jewelry, and begin to learn a profession that was just beginning to awaken him. At the workshop Estradé There he remained six years, during which learned the trade of complementary specialties: Design, prepared metal, recorded, cisellat, galvanotècnica and nailed, among others.
Later, Civit joined the workshop Balart, where he learned to make boxes for watches. To the 1948 becomes independent and settles in a living room of the family home, a space that allows you to experiment freely. At the same time, expands its training alongside the sculptor Charles Collet, who will join the strong friendship that extends to the wife of this, Ninon, Sculptor, orfebre the pintora; also makes the acquaintance of Joseph M. Garrut, painter and art dealing.
In this first workshop itself, located in the family home in St Thomas Street Garden, practice with different metals and studied the use of gold, silver and platinum. Needed to know about each metal in order to carry out alloys and embossed, but also the resistance to achieve appropriate hardness to the needs of each piece. The study provides, as he says "A deep understanding of the trade" that allows you to begin the drawing of jewels, the "Scribble"; interpret them and make the necessary changes to achieve "quality parts, ends well, portable and comfortable ". A set of knowledge and work patterns will know later transmitted to his disciples.
Soon orders are increasing and space workshop begins insufficient. El 1949 moved to an apartment on Orchard Street that allows the sale to individuals and jewelers. And in 1962 opens a new shop in the same street, higher, Fifteen people will work between workers and apprentices, in the future, thanks to the training received, will open their own workshops.
El 1964 is invited, first, to present their work individually. Exposure, organized by the Cercle Artistic Garden, He received critical praise for the high level of aesthetic renewal and quality of the exhibits. Later, Civit will participate in individual and group exhibitions, both nationally and internationally, result of which will be recognized and awarded several distinctions.
To cope with the growing production and diversity of pieces executed, you still have to make, to the 1970, a final transfer workshop, this time on the street Marti Alsina, also the district of Horta, where twenty-five collaborators will work. Shortly after, open a jewelry.
The pieces wrought Civita respond to two different criteria. On the one hand, the joy of research with which the artistic reaches a greater role: unique experience where those materials and techniques considered valid as plastic objects. I, the other, Jewel made as part of series production, more commercial, in which, despite repeated modeling, finishes are made manually in order to maintain the appearance of the craft craftsman.
Part of the production was intended to market in Europe and the US. All achievements responded to the drawings designed by the goldsmith who, once worked, patented.
Throughout his career, Silver never lost prominence, Josep Civit it actually declares passionate. The wealth of captivating qualities offered, oxides and textures; manageability resulting from the combination of different alloys that allow you to elaborate jewelery and wide range of formal, which also highlights the great care of finishes. With great delicacy, served to accompany this metal sheaths and different elements, result of the study, interest and observation of the immediate environment and the farthest, incorporates into his art. Adapta, thus, a variety of jewelry items --the Formica, and more d'Oregon, sheets pissarra-- reinterpreting all natural forms. Reading books on anthropology, new ideas emerge in, jewelry and objects reminiscent primitivist.
The work shows Civita, since its inception, a coherent policy, innovative and makes sure to avoid any kind of style, to achieve the perfect shape and moderate austerity reaching conceptual abstraction.
The jewels in the first half of the fifties were performed preferably in silver and demonstrated the predominance of chisel work. The resulting forms were rounded, smooth, intimate and caressing the different stones. From the second half of the fifties, incorporated gold detailing and frequent agates; jewelry take more volume than in the previous stage, and forms will clear the interest of the author's work Ninon Collar.
For the realization Objects of gold, copper was used alone or combined with silver, to achieve a generous range of color schemes and textures. The figures were predominantly vertical, austere and rectilinear; forms that, in the late sixties, transport the jewels distancing themselves from the initial round and smooth to delve into a world of geometric, bold and courageous, which will increase the number of materials used --perla cultivated, Coral, lapislàtzuli, malaquita-- will adapt and also other elements of the fashion of the moment that confer a distinctive parts.
The first years of the seventies, begin experiment with the torch in order to obtain a greater variety of textures, Volume i Matīss; is performed when a jewelry homage to the recent arrival of man on the moon. The resulting pieces are a contrast of finishes, nuanced and polished metal, and sinuous lines of symmetry, from planning to i volums. The forms, There adapts preference slate and ornamental stones like lapis lazuli. Finally, and in the late seventies and early eighties, begin to experiment with the finished work and smooth flat surfaces, where alternate use of gold polished and nuanced, contrasting color with polished silver and oxidized. This work, will present a collection of pebble-inspired jewelry.
The fine jewelry and precious metal religious liturgical not intended to be excluded from the innovative nature of the artist.
Since its inception, Civit alternated practice of jewelry and silverware with paint, sculpture and performance of cribs, with which it has achieved international recognition. He has been an active member of the Association Pessebrista Barcelona, on ha impartit classes. He has also practiced photography and cinema Amator. Equally, of 1950 to the 1970, actively participated in competitions and motorcycle racing.
He was appointed president of the Artistic Circle of Horta in recognition of its dynamic participation in cultural and artistic life of this town.
El 1999 Museum of Decorative Arts in Barcelona takes on different jewelry pieces Josep Civit.
M. Àngels Canut
Art historian