User:Mmorales38072/Fernando Llort

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Fernando Llort Choussy, (7 April, 1949- 10 August, 2019) born in San Salvador, El Salvador. Llort was always creating from a young age, whether it be ceramics with his Master César Sermeño, or using musicality as a means of expression, Llort was not shy of exploring many artistic practices.

Fernando Llort was a man of passion, spirituality, religion, community, and an idealist. At the beginning of Llort travels abroad, his intention was originally to study to become a priest. Llort was introduced to two seminaries, one in La Ceja a small town in Medellin, Colombia, another Toulouse, France in which he would not commit to as his passion for art took over.

Personal life
Fernando Llort was born in San Salvador, El Salvador, April 7th, 1949 to Baltasar Llort and Victoria Choussy.

In 1973 Fernando Llort married Estela Cachón in La Palma, Chalatenango where they would live and have three kids from 1973-1979, until they moved to San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador during the beginning of the Civil War (1979-1992).

Fernando Llort passed away on August 10th, 2018.

Llort and Cachón had three kids, Juan Pablo, a Chemical engineer; Angel Fernando, a Musician; Maria Jose who manages much Fernando Llorts businesses.

Education
Fernando Llort starts his post secondary education at the University of El Salvador in the early 1960s where he studied architecture, but would drop due to unknown reasons. He continue explore his interests of spirituality in 1966 when Llort traveled to Medellin, Colombia where he studies Religion at the Seminariola Ceja. Afterwards, Llort spent the next three years studying in France at the University of Toulouse, graduating with a Bachelors of Philosophy, and then at the University of Leuven in Belgium, where he'd eventually earn his degree in Theology. During his time in Europe, Llort would be painting on his free time, which led to his first exhibition of works in France.

Llort spent many year's away from his home country in his pursuit of education. During Llort's time abroad, he would feel a disconnect from his culture and would rekindle that connection in his exhibition in France, where inspiration of Mayan culture influenced Llorts workto connect themes of identity to relate to his Latin American heritage.

Finishing his time in Europe, Llort traveled to study in the United States at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, where he would begin to start taking formal art courses, along with modern architecture and English classes. Llort was not satisfied with the rigidity of North American education as it restricted his creativity. Experiencing discrimination, materialism and other values of American society that Llort was not fond of, he would leave America in 1971, and return to El Salvador.

Post Education
Fernando Llort and a few other of his friends would begin to explore music inspired by the American Hippie movement of the 60s upon his return to El Salvador They would go on to form a band called La Banda del Sol (The sun band). During their time together they would create and compose songs heavily influenced by religion and spirituality. These themes would eventually translate in the estilo Palmeño (Palmeño style), the style Llort created himself.

Upon returning to El Salvador, Llort other young artists moved to the town of La Palma, Chalatenango in the northern region of El Salvador, close to the border with Honduras. Llort participated in a exhibitions of his works in the Forma Gallery, located in San Salvador, El Salvador. With the funds gathered from his show, he would move to La Palma in 1972 in hope of starting an art community.

La Palma was a small low-income town with high crime rates, and low employment at the time of Llorts arrival. The simple life he lived in the mountains was a refuge from what was happening throughout the rest of the country. Llort's assimilation into the village life and lush natural environment had greatly influenced his practice. While touring the canals, Llort would notice a child rubbing a capinol tree seed against the ground to reveal a white surface, framed by the brown sides of the outer casing of the seed. This would become a staple in La Palma's and Llort's history as it incorporated the main essence of estilo Palmeño; the natural surface provided by the land, and folk art style created by Llort.

Artistic Practice
Fernando Llorts artistic practice was formed off themes of identity that often coincided with his spiritual beliefs.

During his time In La Palma, Chalatenango he would spend the next decade (1972-1979) cultivating and building the art community by offering workshops of wood working and painting to the local campesino. Llort founded his first cooperative workshop in La Palma where he would educate the local towns people in artisanal craftsmanship like painting and woodworking. Llort named the workshop La Semillia de Dios (The seed of god) in relation to where it all started. nearing the end of the 1970's La Palma was known as the center of folk art in El Salvador. in 1981, Llort travelled back to the San Salvador, El Salvador to open the Fernando Llort Gallery of Art and Handicrafts named El Arbol De Dios.

Estilo Palmeño, a term made by Fernando Llort. In contemporary terms, most would categorize it as Naif/Naive art as it did not take much technical skill to execute, but was focused more on the content and narrative of the image produced. Fernando Llort's reason for art making was not a critique on the political climate or the social oppression of war El Salvador was facing, but to strengthen the El Salvadorean identity using landscapes, indigenous symbols and capturing the daily life of the people.

Fernando Llorts use of identity was a was an homage to the natural landscapes of El Salvador, he would use groupings of houses or hills as symbolism for community .Working with simple shapes, full chroma colours, and dark outlines Estilo Palmeño is a mix of abstract, geometric and linear shapes. The reoccurring religious symbols of doves, suns, and a mosaic like structure to each craft was intentional to contrast the difficult times the civil war caused. Llort's goal was "to reconnect my roots as a Latin American, and help define our people in their human and spiritual dimensions" 

--One writer describes its style and motifs thus: "Llort's designs were simple: primary colors mostly, and a kind of two dimensional art. Images of the rural life of the campesino predominated. Animals, birds, flowers, simple adobe houses, with red tile roofs." The same author notes that the themes shifted somewhat over the years that followed: "As the war progressed, and the consciousness of the poor deepened, themes such as the value of women, the importance of community, and the Salvadoran face of God became common."-- (<- from the wikipedia page)