Antonio Pomar Juan was born
in Vila, Eivissa's capital, in 1929 and started working as an apprentice jeweller
in the family business at the age of fourteen.
Even then, Toni was doing
his own designs for the Ibicenco jewellery created by The Pomar family, especially
Toni and his brother Jos�, who had a lot to do with a new reconsideration and
a much better value for the local "Emprendades", the famed ancestral
gold and silver works of art.
At the same time, Toni started
his studies at the local Art School (Escola d'Arts i Ofisis d'Eivissa), with
Tarr�s and Agudo Clar� as his first teachers, two remarkable artists of the
first half of the 20th century, especially in landscapes and portraits,
from which he learned the oil-painting techniques, improved his own drawing
techniques, and developed his love and respect for the correct design through
long and hard drawing sessions.
Toni keeps good memories
of those years. "Tarr�s, as he was my first teacher, had a big influence
on me; his drawings were really excellent. Agudo Clar� was an extraordinary
professor, always helping and backing, he used to explain everything, all the
little details; it was easy and pleasant to learn with him."
In 1975, after becoming an
art professor in Madrid, Toni came back to Eivissa to be a professor of modelling
and engraving in the same school, where working and helping with his talent
and knowledge he taught new and exceptional artists until 1992.
But, before this happened,
in the middle 1950s, Toni also studied and passed his Arts degrees at the "Escuela
Superior de Bellas Artes de San Carlos" in Valencia. From this school he
discovered the power and the poetry, all the artistic possibilities of the "Mediterranean
light". He was deeply impressed by the masterpieces of Joaquin Sorolla,
the most representative artist of this High-Art-School from the Eastern part
of Spain, full of Mediterranean shining light.
In 1962, Toni Pomar and other
three local painters, Ferrer Guasch, Vicent Calbet (see our "Artist on
Ibiza" Number six in the series, Weekly Edition 045. Saturday 5th
January 2002) and Toni Mar� Ribas, "Portmany", formed an artistic
group known as "Grupo Puget", in memory of the Ibicenco photographer
and painter, Narc�s Puget Vi�as. For some, he was the first painter to put the
name of Eivissa into the world of the Arts, and for the most, with no doubt,
the best of his time, at the end of the 19th century and the first
decades of the 20th century.
This group only lasted for
about two years. Everyone went their own way after exhibiting in the "Circulo
de Bellas Artes" and in the "Sala Pelaires", both in Palma de
Mallorca, and in the "Caja de Pensiones de Ibiza".
Pomar remembers Narc�s Puget
from his early years. "I use to see him painting in the street, in front
of the Pharmacies (one of the main streets in Vila by the old market). He always
had fifteen or twenty people behind, watching him working. Sometimes he stopped
at our jewellery or the home door and looked at my drawing. He was always encouraging
me to keep on working hard with it. "Draw, draw a lot, keep on drawing
Toni," he used to tell me".
"I went twice to his
studio to see the master paintings: they looked to me very advanced for the
times. I was gratefully and deeply impressed. It was a time in my life that
I was very interested, almost intrigued, for everything that could offer me
new matters to learn and his paintings caused a big impact on me."
As the art critic Mariano
Planells says in one of his articles about Toni Pomar: "It is not casual,
there is nothing casual in the great technique of his fluid design and the enormous
artistic quality of his drawings"
Toni Pomar and the Sea
One of Pomar's favourite
and most successful motifs in his paintings is the sea (though he also features
the local people, landscapes and churches, and our ancestral folklore). The
seaside and the local coast, people on the beach, swimmers, fishermen repairing
the nets, little boats sailing away. The sea, always our illuminated Mediterranean
Sea, painted in a very personal style with oils, acrylics and pastels. His "marines"
paintings are exclusive and very much appreciated by art collectors.
Toni's life has always been
somehow involved with the sea. In his young years he was sub-champion of Spain
in the 100 metres backstroke swimming style. In the 1940s there was a group
of exceptional swimmers from Eivissa, Pedro Pons, Spanish champion in 1,500m
free style, Juan Rosell�, also Spanish champion in 400 metres free style, Escandell,
Pereria, Basetes, etc. Toni Pomar was one of them.
Also in this decade, 1943,
Toni Pomar had his first exhibition, together with Adrian Rosa (see our "Artist
on Ibiza" Number Eleven in the series, Weekly Edition 055 Saturday 16th
March 2002) at the local Art School (Escola d'Arts i Oficis d'Eivissa).
