Obra total. Wpływ twórczości Césara Manrique na krajobraz przyrodniczo-architektoniczny Lanzarote
Obra Total. The Impact of the Work of Manrique on the Natural and Architectural Landscape of Lanzarote

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the premises and the outcomes of the concept developed by the Spanish artist César Manrique, who worked mainly in Lanzarote, as well as elsewhere in the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. Manrique was a versatile artist, creating architectural designs, paintings, sculptures, and graphic art. He was a precursor of the idea of combining nature with art and using natural resources in the environment. His work has had a major impact on the appearance of Lanzarote; it may even be said that he is one of the few artists who held sway over the entire island. Manrique put forward an aesthetic definition of Lanzarote which, transformed into an architectural law, still affects the lives of the island’s inhabitants today. Thanks to the changes made as a result, the island has become an icon of ecological use of nature in architectural and spatial planning. Hence, there would be no Lanzarote without Manrique, but also no Manrique’s oeuvre without Lanzarote, whose harsh landscape constantly inspired him. As the artist himself admitted, he wanted to make it an obra total, a total work of art. Importantly, that art was to be closely connected with nature, as he pursued the concept of “art-nature, nature-art”, according to which one should create works of art that can be used in creating spaces integrated into the landscape.

• Details
• Contents