L I N E A R E X P A N S I O N
The challenge of mental movement

Toni, tell me a little about your life! Who are you, how old are you, what did you study, what are your concerns? Give me a brief summary of your years living on this planet.

I am Toni Richarte, a 29-year-old from Jerez, and I love to create things. I trained as a sports technician and physical education teacher in Seville. Over the last few years, I’ve dedicated myself to launching sports projects related to physical training and Parkour. I’ve explored all kinds of activities related to movement; you could say I’ve always been in touch with studying the movement of the human body and its possibilities for adapting to the environment.

From what I see, you have two great passions in your life: parkour and painting. Tell me about them and their origins in you.

Yes! Two early passions. Painting almost since I started to control my hands and Parkour when I began to control my feet by skipping the baby park. My mother told me that when I was two years old, the teacher punished me because, in a moment of distraction, I started opening all the paint pots and began to paint the clothes and faces of all my classmates with my hands. The parents were in shock when they picked up their children; they looked like a piece of art, it seems… I’ve been painting almost all my life and have been dedicated to Parkour for 15 years. It’s a discipline that helps you move through urban and natural environments using the abilities offered by your own body. The goal of Parkour is to pursue the efficacy and efficiency of movement in order to prepare you for real situations both physically and mentally.

How has parkour inspired you in your artistic practice as a painter?

In the ability to break boundaries, because both have given me the feeling of freedom that allows me to create without rules, overcoming all kinds of physical and mental barriers. Where there are limits, I see possibilities. With painting, I also like to play with that, conveying a message that challenges people to break their established patterns. Both in painting and in movement there is a relationship of self-improvement, of wanting to know oneself more, managing space in your own way.

Your movements in parkour, the lines… Do they translate in some way into your paintings?

In terms of the concept, your need to create, the aesthetics, the shapes, and the colors… How do you see the connection? Parkour has always been a very important practice for me. It has led me to constant observation and experimentation with space. Being in motion between obstacles also makes you notice the textures, light, and colors of everything around you because you have to measure the depth of each jump and movement well if you don’t want to take risks. In that aspect, my sensory experience influences my visual style. I seek aesthetic perfection both in my movements and in my art. If you repeat a jump twenty times you will be more sure that you will do it well and you don’t give prominence to improvisation. Your body automates and assimilates that movement. In my painting, something similar happens, I try to seek perfection and acquire a composition of shapes and colors as achieved as possible by repeating again and again. My obsession with movement has been a hard and sacrificed journey. I have spent many hours enjoying and suffering at the same time, wanting to really discover what my body is capable of. Progressing in it is not easy, you have to face your fears, and you also have to have your head in the right place and measure well what you do to take care of your body. Any mistake counts. When I paint, I try to symbolically translate those vital experiences that are captured in color and composition.

Tell me, what project(s) are you currently working on?

I am now working on producing larger format works, something I had never faced before. And it’s proving to be an incredible process. It seems that the painting comes more to life and connects me even more to the concept of expansion that I want to convey.

The exhibition “Linear Expansion” at The Vertical Gallery, tell me a bit about the selection of paintings you’ve chosen to display, and the thought behind the exhibition title.

It’s a selection of paintings that I’ve been producing for 4 years where you can see an evolution of style, shapes, and technique. In these works, I’ve captured different stages and experiences of my life, covering the past, present, and future.

“Linear Expansion” is the concept that captures the objective of the work. I want people to expand and feel immersed when they come into contact with my art. I feel that through aesthetics the world can be slightly changed, and that’s what I pursue. Through my work, I invite them to a transformation process. You have your path, your purpose, so go for it even if you’re told otherwise a thousand times.

In what way do you think the Vertical Gallery project might influence your artistic practice?

I am sure it will have a very positive impact, as it will give me the opportunity to hold my first solo exhibition. The Vertical Gallery and La Casa Cuadrada are a great motivation to continue with my artistic creation, and I believe it will help open new windows for people to get to know my art in-depth. I think it’s an initiative that will promote art and culture more in the rural environment. It is very necessary to boost this type of project as they enrich and encourage the development of new artists. Everything revolves around a collaborative atmosphere where Lisa (the founder) makes difficult things easy. It’s very important to open up to the rural world and enhance art and culture in such collaborative ways as this project. I’d like to highlight a message from Ricardo Cavolo in his book “Peripheries” where he points out that creativity is born in the outskirts, away from cities. I believe that’s where the most purity and creativity truly arises, and it’s a reality. You can see it in this space. I am very grateful.

Toni Richarte   Lisa-Marie Vlietstra

@tonicrk    @lacasacuadradaelcoronil.com

+34 692 28 45 07    +34 698 915 757