GONZALO DE SOLA’S DNA
From ancient Phoenicians, friends of King Hiram of Tyre and Solomon of Jerusalem; merchant sailors of the Mediterranean; knowledgeable in the art of marine war - marks the birth of this extraordinary family.
The artist has a most interesting genealogy. This story begins with documented chronicles dating as far back as the 12th century. Among them:
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David Ibn Da Ud, the administrator of Ab-Del-Rhaman, Calif of Cordova and all its wealth.
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Another gave King James II horses for the conquest of Europe and in return received the Republic of Naples - at the time Port of Corsica, Sardinia - and the Amalfitanian coast as a reward
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Of recent, Moderhay, an American with Dutch descent who hid Simon Bolivar’s sisters in his home in Curacao, saving them from being abducted by the Spaniards during the war of Independence
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Isaac De Sola, a high ranking official who fought during the battle of Carabobo, where he lost an ear from the strike of a sable. This confrontation was crucial to the independence of Venezuela
The later two, very good friends of the Liberator Simón Bolivar. On the maternal side was the Grand Marshal of Ayacucho, Antonio José de Sucre his grandfather fifth.
INTELLIGENCE CONQUERS VIOLENCE
The heraldic origin of de Sola family started when the city of Castilla had its troops fighting in the North against the Barbarians. A Moor spy alerts its forces in the south…but didn’t count on an ingenious businessman propping straw dummies, making a raucous and lighting the city walls on fire - feat which served to confuse the Moor troops, providing ample time for the Northern troops to escape – ultimately saving the crown.
This was the first De Sol and the birth of the De Sol Family name, later on evolving to De Sola. Loyal to their historic origin, the De Sola family crest doesn’t bear weapons. The crest depicts a lamb resting and a shining sun set against a cobalt blue background.
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Lawyers, engineers and writers abound in the artist’s family. Gonzalo is the eldest of four. His father, Oswaldo De Sola, is former Rector of the Central University of Venezuela, Geologist of the Great Guri Hidroelectric project, since its inception, currently heading the Historical Museum of Guayana, in Ciudad Bólivar, Venezuela.
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An uncle, Dr. René De Sola, was the former President of the Supreme Court of Venezuela and Ambassador for UNESO in France
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Another uncle, Ricardo De Sola, a Kandiskyan artist and engineer was responsible for numerous projects of importance for the Public Works Authority - currently Counsellor of the Venezuelan Petroleum Chamber
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A deceased aunt, Irma De Sola, was the Chairman of the School of Writers and Historians of Venezuela
The De Sola family is comprised of intellectual aristocrats, ecologists and humanitarians – all gravely concerned with the health of the planet and the conscience of civilization, at large.
The reason for Gonzalo’s success is not mainly due to his natural environment and knowledge but mainly because when he paints he conceives a plethora of insinuations that make the spectator act as the painter himself.
He gets his genius streak from inheritance and his creativity from the depths of his soul. A gift he has perfected throughout a lifetime of training and relentless dedication to breathing life into his passion: art. This passion freely expressed through his paintings and via a more disciplined approach, his highly acclaimed architectural designs. He also has a very witty and unique personality. It is a lot of fun to exchange a point of view, or two, with Gonzalo.
REVIEWS
“Drawn by paralleled disciplines – likewise, he draws in his spectators; a trait that has been evolving since 1970’s”.
“The personality of this emerging abstractionist, consists of such versatile authenticity which has sky rocketed the value of his work”.
“In order to reach a broader spectrum of collectors, Xmick & Co. Investors decided to exploit brief series, signed and authenticated by the artist….”
“A lover of nature and a buff of history of civilization , he lives surrounded and in daily contact with nature. De Sola lives in a Churuata (a native type hut) located in the humid, tropical jungle of the outskirts of Caracas where the sun, moon and stars contrast with the landscape of fog and clouds”.
“The artist believes that through the moving elements he perceives a greeting from the Universe”.
Simon Arocha - Artist
“Gonzalo’s work has many and varied sparks of genius. In some the architect in him prevails; in others the thinker and without any doubt, in others the dreamer”.
“No one is truly capable of recognizing the early periods of Picasso, Reverón o Cabré”.
Dr. Rafael Caldera - President Republic of Venezuela
May 31, 1987
“This work is persistent in freedom of improvisation and spontaneity”.
“Various sources of inspiration (or diversity in concepts) meet - which permit us to identify elements connecting constructivist, neoplasticine and cubism combined with strokes from the informality of the abstract expression”.
“De Sola abruptly displays a burst of gestural strokes, which are randomly displayed on the canvas along with patches that intertwine into a nervous, and at times, violent tangle. A sharp contrast between: the stoic background and dynamic forefront; solids versus free-flowing; the serene agitation; Apollonian versus Dionysian…a contrast between rational and the irrational”.
“Unlimited combinations and alternatives is what give this work a wealth of visual tension and attractiveness”.
“The blunt honesty of the execution - fast and with unexpected elements that exclude all possibility of perceived manipulation or any “tricks of trade”, reveal an honest and naked realization of process”.
Peran Erminy - Renowned Contemporary Art Critic
“Gonzalo combines chromatic shades merging them in a pure and sober fashion. The strength of his creation comes from the depths of his soul where reason, emotion and thought are a seamless reflection of the interpretation of his dreams, releasing his massive energy and his artistic calling onto canvas”.
Gonzalo’s palette and brush form vibrations and sensations into shapes and symbols, allegory to the original, including mythological and veiled sensualism, stamped by the most genuine, bold and modern plastic challenge”.
“This challenge explicitly bears his stamp, proprietary and transcendental, like a cosmic explosion in search of light and beauty, full of inspiration and sensuality transmitting the magical language of his work”.
“To appreciate his exquisite art, intrinsically pure, when observed in depth, we can appreciate his genius and vital strength – like a poem vibrating with energy – which elevates it to an international level”.
Raquel Moreno de Rojo -Cultural Ambassador Latin America
