Gat Perich international award winner 2010

quinopremi2010Quino (Joaquín Salvador Rentat)

Quino, Joaquín Salvador Lavado, born July 17 1932, in the city of Mendoza (Argentina), the son of Spanish immigrants from Andalucia. In Mendoza, Quino frequented the school of Fine Arts for two years. He was taught how to portray beautiful models, statues, vases, stuffed animals, guitars etc, but all he wanted to do was make little puppets and he got tired and left. He partly regretted having left because of his lack of self-discipline. In fact, he learnt many things on his own and spent much less time at school, but soon found out that without being taught, it is very difficult to draw certain images, such as a sports field. His Uncle Joaquín Tejón, painter and advertising creative would then discover in the so-called small Cinchon three years later a lifetime vocation. Not only did his illustrator uncle guide the hand of the young artist. There is also a notable influence of drawings he would see published in Argentinean and foreign magazines purchased by his uncle. His work bears a resemblance to drawings by Rockwell and other American authors that appeared in Life, and Judge Leslie's Paris Match and later on it is apparent how heavily influenced he was by the artists Hieronymus Bosch and Chagal. In relation to his graphic style, Quino will always have an Argentinean style, as he likes to admit. The newspapers he saw as a child made an important impression on him.

His style was also influenced by films seen during high school. John Ford had a big impact on him and Quino would go out of his way to watch his films. The influence of literature is also important. He adores Argentine authors like Borges and Cortázar. Among the foreign authors that come to mind are Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Mark Twain and Jules Verne. "I read a little of everything. It's like one of those trips to Europe in 15 days, where you remember you saw Velazquez in the Prado in Madrid and the gallery of the Louvre in Paris or Breda. But these things will leave their mark and serve you when you least expect it." Quino defines his humour as endangered humour, humanitarian humour, untainted by the political satire of the moment. His drawings do not produce immediate spontaneous laughter, but should be carefully observed, prompting reflection.