Solid as a rock

In front of The Peninsula Shanghái  stands Adolfo Barnatan´s substantial fountain sculpture “Amor de Venus”. With its ancient influences conceptualised in a uniquely modern yet mystical manner, it towers high, alight and reassuring at night, an imposing but aesthetic presence by day as it rises gracefully from the calm pool in which it stands.

Expertly moulded semi-spheres of black Calatorao stone, from the Valdejalón area of Spain, sit one atop the other, decreasing in size by minimal proportions as they ascend to the sky in a tapering sculpture whose stability could appear slightly dubious. But design of the striking fountain that sits in the centre of the entrance courtyard of The Peninsula Shanghái, there is no questioning its stability, and its smooth curves and elegant proportions make for a work that is not only aesthetically pleasing to look at, but which also inspires a sense of calm in its viewers, a trait which much of Barnatan´s sculptures achieves.

Born in Paris in 1951, as young as the age of three, Barnatán says he felt a strong desire to bow to his artistic tendencies. “I started doing the torn papers that I still do today”, reminisces the artist, referring to the art pieces he first began creating, torn papers which were somewhere between painting and sculpture. “I used to leave them on my parent´s bed for them to see when they came back from dinner and I would get feedback from them the next morning. I haven´t stopped creating since. Shortly after that I picked up wood sculptures and clay. At different times in my life I have felt the need to sculpt, and it has ended up being my main creative option”.

While better known today for his sculpture, Barnatán began his artistic career as a painter. At the age of just 19, in 1970 he staged his first solo exhibition before going on to study art and interior architecture at the IADE (Institución Artística de Enseñanza) in Madrid. It was only when the 1900s came around that the artist began exhibiting the sculpture that he had been working on, much of which he had created out of bronze, wood and stone, media in which he continues to work today. More recently the artist has branched into jewellery design, which he describes as “small versions of my sculpture; by changing the proportions my work can be worn, in the form of rings, earrings or pendants”, and his artistic pieces have not only been met with critical acclaim but have been worn by a whole host of Spanish celebrities. 

Be it painting, creating unique jewelled pieces, or working in three dimensions, Barnatán has always taken his influences from the same sources. “Inspiration is something that you either get or you don´t,” he states. “Just like a writer writes, a sculptor sculpts and feels inspiration in so many different things and moments - in nature, in civilisations past, mythology or the stars...”

Amor de Venus clearly references Greek and Roman mythology and civilisations past. Besides its title, Barnatán explains that “the goddess of love is a very similar element to my sculpture; she ascends to the skies and is usually identified with water and curves.” The Spanish artist has also taken his influence for the fountain from other ancient sources, referring in this piece to an obelisk, the tall, tapering shape of the stacked, large, bead-like components resembling the carved sections that rise up to the height of an obelisk, a monument prominent in ancient Egyptian civilisation which is one of the artist´s prime influences as the symbolic, and at times totemic, aspects of its culture inspired his elegant and polished pieces which have been met with suitable exaltation.

At the same time, Barnatán states that his fountain could also be reminiscent of an abacus, the mathematical counting device first used by many ancient cultures, from the Mesopotamians to the Romans to the Chinese. In this form he sees the pieces of the fountain as mobile with an ability to count, whether it is time, ideas or thoughts that they tally. With the water emerging from the apex of the sculpture to roll and flow seductively over the smooth stone, the sculpture represents the generation of ideas or thoughts in the mind, the movement of the counting beads up the sculpture reflected by the mesmerising slip of the water that falls to the pool below.

The abacus is a theme that frequents Barnatan´s oeuvre as he sees the concept as one that work particularly well in an architectural context, none better than in the location of his Amor de Venus, rigth in front of the impressive architectural feat that is The Peninsula Shanghái.

Barnatán has kept strictly to the kind of work for which he is renowned, not taking much of a brief from The Peninsula Shanghái. This is perhaps partly due to the long-standing relationship he has with The Hong-Kong and Shanghái Hotels´ Chairman Sir Michael Kadoorie whom the artist affectionately refers to as “Michaelito” and who has, for many years, been a great admirer of the Spaniard´s work.

A significant proportion of Barnatán´s sculptural repertoire features work in black, be it limestone or Belgian black marble, though he also works in white Carrara marble and wood on occasion. But with his work for The Peninsula Shanghái, Barnatán has kept to his signature style, completing a work that is smooth, serene and calming in its outlook, like many of his previous creations.

Never one to stray from the path which he has always tried to stay true to in his work, Barnatán says, “I always work with my inspiration and ideas, both on my shows or with commissioned pieces. I have always done what I liked.” And his work at The Peninsula Shanghái, whilst a great example of this, has also met with significant acclaim. “For me there are no restrictions, “ he concludes, “only challenges tha make creativity spark.”