Entrevista con Francis Bacon (Ensayo-art)

by David Sylvester

El pintor Francis Bacon y el crítico de arte David Sylvester mantuvieron un continuado diálogo durante doce años, entre 1962 y 1974, apoyado en una amplia serie de entrevistas, a partir de cuyo material construyó este formidable libro. Así presenta esta obra de referencia esencial para la comprensión del complejo mundo de Bacon, pero también para toda una importante línea del arte británico e internacional que se escapaba de los márgenes acotados de la vanguardia oficial de las décadas posteriores a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. En este sentido, y según palabras de J. F. Yvars, autor del prólogo que la acompaña, tal vez la más acerada contribución de David Sylvester en el territorio del arte durante los últimos veinte años se defina a través de sus conversaciones con Francis Bacon, al que consideró el mayor artista contemporáneo. A partir de una primera impresión descorazonadora, el crítico vio en Bacon a un hábil efectista, un caricaturizador monstruoso... para descubrir enseguida las grandes aportaciones del artista a la configuración de un arte para nuestro tiempo. La estética de Bacon le su personal absorción de las formas dinámicas, la gravedad del color, el movimiento de planos y círculos con independencia del tema. "Pinturas y pinturas que derivan de su fuerza la magia del efecto final".

128 pages, Hardcover

Published May 23, 2003

About the author

Anthony David Bernard Sylvester CBE, (21 September 1924; London – 19 June 2001; London) was a British art critic and curator. During a long career David Sylvester was influential in promoting modern art in Britain, in particular the work of Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon.

Born into a well connected north-London Jewish family, Sylvester had trouble as a student at University College School and was thrown out of the family home. He wrote for the paper Tribune and went to Paris in 1947 where he met Alberto Giacometti one of the strongest influences on him. Though writing for a range of publications as a critic including The Observer and New Statesman the main thrust of his writing that direct response to the artwork was most important remained constant. Sylvester is credited with coining the term kitchen sink originally to describe a strand of post-war British painting typified by John Bratby. Sylvester used the phrase negatively but it was widely applied to other art forms including literature and theatre. During the 1950s Sylvester worked with Henry Moore, Freud and Bacon but also supported Richard Hamilton and the other 'Young Turks' of British pop art. This led him to become a prominent media figure in the 1960s. During the 1960s and 70s Sylvester occupied a number of roles at the Arts Council of Great Britain serving on advisory panels and on the main panel. In 1969 he curated a Renoir exhibition at the Hayward Gallery for which he was assisted by a young Nicholas Serota.