|
Encyclopedia Entry
World Biosphere Reserve ??? |
|
| César Manrique |
 A Man And His Island |
| Painter, sculptor, architect, landscape artist, urban designer, environmentalist |
| "To be absolutely free to create without fear or formula heartens the soul and opens a path to the joy of living" "My footsteps always remained in the sands. The fleeting outline of my feet was perfect and unchanging. I breathed the pure iodine of the Atlantic" (boyhood summer holidays in Famara) "First and foremost I am a painter" |
| The Savagery Of Nature Lanzarote is a small island - just 36 miles long by 12 miles wide at it's widest point - and yet in this small area there are 300 or more extinct volcanoes. Try to imagine that if you can. Time and weather have not softened or mellowed the savage scenery. No mountain on the island is higher than 668 metres, and, as a consequence, the moisture in the predominant northeast trade winds is rarely converted into the rain which might have softened the landscape. The ravages inflicted by nature at it's most savage are still there for all to see. They remain as they were created centuries ago. Mass Tourism Now, masses of tourists flock to the island each year because of it's beaches and ideal year-round climate. Nearly two million visited the island in 1999. Mass tourism usually brings with it high rise hotels and roadside advertising to promote the commercial interests of the citizens. It pulls the inhabitants (and those responsible for it's government) in opposing directions. Like most people, they want to enjoy the prosperous life which mass tourism can bring. The downside is that the people of Lanzarote could see their island disfigured by the demands of tourism. These two opposing forces involve a difficult balancing act, and always will do. Setting For A Struggle Not a setting, you might think, in which to promote and achieve harmony between man and nature. Yet this is what has been achieved in Lanzarote. That it had done so was confirmed by the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) when it declared the island a World Biosphere Reserve in 1993. This would not have been possible but for one man, ably assisted by the island's governing body. The Struggle To achieve this unique harmony between man and nature - and to create sustainable tourism - a constant struggle has been going on for more than 20 years. César Manrique was at the centre of that struggle. His importance cannot be over-emphasised. César Manrique This page attempts to trace the part which César Manrique played in the struggle. It may be read as a complete page starting with his early life, or the following index may be used to read individual paragraphs. |
|
| ||
| First |  Growing Up | |
| Painting | The Art World Beckons Invitation To America | |
| Crusade Begins | Return From America | |
| Architecture | He Builds Himself A House Architecture Lanzarote Style | |
| Preservation | The Environment | |
| Designing | The Seven Tourist Centres | |
| Recognition | For Himself For Lanzarote | |
| Worldwide Interest | The World's Most Famous People Came To Wonder | |
| Tragedy Strikes | Car Accident | |
| The Faithful | And The Street Advertisements | |
| His Work Goes On | The César Manrique Foundation | |
| Tribute | By The President Of The Island Council | |
| And So | The Struggle Goes On | |
|
| ||
 GROWING UP | ||
| Arrecife | ||
| César Manrique was born in Arrecife on the 24th April, 1919, into a middle class background. His father was a business man and his grandfather the notary. He had two sisters (one of whom was his twin) and a brother. His whole life was to be very much influenced by the time he spent at Famara on the northwest coast of the island. Whilst he was in his early teens his parents bought a plot of land at the nearby village of Caleta de Famara and built a house next to the sea. | ||
| Famara | ||
| He always recalled, with great joy, the long summer holidays he spent at Caleta. He loved the Famara beach, with it's eight kilometres of fine, clean sand and it's backdrop of 400 metre high cliffs, reflected in the pools of water left by the receding tide. He said that it's image was recorded in his soul as something of extraordinary beauty that he would never forget. "When I was young we used to summer in Famara, a fishing village on the west coast of Lanzarote. The natural surroundings there made a strong impression on me especially the magnificent Famara Cliffs and I spent many an hour totally captivated by their reflection in the puddles left behind by the tide. I absorbed the colours of everything around me, the sea, sky and clouds, the flora and fauna, as well as the texture of the sand. It was during these happy summers of my childhood that I first felt drawn towards art and the environment. The Atlantic Ocean was my school". | ||
