La Pintadera ceramic workshop

CONCEPT

Martín Chirino López, a Canarian artist born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1925 and died in Madrid in 2019, stands out, not only for his role as a sculptor, but also as a tireless thinker in search of the Canarian identity and its cultural links with others. places. Among the many articles that Martín Chirino dedicates to promoting a Canarian cultural revolution, the one published in No. 20 of the magazine Guadalimar (1977) stands out, in whose essay “Pintadera de 7 Puntos”, he bases his thoughts by rooting North African aboriginal art , with the art generated by the Guanche people, which appeared in different archaeological sites in the Canary Islands (Cueva Pintada de Gáldar) and Tenerife, and of which their baked clay paintings stand out greatly. The Pintaderas are utensils made mainly of fired clay, although some made of wood have also been found. Always small in size (maximum 12cm), marked with the geometric motifs that also appear in the cave paintings of the area, and often with a protuberance on the back like a handle and a perforation. At the moment it is impossible to know for sure the use of the Pintaderas, although there are three quite plausible hypotheses:

1.     For the decoration of the skin, as a stamp or tattoo, through the use of natural dyes.

2.     To define the ownership of a grain silo in community warehouses, marking the volume with the pintadera as a seal on fresh clay.

3.     To define family groups or clans, designing a bas-relief design for all its members. The Pintaderas found to date are located in the Museum and Archaeological Park of Cueva Pintada and in the Museo Canario, both in Gran Canaria, and the Museum of Nature and Archeology in Tenerife.

GENERAL INFORMATION

For general public over 16 years old.

No prior knowledge is needed.

Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th and Friday 15th March.

Hours, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Price: 50 euros, (20% discount for students, unemployed and retirees)

STRUCTURE

In the workshop, inspired by the thought of Martín Chirino, the foundations of a Canarian identity revolution are sown. The workshop will be an opportunity to reflect on the society we are and the society we want to become, the influences of the cultures that make up our context, the fundamental global concepts that shape us, such as the border criterion, economic system, contemporary family nuclei, etc. So that your Pintaderas are capable of showing the archaeologists of the future, the real interests of people with a critical and reflective spirit.

For the day to be a success, we will establish a series of work blocks that start with a short Presentation, followed by blocks of Ideation, Debate, Graphic Outlining and Materialization each of the three days.

·       Day 1: make your own PAINTING.

·       Day 2: make a high-temperature clay piece, stamped with your PINTADERA.

·       Day 3: sgraffito on the piece made on the second day.

Once finished, the pieces will be left to dry for a week, and fired at 1050 degrees. The resulting Pintaderas can be collected by their designer artists after one month from the workshop. The Pintaderas not collected by their designers will form part of the resources of the Martín Chirino Foundation, for use in workshops or other activities.