Since then, Toni Pomar has
been exhibiting his work regularly, at least every two years, mostly in the
"Sala de Exposiciones de Sa Nostra", in Eivissa, and in the best galleries
of the Islands, though his works have sold to many different countries all over
the World.
At the beginning of his career,
Pomar presented his artworks to several concourses, winning awards in all of
them. But he also has the genuine modesty of the real talented artist, and a
big heart as a person. He knows the quality of his artistic creations, with
the public and the critical acceptance of his work without need of promotions,
as well as the fact that he likes to stay on the Islands, doing his methodical,
but inspired, creations close to the sea and his loving family.
So soon he left the competition
to younger artists, some of them his own pupils, dedicating most of his time
to his task as Art-professor. This is the reason why, at present, Toni Pomar
is considered a master of masters by a lot of our artists.
At the end of our meeting,
I asked him his opinion about some of the actual paintings. Pomar started gently
explaining his point of view for a painting to be considered as an Artwork.
He pointed to me several details, little curves of the drawings, the quality
of it, the way that the figures are displaced within the painting, the correct
harmony of the colours, the proper use of the pencil and brushes in every painting
technique... "Nowadays," he says, "there is a lot of painting
that looks pretty, decorative, and even sells well, but all this technical hard
work is missing in most of this painting.
"It takes time and a
lot of effort to have a good command of the painting techniques; it is not just
the inspiration or a good eye, it's also the time and the hard work that forms
the real artist. Without it, it can't be called Art-work, and I'm sorry, but
I don't have the time for it".
I could have been there,
listening to him for hours, but unfortunately our time was over and we all had
to go.
Awards, "Premio Felix Costa" in the
"Sal�n Internacional el Corsario", 1971.
Silver medal in the "I Exposici� Internacional
de Pintors d'Eivissa", 1971.
"Premio Tito Cittadini 1972" in the
"XIII Certamen Internacional de Pollensa", Mallorca. (Since
then, his paintings have been wanted regularly in all the best galleries of
Mallorca, and his popularity in this Island, is as high as in Eivissa).
Some of the Art galleries
where Pomar has had exhibitions during his long career:
"Circulo de Bellas Artes", Palma de
Mallorca.
"Galer�a Xarc" Eivissa.
"Sala d'Exposicions de La Caixa d'Eivissa".
"Sala d'Exposicions de Sa Nostra d'Eivissa".
"Galer�a Vallribera", Sant Antoni, Eivissa.
Several collective exhibitions in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Etc. Etc.
In 1998, the MAC. (Museo
de Arte Contempor�neo), of Eivissa, honoured him with a retrospective exhibition
of his works done throughout his career.
Also in 1998, another retrospective
exhibition, exclusive of his "marines" in the "Sala de Exposicions
de Sa Nostra", Eivissa.
Hopefully, Toni Pomar will
exhibit his new creations at the same gallery, "Sa Nostra" in September
2003.
Antoni Pomar 1930
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Antoni Pomar First Communion 1934
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Antoni Pomar 1930
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Antoni Pomar with his wife
and son 1967
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Antoni Pomar & Vicent
Calbet 1960
Picture R Mulet
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Ferrer Guasch, Antoni Pomar, Vicent Calbet
&
Portmany 1960 Picture Jos� M� Subir�
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Francisco Verdera, Antoni Pomar, Rafael
Tur Costa
&
Erwin Broner 1960
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Antoni Pomar 1960
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Antoni Pomar 1980
Picture Mariano Planells
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Mari Paz, Pep Mar�, Antoni Pomar
& Toni Roca 1980
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Antoni Pomar 1990
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Antoni Pomar
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Antoni Pomar & Son Marc 1992
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Without a Title 1950 Oil
24 x 33cm
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Sa
Casa Vermella 1950 Oil 38 x 46cm
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Without
a Title 1950 Oil 52 x 62cm
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Without
a Title 1950 Oil 52 x 62cm
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Without
a Title 1950 Oil 54 x 36cm
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Without a Title 1950 Oil
37 x 80cm
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Sant
Jordi 1950 Oil 71 x 98cm
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Without
a Title 1950 Oil 38,5 x 46,5
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Without
a Title 1952 Oil 38,5 x 47cm |
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Without
a Title 1953 Oil 46 x 54,5cm |
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Without Title 1953 Oil 38,5
x 47cm
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Without Title 1953 Oil 81
x 65cm
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Retrat 1955 Oil 72,5 x 60cm
