El Hortelano exhibited a selection from his paintings from the 1980s to the present. José Alfonzo Morera Ortíz, known as El Hortelano, is one of the initiators of the legendary Madrid scene which introduced “Madrid figuration” into Spanish art. It included famous artists such as García Alix, Pedro Almodóvar, Alaska and the Radio Futura group. El Hortelano’s paintings captured the contemporary atmosphere of Madrid. However, his activities were not merely restricted to this movement. His artistic path led from expressive figuration to the themes of natural motifs. Hortelano’s work opened towards visionary romanticism with a prevalence of imaginative and dream-like elements. His paintings became a space for his return to childhood or reflections on the Universe and other possible worlds. His early work, influenced by objectivity and dynamics reminiscent of Surrealism, developed into reflections on the mystery of man and the Universe. He raises unanswered questions about “Where do we come from, who are we, where do we go?” Impasto and textures prevail, corresponding to the tradition of Spanish Art Informel. At the same time his art represents a synthesis of several streams from the mysterious El Greco through Surrealist visions to contemporary cosmological inspirations. He transformed his new figuration into reflections on human existence and man’s place in the Universe.
