Sculptor, engraver and collage artist
Barcelona on 26 July 1914 – Trondhein 4 May 1989
Son of Ramon Isern Selma and Juana Solé Jové
Sculptor engraver and collage artist, thus described in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Norway.
Vocational sculptor, from a young age he became interested in art and learned the trade from the base, from marble maker to sculptor. From 1930 To 1936 is trained by attending in the afternoons to the Academy of Fine Arts of San Jorge, during these years he participates in various exhibitions of drawings and sculptures in the galleries L'Aietana.
His career is interrupted for almost 10 years as a result of the Civil War, was a soldier on the Republican side, refugee in France and prisoner in a Francoist concentration camp. He had to keep executing works for other artists in a reproduction workshop collaborating with the sculptor Carlos Salazar.
Very little is known about Isern's art until 1940. His sculptures are characterized by the classics of the noucentisme catalá, artists like Enric Casanovas, Joan Rebull, Aristides Maillol, Josep Clara, Josep Viladomat, or Frederic Mares.
In 1949 was a finalist for the Comtat de Sant Jordi prize and in 1953 participates in the first Hispanic American Art Biennial with the work "Mediterránea" or "Desnudos al sol". Win ex aequo an international competition organized in Brussels by the Belgian company Sabena, which opens the doors for him to exhibit at the Oslo Art Association the following year. The success of this exhibition and his stay in Oslo contributed to his decision to settle in Norway..
In 1956 moves to Trondheim, works as an adjunct professor in the Department of Architecture of the Norwegian Institute of Technology (CLN) of which from 1967 he was a professor until his retirement. He was an active part of the artistic movement of the city, Of particular importance was his initiative for the formation of Grupe 5 in 1961.
Resided in Trondhein (Norway) always involved in a great cultural activity until his death on 4 May 1989
Sources:
Ramon Isern Lombarte. Great Catalan Encyclopedia. Biographical Encyclopedia of Norway
Resume:
Ramon Isern Solé
Fountain: om kunstneren
1930-1936 Student of the Academy of Fine Arts of San Jorge in Barcelona.
1933-1936 Student of the Massana School of Applied Arts.
1932 Debut at Gallerias Layetanas, Barcelona.
1937 Commissioned by the governments of Aragon, Rioja and Navarre performs 20 Etchings, with designs of the Spanish revolution.
1939 Refugee in France. Arrested and detained. He escaped from prison and stayed at Aristide Maillol's farm in Bagnouls sûr Mer until the mobilization in May of 1940.
1940-1945 Soldier of the Foreign Legion in France. Arrested after capitulation.
1945, Sent to Spain. Prison camp in Burgos until transfer to Madrid.
1946 Get permission to return to Catalonia.
1949 Co-founder of the Salón de Octubre and the Cercle Maillol in Barcelona.
1950 Solo exhibition at the Galerie Layetana in Barcelona.
1951 D'Octobre Exhibition Hall. Exhibition Hall of the Short Academy, Madrid; Living room
D'Octobre; Hispanic American Biennial, Madrid; Spring Salon, Barcelona (awarded).
1952 Pass a test at the Cercle Maillol of the French Institute of Barcelona that has illustrious associates such as Tapies or Tharrats, receives a French scholarship and resides in Paris.
1953 Solo exhibition at the Sira Gallery, Barcelona; Hispanic American Biennial Exhibition in Cuba (purchased National Museum, Cuba) First prize at the airline Sabena, international sculpture competition for Brussels Airport with the project "Naked in the Sun".
Polychrome wooden sculpture of a church in Monroyo Spain (scene "The Holy Virgin"). Travel in England, Scandinavia and Italy. Staying for a short time in the home of Marino Marini in Milan.