| School And University | ||
| School in Lanzarote was followed by a course in quantity surveying at La Laguna University, Tenerife. But after only two years, in 1945, he left to enter the San Fernando School of Fine Art in Madrid, graduating five years later with a teaching diploma in drawing and painting. | ||
| "Lanzarote Is Nothing But A Heap Of Ashes" | ||
| The direction which Manrique's future life would take was perhaps decided for him by events which took place whilst he was at university. Other students mocked him when he said that he was from Lanzarote, telling him it was nothing but a heap of ashes. " To me it was the most beautiful place on earth and I realised that had they seen the island through my eyes they would have agreed with me. From then onwards I was determined to bring the beauty of Lanzarote to the attention of the whole world". | ||
| THE ART WORLD BECKONS | ||
| Ultimately, of course, he did bring the beauty of Lanzarote to the attention of the whole world. During the first part of his adult life, however, it was his first love, painting, which took centre stage. At the age of 23, Manrique held his first exhibition in Arrecife. This was arranged by Don Pepin Ramirez, a family friend. Pepin Ramirez later went on to become the President of the Island Council and, as President, supported César when he went on to create the Island's first tourist attractions. Abstract art in the form of surrealism became all the rage in 1954. Together with a group of artist friends in Madrid, Manrique opened the Fernando Fe art gallery. At that time, Franco had only been in power for some 15 years and to do something so daring and provocative was very risky. The Franco regime, however, made no problems for the group. | ||
| INVITATION TO AMERICA | ||
| Over the next 10 years, César Manrique's reputation as an artist progressed. In 1964, he was invited to America by Nelson Rockefeller who had purchased some of his paintings. He exhibited in various galleries throughout the United States. | ||
| RETURN FROM AMERICA | ||
| Returning to Lanzarote again, he later said: " When I returned from New York I was determined to help turn my native island into one of the most beautiful places in the world and enlisted the help of Pepin Ramirez, President of the Island Council, who enthusiastically supported me right from the start" Two of César's first tasks on his return were to set about convincing his fellow islanders of the importance of using only traditional Lanzarote architecture when building or renovating property and to pursuade them not to display the advertising billboards on streets and roadsides which so disfigure the landscape. | ||
| HE BUILDS HIMSELF A HOME | ||
| He created a unique example of what could be achieved. Whilst travelling around the island one day with his friend, Pepin Ramirez (President of the Island Council), César Manrique saw the top of a fig tree growing from an extensive petrified lava flow. On inspection he discovered that it was growing out of a volcanic bubble (formed by lava flowing round a vacuum) and that there were not just one but five such interlinked bubbles. He immediately determined to build a house for himself there. This was just what he had been seeking - the chance to convert something which others might see as a barren and worthless piece of land, the result of a volcanic eruption, into something of beauty. He proceeded to construct a most beautiful and unique house on two levels, which became the centre of worldwide interest. He lived in the house until 1988. | ||
| ARCHITECTURE LANZAROTE STYLE | ||
| He hated to see the people of Lanzarote 'modernising' their houses and vigorously encouraged the renovation and construction of new buildings in keeping with traditional styles. He and a friend travelled the length and breadth of Lanzarote looking at and photographing houses, farms, public buildings and churches - taking note of how they had been built - the way doors, chimneys, patios and so on were constructed. | ||
| THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| César Manrique had a burning and overwhelming passion for the natural beauty of the island, but also very important to him was the way the islanders had adapted themselves to their challenging environment. He wrote a book in the preface of which he explained that the style of building on the island had evolved as the result of centuries of adaptation to the local climatic conditions. Light, wind, sun and the lack of rainfall - all had been taken into account. Houses and farms were just as much a part of the island scenery as were the sea and the volcanoes. Constantly growing ever stronger in his mind was the conviction that there had to be a balance - a balance between preserving all that was