If the opening night of Udo Burkhardt’s newest exhibition of art in Ronda is anything to go by, attendance during the course of the exhibition, which runs from the 12th December to the 20th December is likely to be high.
Udo has chosen one of his most controversial paintings as the poster painting for the exhibition, seen in our photograph Udo (wearing a black leather jacket) and some of the visitors to the opening night.
Depicting an Afghan woman wearing a Burkha, Udo says he aims to highlight the lack of freedom of expression that women in some parts of the world have, whilst those attending his exhibitions in contrast have complete freedoms to express themselves in any way they feel.
In his art Udo rarely crosses into politics, the majority of his art is striking for it’s simplicity of colours and topic, though this impression certainly doesn’t define the artist. A careful examination of Udo’s other pieces underscores a man with deeply held ideas. His series of western horoscope starsigns is evidence of this, each painting demonstrating a thoughtful mind at work as the artist captures the essential spirit of each sign.
On display Udo has included a second series of symbolic pieces representing the natural world out of context, with some quite outstanding pieces to admire. This exhibition is quirky, vivid, and partly controversial, and in Ronda this is rare. Given the number of local artists who paint village scenes or still life, Udo’s exhibition is refreshing for being at once contemporary and unusual.
About the Artist
Udo Burkhardt hails from Germany, where as a young man he was known more for his music. Living in the Llano de la Cruz with his wife Margitt, Udo has exhibited several times in Ronda, including at the Casa del Cultura, the Parador Hotel, Unicaja, and the now defunct Andrew’s Artgalerie.
If you’d like to see Udo’s art on display, the Circulo de Artistas is located in the Casino building at the northern end of Plaza Socorro. Opening hours are 11:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 t0 22:00 every day.