“Why art is interested in me? I would like to ask myself if somebody questions how I became interested in art” reasoned artist-diplomat Bartus.
Bartus is a man on many parts. In his professional life that is of diplomat’s he likes to be called Bartolome Sanchez but as an artist he signs himself as Bartus Bartolomes.
As you get to know him, his multi-faceted personality makes a deep impression on you. If you enter his house with the notion that you are visiting a diplomatic place you are in for a big surprise. The walls of the living room are decorated with the master works of Husain, Santosh, Birend De and Swaminathan, etc.
The stairs from the hall lead us to his studio. In fact, the entire house looks more like an art gallery or a studio than a diplomat’s residence.
If there is tig-tag… of the typewriter coming out of his study it means he is typing out a play script. If there is no noise, it means he is either conjuring up visions of painting or cerebrating lines for a poem.
Bartus art is basically derived from his own ideology “I think “icons” are the highest expression of design. Design is the highest expression of human history. And so is science in the dialogue of the Universe in which we live. It has changed and will keep changing, like”.
“If you again ask me what is art? I will say that Art is the mirror of the times which tries to reflect the immediate sensibilities of mankind.” -texto borroso- though it might sou-texto borroso-
But what he probably means is that the function of art is to provide spiritual solace and contemporary art, he thinks does that. Few can deny that modern art if nothing else, has therapeutic value for its practitioner. Bartus latest work is in the form of collages. The pieces of paper are so placed as to interpret in all its diversity the cosmos. Ships comuters, Bull fights, etc., all coal-texto borroso- into forms that, at once reveal the tragedy and comedy of life.
Thought he uses rich colours he says, “I am’ ‘dull-tonic’. I play with colours and their scheme. The artist-Bartus is considered a noted artist like Lamberto Pignotti Adriano Spatola, Carlo Marcello, Ernst Lens and Fanna Roncoroni.
But he does not believe in a formal curriculum. Because he is of the opinion that the best curriculum of any artist is -text borroso- public. He is a self-taught artist a born poet, a photographer and a dramatics to boot.
“Caramello De Anis (CANDY OF ANNISSEE) is his anthology of verses. He has edited the famous play ‘Hamlet Via Little Lulu which shortly staged in New York -texto borroso- “Pisisy Sixi.” “Segno & Suono” is another collection of his poems.
Bartus has the distinction of having exhibited his art creation at Centro Ricarche Artistiche Contemporance Verifica in Italy. His art is known in France and many other countries , too.
One can interpret his art as the outcome of four years research in iconography. He first began to give a definite design and value to his ideology in 1972 and evolved his present style in 1978.
India is not an unknown land for him. “I remember very much when I first came to India eight years ago. That time I visited only Calcutta, Bombay and Goa.
“India is a country of -texto borroso- poetical background and offers much inspiration for self expression in many forms”
Bartus is tall, beared and gentle with all the -texto borroso- of a Latin American. In short, he is an artist of sensibility, his art is deep and developes immediate rapport.
By Vijay Bhushan
Sunday Herald
New Dehli, India. 12th September, 1982