I wrote
last week that we are going to start a new feature “Artists on Ibiza” and during
this week both Louise Wright and José P Ribas kicked off by going along to interview
the famous sculptor of Ibiza, Antonio Hormigo, in his workshop studio here at
Port d’es Turrent.
This full
length interview will be featured in next Saturday’s edition along with pictures
of this very interesting and talented man with a detailed selection his work
over the many years that he has been producing phenomenal masterpieces.
However,
in the meantime, I thought it might be a taster if we were to published a small
selection of pictures from one of Antonio Hormigo’s more better known works
during the period it was being made here on the island.
This piece
of his work is well-known, simply because, almost every single person who visits
San Antonio will have noticed the “The Shouting Man” which stands proudly opposite
the local Portmany Football Ground in Calle Ramon y Cajal,
The proper
name for this statue is “Es Verro” which when translated means “The Brave One”
and it has stood in this same position since 1977.
All pictures courtesy of Antonio Hormigo
Houses in the Ibicencan countryside are spread
far apart and they are mostly isolated. During the old days people had a way
of shouting to give each other news, especially warnings of when pirates were
coming to attack and above all Turkish invaders.
They called this shouting in Ibicencan "UC"
which is a long and very strong shout that more or less sounds like "Ah-ah-ah-ah-too-too"
and when the people heard this shout they knew that something serious was happening.
This shouting is also practised at the end of
a local fiesta or during folklore dancing and was even used many years ago by
the man over his proud conquest of a woman in a courting relationship.
Culmination: You will notice that the left trouser
leg of "Es Verro" is turned up. This is deliberately done to identify
"The Brave One" of the neighbourhood.
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