Milobaon, the painter that athletes love: "If you go outside the norm they will go crazy with you in the US"

• Elvira and Isabel Mignoni, the 'bosses' of art in Spain: "The best buyers are North Americans"

"I was going to see a

, but things got a little twisted", jokes Irene Baon,

, one of the artists of the moment, a pioneer in the technique of

and the painter that the most famous athletes in our country are looking for . His hand is behind the latest portraits of

, among others.

From that first idyll with medicine - his mother is a nurse and his father a doctor - he has an obsession with anatomy, skulls, bones ... But now he knows that it is not because he wanted to be a doctor, but because what he likes "It is the concept of painting and studying the human body," he says. That is why he changed the scalpel for the brush and studied

in Madrid, a decision in which the painter

, a key figure in

had a lot to do with it.

in our country and whom she considers her mentor because he encouraged her to paint. "I was lucky that he was a good friend of my parents," he explains, "and I spent summers with him. He was the one who realized that for me this was not a whim and that, in addition, I was good at it." And the rest was shot with the support of his parents, because "the objective was always that with one profession or another he would enjoy and be

".

From those wickers, and from "working for many years the typical academic painting", to being a pioneer in a technique in which the brush - which she does not use either because Irene now paints with

- does not touch the canvas, and which achieves a

of illusions: up close the painting could seem like an abstract work due to the colors and lines, but with the distance a realistic and perfectly defined image appears. "I've always been a bit anchored to the theme of realism and hyper-realism, due to the influence of Gerardo, although I also like

very much

and

catches my attention

.

But I am not very abstract;

I consider that in the abstract today there is a bit of 'deception' and professional intrusion.

Few people know what is good abstract art and what is not. "

She always liked

art

, and the technique that she has developed also came because something went wrong.

"I had a canvas thrown on the floor of the studio where I was working, with the bad luck that a pot of paint fell from a shelf. The

of the paint in the painting enchanted me and I thought: 'And why don't I do Pollock figurative, why don't I take it to another level and try to do it in a different way. 'And I started

. "

Irene Baon, Milobaon, in her studio with her dog 'Shiba'.

Studying Pollock was the foundation; the rest,

with different paintings until hitting the key and creating a first painting that Irene is reluctant to sell. "They have wanted to buy it several times, but I am not selling it, it is a good memory. It was a

, I did not dare to do anything else; in the end, I am much more critical of my face than of someone else."

From that first painting until today, years have passed. Now Irene, passionate about sports, the sea and the mountains who has been living in Barcelona for 15 years - "I was born in Madrid, but I have taken root here, I have my

and I am very comfortable," she explains-, has become a

. Why that name? "I like Irene, I identify myself with that name, but I saw it too serious. Although I have never done gratifi, I have always been in contact with the people who do it, because it is a spectacular art. And that's where my artistic name came from, for Milo de Venus. It is also a way of not identifying myself with Irene, who are my more classical, more realistic roots. It is a more

and modern name that clings a bit to

what i do. And she does not identify with any gender, because in the art world, although everything is progressing, there are still quite a few differences, women are still quite invisible. In fact, in

only 13% of those who exhibit are women ".

Milo is a French name that wants no one to identify her, but Milobaon is a benchmark in

: she has created her own technique, she has been the first person to do it with filler. "Everything has been evolving, seeing what can and cannot be done, the colors, materials, sizes ... I like to put together the

I made and the last one and see how my painting has changed. it takes away the idea of ​​producing to find

and makes me go a little crazier and do everything in a more

way

: if a drop or a stain remains, it also adds grace to the painting.

In fact, the mistakes of the first painting I would also like to make in the last one, because everything was more improvised, less thought out ".

A technique that has conquered the

today it generates the most sales.

Although she insists that for her

is not a question of

or money;

in his case, "it is never a condition for someone to be able to enjoy one of my works at home, just like Neymar I do not charge more, it is outside my

".

Hands are characteristic of Milobaon's work, his "work tools" and for a long time his way of expressing himself.

.