best in the environment whilst at the same time taking account of the needs of his fellow islanders. It was always a question of a balance between man and nature. [Later, his success in helping to achieve this was to be recognised at the highest level - by the United Nations. In 1993, shortly after his tragic death, UNESCO declared Lanzarote to be a World Biosphere Reserve. In it's declaration, the Organisation cited Manrique's work as being one of the major factors in the award of this status to the island.] Tourism and a building boom became major concerns in the mid 1980's and could have ruined all that César Manrique had sought to achieve. That they did not was again due in great part to his efforts to persuade the people and the governing authorities that the worst aspects of these must be guarded against. He became a very outspoken critic of the unrestricted development which was taking place and, mainly as a result of this, planning regulations were introduced strictly controlling and limiting further development. | ||
| THE SEVEN TOURIST CENTRES | ||
| The designing of the seven Centres Of Art, Tourism And Culture will perhaps be the thing for which César Manrique will most be remembered. These centres are run by the Island Council, which strongly supported César Manrique and which provided the necessary finance. The centres present the island in a very unique way to the many tourists. | ||
| Jameos del Agua | ||
| The grotto at Jameos del Agua was arguably the most spectacular of the seven tourist attractions which César Manrique would eventually design for his native island. Whilst still residing in New York he recorded his ideas on a gigantic piece of paper which he sent to his friend Pepin Ramirez, head of Lanzarote's Island Council. Included in the complex is an auditorium set in a volcanic cavern. Offering comfortable seating for 600 persons, Manrique commenced work on it in 1976 and it opened the following year. It has attracted artists from all over the world and is the venue for Lanzarote's annual international Audio Visual Festival of Ambiental Music. | ||
| Casa Museo y Monumento al Campesino | ||
| Manrique felt it of utmost importance to clearly demonstrate the broad details of traditional Lanzarote architecture. To this end he designed a building in the style of the typical Lanzarotean farm, the Casa Museo.
It has pitched roofs and patios to catch the precious rain water, a Moorish chimney and a Canarian balcony. The interior is high-ceilinged to stay cool, the white stonework reflects the sun and the woodwork is painted in the green of the island's fishing boats. When the most fertile area of the island was destroyed during volcanic eruptions, more than 250 years ago, the local farmers discovered that volcanic grains are porous and they used them to cover their fields. Acting as a sponge they soak up the dew which then irrigates the soil. As a tribute to their initiative, Manrique built a monument - Monumento al Campesino - in the geographical centre of Lanzarote using water tanks from abandoned fishing boats. | ||
| The Fire Mountains | ||
| The south-west part of the island is the area which has seen the most devastating volcanic activity, yet even here, in this most inhospitable of places, he was able to weave more of his magic. He built a wonderful resaurant overlooking the Fire Mountains, fittingly called 'The Devil' ('El Diablo'), which blends in perfectly with the devastated landscape. The restaurant's grill is constructed over a deep shaft which drops away into the volcanic rock - and the volcano's heat is used for cooking. This is another situation in which he has been able to demonstate how man and nature can work together. | ||
| Mirador del Rio | ||
| The Mirador was built by Manrique in 1973 . When built it attracted much attention and was considered by many to be among the four best buildings in the world to have been completed that year. It looks down from a high vantage point onto the nearby island of La Graciosa. The site on which it was built was originally that of gun batteries set up during the war between the United States and Cuba at the end of the eighteenth century. | ||
| International Museum Of Contemporary Art | ||
| Standing at the entrance to Arrecife's harbour, the San José Castle was converted by César Manrique in 1974 into a beautiful art gallery. It houses the paintings of many well known artists (including himself). It is one of the most impressive in the Canary Islands. The project included a restaurant, which has panoramic sea views, and a large hall used for classical concerts and conferences. | ||
| Cueva de los Verdes | ||