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Without Title 1957 Oil 60
x 81cm
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Without Title 1958 Oil 98
x 130cm
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Without Title 1960 Oil 60
x 81cm
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Without Title 1960 Oil 73
x 100cm
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Without Title 1960 Oil 30
x 100cm
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Without Title 1960 Oil 42,5
x 53cm
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Without Title 1968 Oil 25
x 45cm
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Without Title 1969
Oil 149 x 54cm |
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Without Tile 1969
Oil
120 x 60 cm |
Without Title 1970 Oil
60 x 73 cm |
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Sant
Jordi 1970 Oil 60 x 73 |
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Without
Title 1970 17 x 21 cm |
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Without Title 1970 Oil 63 x 91
Without Title 1970 Oil 50 x 100
cm
Without Title 1970 Oil 70 x 180
Without Title 1970 Oil 40 x 80
cm
Without Title 1974 Oil 77 x 87
cm
Without
Title 1975 Oil 38 x 60 cm
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Without
Title 1976 Oil 67 x 80 cm
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Without
Tile 1976 Oil 100 x 50 cm
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|
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Without
Title 1976 Oil 80 x 65 cm
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Without
Title 1977 Oil 60 x 81 cm
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Without
Title 1978 Oil 72,5 x 100 cm
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Without
Title 1978 Oil 81 x 100 cm
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Without
Title 1978 Oil 61 x 81 cm
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Without
Title 1978 Oil 90 x 37,5 cm
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|
|
Without
Title 1978 Oil 63 x 85 cm |
Without Title 1978 Oil 73
x 100 cm
Without Title 1978 Oil 62
x 92 cm
Tres Generacions 1980 Oil
22,5 x 16 cm
Without Title 1980 Oil 121
x 193 cm
Without Title 1981 Oil 38
x 55 cm
Without Title 1982 Oil 88
x 128 cm
Without
Title 1983 Oil 68,5 x 88 cm |
Without
Title 1984 Oil 64 x 53 cm |
Still Life 1984 Oil 38 x 55
cm
Without Title 1985 Oil 65
x 81 cm
Without
Title 1985 Oil 59 x 115 cm
|
Without
Title 1986 Oil 81 x 64,5 cm
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Sa
Revista 1987 Oil 1987 70 x 109 cm
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Without
Title 1987 Oil 59,5 x 150 cm
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Sa Caleta 1990 Oil 65 x 81 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Oil 146 x 311 cm
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Sant
Jordi 1990 Oil 27 x 35 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Oil 65 x 81 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Oil 92 x 65 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Acrilic 65 x 129 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Pastel 64 x 41 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Acrylic 65, 5 x 92, 5 cm
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Without
Title 1990 Acrylic 54 x 130 cm
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Without
Title 1991 Oil 80 x 120 cm
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Without
Title 1993-94 Oil 70 x 234 cm
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Without
Title 1993-94 Oil 80 x 233, 5
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Sant
Jordi 1994 Oil 81 x 116 cm
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Sant
Lloren� 1994 Oil 81 x 116 cm
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Sant
Rafel 1994 Oil 65 x 100 cm
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Sant
Francesc de ses Salines 1994 Oil 73 x 116 cm
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Without
Title 1995 Oil 73 x 100 cm
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Without
Title 1995 Oil 115 x 81 cm
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Without
Title 1995 Oil 64 x 100 cm
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Without
Title 1995 Oil 79 x 158,5 cm
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Without
Title 1953 91 x 53 cm
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Without
Title 1953 91 x 53 cm
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Without
Title 1953 91 x 53 cm
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Without
Title 1953 91 x 53 cm
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Retrat
d�en Francesc Riera 1954 47 x 33,5 cm
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Carrer
d�Eivissa 1954 28,5 x 24 cm
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Retrat
1955 40 x 30 cm
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Carrer
d�Eivissa 1955 29 x 24 cm
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Without
Title 1970 22 x 16 cm
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Retrat
1974 32 x 46 cm
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Without
Title 1984 38 x 46,5 cm |
Without
Title 1998 43 x 28 cm |
All Pictures Courtesy
�Sa Nostra�
Obra Social i Cultural
Museu d�Art Contemporani d�Eivissa
Ajuntament de la Ciutat d�Eivissa |