1954 Exhibition at Oslo Fine Art Society with Jordi Fornas and Marc Aleu. Exhibition at the Copenhagen Art Association. During his stay in Copenhagen Isern lives with the sculptor Adam Fischer, who he knew from his stay in Paris. National Gallery Buys "Naked in the Sun", bronze. Isern stayed in Oslo, where he rented a studio in Ekely. Completed a figurehead of the ship Fred Olsen Bosphorus. Exhibition in Copenhagen
1955 Solo exhibition at the Bergen Art Association (acquired by the Bergen Art Gallery), Kristiansund and Stavanger Art Society Art Society. Exhibition at Sture Gallery in Stockholm together with Antoni Tapies and Juan José Tharrats. He participated in the Hispano-American Biennial of Barcelona and in the Autumn Salon in Oslo. Einstein Parmann published a long article about Isern in today's art, theme 31, p.5-15
1957 Solo exhibition at Fredrikstad and the Trondheim Art Societies. Living in Trondheim. Trip to Athens.
1958 Group exhibition "Subject" at the Trondheim College of Art. Employed as a research assistant in the Department of Architecture of the CLN. Isern worked closely with Gunnar S. Gundersen and Arne Korsmo. Sets for the production of Trøndelag Teater by Alberto de Casson "white lies".
1959 Marc Chagall Exhibition at Oslo Fine Art Society. Exhibition "Norrman Young" at Lunds Konsthall. Exhibition for the first time in Oslo with abstract terracotta and iron sculptures at Galería Permanenten (House of Artists) in November.
1960 Halfdan Ljøsne Exhibition at the Trondheim Art Association. Solo exhibition at the Oslo Art Association in October of iron sculptures. Rye patterns performed by Sellgrens Loom Works.
1961 Solo exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Oslo of collages, sculptures and carpets in October, while solo exhibition in kb photo gallery. Attended 6 Middelheim Biennale in Antwerp. On the initiative of the Group 5, (Ramon Isern, Halfdan Ljøsne, Lars Tiller, Roar Wold) attends the first exhibition at the Trondheim Art Association. Relief by iron boat to Denmark King Olav .
1962 Solo exhibition of Decorative Arts in Trondheim sculptures and carpets in February. (The museum also bought carpets, terracotta kulpturen "The Spanish Oracle" by 1959.) Gruppe 5 exhibition in Trondheim and Bergen Art.
1963 1 º prize in the open competition for the decoration of Lademoen chapel in Trondheim (relief of wrought iron and rye, installed in 1964). Work with molded assembly sculptures. You are a Norwegian citizen.
1964 Group 5 exhibition at the Art Association of Trondheim and Ausstellungspavillon, Kiel. Completed relief for Staup Agricultural College.
1966 Group 5 exhibitions at the Du Mont Gallery, Cologne and the Artist's House, of Oslo. Isern Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture NTH.
1967 Group 5 exhibition at the Bryne Art Association. Isern participated in the Haakon 7-monument competition, with competition only abstract ideas.
1969 'tetrahedron', 12 meters of high concrete sculpture installed March outside Erling Viksjö's building for Oslo HEALTHCARE, St. Olav plass, Oslo.
1970 Solo exhibition at the Copenhagen Art Association. Group 5 exhibition at Galleri F15, Moss, Holstebro and Fyns stiftsmuseum. Participated in the commercial exhibition "visual" Blomqvist art, Oslo. Also shown in Gothenburg, Malmo and Stockholm, Tromsø and Galleri F15, Moss (1971). Anniversary of Exhibitions of the Trondheim Art Association.
1971 Individual exhibition of collages in the Current gallery, Trondheim
1972 Fountain in buildings specific technical bodies 'on Holtermann Road, Trondheim. Arranged collective exhibition "Aspect" of Stream Gallery, Trondheim.
1974 I attended Trøndelag Visual Artists Exhibition Anniversary, Trondheim Art Association.
1975 Solo exhibition at Riis Photo Gallery, Trondheim. Posing graphics folder "Rumors and accusations", January lyrics Brockmann. Staircase through a DKNVA library building, Trondheim.
1977 Solo exhibition of graphics and collages at Galleri Riis, Trondheim.
1978 attended the Autumn Exhibition in Oslo with collages. National Gallery acquired collagen "Thai The Emperor" in 1979.
