F
or as long as Alberto Ramirez could hold a pencil in his hand, he's
been drawing. The Madrid-born artist began painting in elementary
school and simply never looked back. For a large part of his career,
Ramirez has focused his efforts on portrait painting. Fascinated by the
human face and its ability to tell the most intricate stories with even the
smallest expression, he defines his work as "decoding a silent language
that needs to be heard." Ramirez believes that choosing a subject for his
paintings is perhaps the most vital part of the process. And what faces can
tell a greater story than the mugs of music icons like Bruce Springsteen
and Prince? Many of these pop culture-inspired pieces were also born of
Ramirez's project "LEG" which, through a chain of fortuitous events, was a
collaborative effort with artist and childhood friend David Partida—a man
he'd reunited with in Spain in the early 2000s. Today, Ramirez resides in
Berlin where he continues to make his mark with his modern portraits, each
one meant to immortalize the character and vigor of their respective stars.
POP
CULTURE
PORTRAIT
By Michael Scivoli
VUE ON ART
V U E N J . C O M
68
