Francisco Calvo Serraller, crítico de arte

Résumé

The purpose of this doctoral dissertation is to venture into Calvo Serraller’s (Madrid, 1948) body of work, in order to discern the main keys that sustain his critical thought. Since the birth of Spanish newspaper El País, Calvo has written weekly articles about art for this publication, which are usually featured in its Culture & Arts sections and supplements. Furthermore, since 1995, Calvo also writes an opinion column titled Extravíos. Calvo’s journalistic texts (whether they are articles, reviews, or obituaries) would have been a fascinating subject for an academic study, in and of themselves. However, his art criticism presents a series of thematic constants that require an in-depth analysis. His ideas on contemporary art, the artist’s inner world or the importance of art curators usually appear in his critiques. This is due to the fact that, while addressing Spanish culture and its current affairs, Calvo also includes his personal opinions on these matters. Therefore, this study examines how these key ideas behind his critical thought are featured in his art reviews, specifically looking at those that focus on Spanish contemporary art. The study of Calvo’s ouvre as a whole, including both his written texts and his work as an art curator, along with the analysis of Calvo’s critiques on four specific artists -Antonio López, Antonio Saura, Eduardo Arroyo y Miquel Barceló-, has led to the conclusion that Calvo’s work projects a different vision of art history. Not only does he believe that the existing historiographic study of Spanish contemporary art is problematic; he also portrays an alternative understanding of Spanish art through his work. Calvo, as historiographer and art critic, has written a new history of Spanish art, one in which he also emerges as a protagonist.