1980 Solo exhibition of collages at Galleri Riis, Oslo and Trondheim, Bergen and Stavanger Art Societies. Group 5, farewell exhibition at the Trondheim Art Association.
1981 Individual exhibition of the graphics in Riis Photo Gallery, Trondheim
1987 solo exhibition "Retrospective", Trøndelag Art Gallery and Riis Photo Gallery, Oslo
1989 Died after a brief illness
1992 Gallery of Memory Exhibition Ismene, Trondheim
1994 Group 5 shows the Trondheim Art Association; Culture and Art Centre in Hafnarfjord, Iceland; Tampere in Tampere, Finland and Sweden
2002 Memory Exhibition Gallery of Ismene, Trondheim
2005 Exhibition Memory "Looking Back" Gallery Aas, Skien
Ramon Isern Sole's link with Monroyo.
Married in first marriage to Natividad Lombarte, natural of Monroyo, he was commissioned to carve the Virgin of the Assumption, patron saint of the town in 1953, main work of art of the important reconstruction of the main altar of the church of Monroyo.
The Norwegian art historian, Professor Svein Aamold did his Doctoral Thesis in 1997 writing a book entitled the sculptures of Ramon Isern. Between the cataloguing of the works on the pages 388 And 389 the following can be read:
42/ Virgin of the Assumption 1954
Illustrations on pages 7, 99 And 100.
Polychrome wood partly with gold leaf, approximate height 2.40 Mts.
UNIQUE SPECIMEN, is located in the Parish of Our Lady of the Assumption of Monroyo, Community Teruel-Aragon -Spain
Illustrations: Photo shown (-Proofreading of translation-) the clay sketch that would later be carved from wood, Finished properly polychrome and gilded.
It was taken by photographer Francesc Catalá Roca -Barcelona- It was reproduced in black and white three times:
Literary Mail, monthly magazine Second Epoch year 5 number 6 October 1954
Cesareo Rodriguez Aguilera 1955 Pag. 1955 page 97 and Parman 1955. 14 Slides were made by Svein Aamold on 21-05-1955.
Comment:
The carving represents the main figure of the main altar and was commissioned by the people of Monroyo perhaps at the beginning of the year 1954 in connection with a major restoration of the church.
The church of the Assumption of the Virgin was inaugurated with its new main altar on the day of the feast of the patron saint 15 August 1954.
According to conversations with Nati Lombarte, 17-05, 31-05 And 4-10 of 1955, with Ramón Isern Lombarte 15-09-1955 and with Ger Isern 30-09-1993. The sculptor Isern received the commission of the Mayor and representatives of the Mayor's Office of Monroyo who visited him in Barcelona. For this purpose they raised a modest amount of money..
According to Ramon Isern Lombarte the sculptor was able to hire an assistant carver for the preliminary works and execute the sketch of 70 cm. Isern carved the final work in wood was responsible for all its finishes including polychrome. All the work was done in the workshop of Avinguda diagonal 410.
Isern's sculpture is the main figure of the High Altar and shows the Virgin on a cloud with her hands raised and led by angels. The altar is made of wood and has three floors the middle is the one that stands out the most. In addition to the virgin there are four sculptures, two on each side on the central and lower floors. The rest of the altar is formed by ornamentals and painted reliefs,
A friend and colleague of Isern Jordi Fornas was also commissioned to paint the frescoes on both sides of the high altar with scenes of the Virgin Mary.. In an interview of 29-05-1995 Fornas still remembers that he spent more than a month in Monroyo to carry out his work with the pension paid.
In conversation with some parishioners the 02-05-1977 with the invaluable help of the interpreter Anna Cabó, recalled how the commission went on, noting that it had been granted to Ramon Isern because his wife Nati Lombarte was a native of Monroyo.
This was the only commission the sculptor received during the restoration of the church.. The other sculptures are mass-produced from a workshop that those present did not remember.. Due to the great destruction suffered by the churches during the war these images were produced in large numbers.