| This cave is a representative section of the seven kilometre long Atlantida volcanic tunnel, the longest volcanic tunnel in the world. It is renowned for it's spectacular colours and for a truly amazing optical illusion. [Lanzarote's inhabitants used to take refuge in this cave when, as often happened in earlier times, the island was attacked by pirates]. | ||
| Cactus Gardens | ||
| The gardens are located in Guatiza village on the east coast in an abandoned stone quarry. This is the seventh and last Tourist Centre which César Manrique created for Lanzarote. It contains over 10,000 cacti of more than 1,100 different varieties. The gardens stand on 5,000 square metres of land which had been wasteland for over 150 years. It is possible that Manrique was once more demonstrating the characteristics of his beloved Lanzarote. Another demonstration of how a desolate and abandoned piece of land could provide the setting for something beautiful and unique. | ||
| RECOGNITION FOR CÉSAR MANRIQUE | ||
| Manrique's work on behalf of Lanzarote's environment, and his work as an artist, have been recognised throughout the world. The following are some of the honours bestowed upon him: | ||
| ||
| RECOGNITION FOR LANZAROTE | ||
| Perhaps the greatest recognition for both César Manrique and Lanzarote was to come shortly after his death. The island was declared a World Biosphere Reserve in 1993.This exclusive status is granted to areas of the world where the environment plays a major role when future development is planned. César Manrique spent his life preparing his native island for this singular honour and, in stating it's reasons for including Lanzarote in this programme, UNESCO singled out his ceaseless efforts on behalf of the local environment. | ||
| THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE CAME TO WONDER | ||
| Famous and well known people came from all over the world to wonder at his creations - the King of Jordan, the German Chancellor, a former President of Russia, the violinist Yehudi Menuhin (who tested the acoustics in the Cueva de los Verdes - the Green's Cave), Hollywood film stars, Spain's own royal family - there were too many to mention all of them. They came to wonder at the unique and beautiful masterpieces which Manriqe had fashioned out of nature's most unlikely materials. | ||
| TRAGEDY | ||
| On the 25th of September, 1992, at the age of 73, César Manrique lost his life as the result of a car accident. The accident occurred as he was leaving the house which he had built in the petrified lava flow, and which is now the headquarters of the César Manrique Foundation. Three days of public mourning were declared. A solemn undertaking was made to respect the legacy which he had left - the preservation of Lanzarote's natural state and it's balance with the demands of mankind. | ||
| STREET ADVERTISEMENTS | ||
| The respect which Lanzarote's inhabitants have for the memory of César Manrique can perhaps best be illustrated by the ban on advertising hoardings. In 1992, twenty four years after the ban was imposed, a multi-national car company placed four large advertisements on the streets of Lanzarote during it's annual sales meeting. Before the authorities had time to act local citizens demanded their immediate removal, threatening to do it themselves if necessary. | ||
| THE CESAR MANRIQUE FOUNDATION | ||
| The Foundation first opened it's doors just six months before César Manrique's tragic death. He entrusted it with the task of perpetuating the message of his work as well as his perception of art and of nature. The Foundation's headquarters had originally been Manrique's first home, constructed within five volcanic bubbles. The building is unique in itself as an architectural masterpiece. It houses a representative collection of his paintings and other artistic creations. | ||
| TRIBUTE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAND COUNCIL | ||
| "No perception of Lanzarote is complete without knowing the incalculable contribution of it's most famous native son, César Manrique. Lanzarote's declaration as a World Biosphere Reserve amid it's ever-growing popularity as a holiday resort reflects an endorsement of Manrique's aim to create a mutually beneficial partnership between Man and Nature. This symbiosis has enhanced the Island's economic development in harmony with exercising care to preserve it's environment." | ||
| AND THE STRUGGLE GOES ON.... | ||
| The endeavour to maintain that fine balance between Man and Nature is, and always will be, a continuous one. César Manrique has, however, given his fellow islanders a clear example of what can be achieved. I am sure that they will follow his lead. Recently, there has been another building boom. Lanzarote's inhabitants have reacted to it in typical style. The Canarian Government, supported by 90% of the islanders, has imposed a ten year moratorium on an increase in the number of tourist beds in Lanzarote. | ||
