by Jose Villamarin - Journalist

JOSEP PUIGMARTI - A TRANSGRESSIVE GENIUS 

An artist hard to define, a spiritual wanderer whose work is universal, very wide and varied. Transgressor, vital, provocative, a genius in his pure state. This is Josep Puigmarti

Born in the town of Monistrol de Calders (Barcelona) in 1932, Josep Puigmartí has been an artist all his life. Member of a family of artists (his father, a painter, eventual artist, although his first exhibition was after the his son's debut, also his brother Robert is an artist), but self-taught in his life and work, Josep Puigmartí set his residence in Sitges since 1989, after an extraordinary bohemian life that led him to live in Sweden, Paris, Los Angeles...

It was in Sitges where he discovered Francesc Castellví, owner of the Hotel Estela Barcelona and a great art lover. There was very good communication between them from the start and they established a professional relationship that allows the artist to live focused on his work (his latest, an exceptional collection is called "Alien fashion") and without economical problems. First, he had his own studio in the hotel (two rooms were decorated by himself - 110, with the work "Blue Dreams" and 214, "Sunrise", undoubtedly one of the attractions of the company), and now it is very close, before the beach that stretches in front of the hotel in Sitges.

Josep Puigmartí’s life is very interesting. From being an introverted child, he became outstanding. After his first exhibition in 1956 (Gallery Syra, Barcelona) traveled regularly to Sweden and Denmark where, in addition to exhibiting, he often designed, worked as a model, fell in love many times ... His resemblance to the actor Gregory Peck did live curious stories: In Valladolid, for example, a group of girls were with him, convinced that he was the actor. In 1960 he met Alberto Oliveras (the radio announcer for "You are formidable") who changed his life, he contacted the members of the "divine gauche" from Barcelona. Thus, Leopoldo Pomés made him pose as a model next to Teresa Gimpera and Romy, the icons of the group that moved between Bocaccio and Cadaques. Often, to live he was forced to paint works of easy sale, which he signed with pseudonyms (Pep, Ribera, etc. ...). Moreover, surprised painting on living models, also made dummies for fashion shops. He produced a great impression on Dali, who invited him to his parties, both by the artist's own worth as for the girls who always accompanied him.

In 1973, he carried out his first personal exhibition in Paris, with the gallery owner Andre Romanet. It was titled "Ode to women", it was the era in which his work focuses on the female body, which had started in Sweden in 1971. Some of the works by Josep Puigmartí ("Sa Majestat", for example), were picked up by Camilo José Cela to be published in his Dictionary of Eroticism.

JOSEP PUIGMARTI’S WORKS CAN BE ADMIRED AT: 

HOTEL ESTELA BARCELONA - Avda. Port d’Aiguadolç, 8 – Sitges (Barcelona) tel. 938 114 545 – fax 938 114 546 | e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.