And how do you get to the North American market from Barcelona? To paint now it doesn't matter where you live, because you can send your paintings anywhere you want. I am in contact with the United States through Instagram; You don't reach as many people as you want, but I have a good foundation and word of mouth helps. Doing things with some brands has also opened up a lot of market for me. Has social media generated a new way of moving in this world? Yes. The galleries will always be there, because seeing the work in situ is necessary. Mine, for example, has a lot of material, it has relief and volume, which makes seeing it live more surprising. But I think it is a formula that is doomed to extinction. It is very positive that there is the physical part, but the generations that come from behind everything they do is digital. Young people don't go to galleries,you are going to buy art on the Internet. I have always believed in galleries, but the percentage of profit they have compared to the artist is quite exaggerated. Is the North American market better for art than the Spanish? The goal of all artists is to open markets in other countries, in addition to their own. And the North American is quite large, there are 300 million people. That apart from the consumerism they have. However, the good thing about the United States is that there is an opportunity for something that is original; if you go outside the norm they go crazy with you. In Spain it costs more to get there. It is not worse, but it is slower. I have worked all my life in bars, babysitting, teaching English ... the boom of any artist is to dedicate one hundred percent to art, and in the United States when it happens it is in a big way.And does that boom also come in Spain? Can art live well here? As in everything, if you do it well, have a good curriculum, attitude and desire to learn, you will evolve. In art it is possible, although it takes a huge effort behind it. Several factors influence; one that you are good, another that you know how to sell yourself very well, because in the end it is still a marketing platform and it depends a lot on how you are and, above all, that you know how to move and that they know you. As I said, social networks have helped a lot in this regard: Neymar, Pau Gassol, Marc Márquez, Juan Mata ... have you specialized in portraying athletes? How did you get into that circuit? The theme of sport is like an underworld within the world, I imagine that they must know each other. The first portrait was that of Márquez,a completely gratuitous action as a result of which many other things arose. I think that was what marked a before and after regarding the issue of contact with athletes.

Neymar did not contact her directly, the surprise was great.

"At first I thought that the portrait would be for a big fan. Then you start to connect the dots and realize that it is for him. They sent me photos of the house so that I could see the space where it was going to be placed. He has been charming , very affectionate, he has been very interested in the process, he has even asked me for videos to see how everything had been ".

Milobaon poses next to one of his works.

And how is that process? How do your paintings appear when they ask for a portrait? I am not very intrusive, I do not try to know where they are going to place it. Normally I ask them about the size, in this question there is a difference. For the United States, some measures are nothing, but those same measures here, in a small apartment, are huge and it can give you the feeling that the painting is falling on you. I always ask what they like, what kind of colors do they want ... The truth is that most of them leave me a lot of freedom. What do you like to paint the most? I love painting portraits, but my obsession is my hands. I was born deaf, I had lost 70% of my hearing and had to operate seven times to regain my hearing. And my way of communicating was my hands. Now they are also my work tool and my way of expressing myself.I've always been obsessed with my hands and when I get a little wide sleeve, I throw for the hands. Also objects ... or whatever they ask of me, although there are things that I do not recommend with this technique. And what is the most difficult thing for you? Size today. The bigger the picture the easier to paint. Dripping is more realistic, requires a little more detail, and the smaller the painting the more it blurs, the color just blends in. Where do you find inspiration? I try to get to know the person, talk to them to see what they like. , to connect. Sometimes people come with a certain idea or they ask you for things similar to the ones you have done, but other times they simply want something for a specific space and they allow themselves to be advised. Inspiration comes from knowing the person, it helps me. But there are those who have asked me for a face,a portrait, and has ended up buying some feet; I never close myself to an idea. If you had to choose one of the paintings you have painted, which one would you point to? Which one is your favorite? Who did you like to work for the most? I really like working for people who give you a field, who trust your criteria so much that they tell you: "Do what you want." There are clients who have already become friends, and that makes the whole process easier. But I don't have a favorite painting. I always tell my mother: "One more child is leaving me." Sometimes I even have a hard time getting them out of the studio, I miss them. Many years ago I made a portrait of a person with Alzheimer's, 'The lost' is called. It is a dark, gloomy painting, with a rather sad message, with completely lost eyes in which you notice that the person is not ...,but on a sentimental level it is a special work, because two years ago my father was diagnosed with the disease. It is a painting that I have a lot in mind, I keep seeing it and it continues to impact me. Nor would I ever sell it.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• lifestyle

Lifestyle Judit Ayago, sommelier expert: "For 40 euros you can drink a good champagne"

Paola Freire, @FoodtropiaThe lawyer who succeeded returning to the kitchen: "We are all conquered by the stomach"

Cook 100 new easy recipes that will make you fall in love with the hand of the successful chef Ottolenghi: "If I could only eat vegetables, I would eat aubergines"

See links of interest

• Last News

• Holidays 2021

• 2022 business calendar

• Home THE WORLD today

• Check Christmas Lottery

• How to do

• Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Bitci Baskonia

• Red Star - Barça

• FC Andorra - Celta de Vigo

• San Sebastián de los Reyes - Fuenlabrada

• Rayo Majadahonda - Malaga