Luis Martínez Fraile, better known as Luis Fraile, was a Spanish artist with an extensive career path, who developed his activity mainly in Madrid. He embraced various trends and styles throughout his prolific artistic life, developing a style of his own around surrealism, reflecting a subconscious and dreamlike world : " To put a name, to frame in a time or to lock in an 'ism' the painting of Luis Fraile is to fall in the mistake of erring the true intention of its author. As he himself says "I can not get locked in an artistic trench, because I always look for new forms, even if the sensitive background is the same". He flees away from the generalizations that seem to tie him to a pictorial wheel with which he is not identified. Nevertheless, in his painting it's left no less than to perceive surrealistic traits, in those strange beings that populate them, at the same time with features of Impressionism and Expressionism, the ones he is been discovering throughout his years of learning and in a way, assimilating. But its characteristic is the syncretism of an art that knows how to take advantage of all the 'isms' and has managed to overcome them."
Doris Martínez Ferrero - Formas Plásticas Magazine, Year V
Biographical Review
He was born in Albacete, in a humble family from the neighborhood of :es:Casas Baratas |Casas Baratas, being the first of the two children of Valentín Martínez Flores and Julia Fraile Montalbán. During his childhood he combines studies with several jobs, amongst others as an employee in the mythical :es:Casino Primitivo de Albacete|Casino Primitivo of the city, laboural and vital experiences that helped to forge a very critical and mature view of the environment from a very early age. At the age of 20 he became Draftsman and Urban Planning Designer at the City Hall of his hometown. He worked for the Cadastre and with the renowned architect :es:Julio Carrilero|Julio Carrilero Prat, designing amongst others, the Nautical Club of Torrevieja. Being Painting his true vocation, he decides to undertake several travels abroad in order to improve his technique and to learn new methods. He studied Altarpiece and Polychromy in the Massana School of Barcelona, Ceramic, as well as Engraving and Lithography, not only in the Catalan metropolis, but also in Paris and Toronto, where he also made his living creating stained glass artworks. During his Parisian stay, it is also possible to review his studies of Plastic Arts and History of the Art. In the same way, his intellectual concerns and his extensive self-taught formation extended to multitude of subjects and disciplines, will lead him to create a work in endless evolution and transformation. In 1974 he was awarded the Güell Painting Foundation Award in Barcelona and in 1985 he was finalist at the 7th Cleveland International Drawing Biennale in England. At the end of the 80's he moves to Madrid, where he will create most of his works, working tirelessly, conscientiously and passionately. In 1997, he was appointed Academic Associateby the International Academy of Letters, Arts and Sciences of Verbano, Italy.
Main Individual Exhibitions
1974 : :es:Real Círculo Artístico de Barcelona|Real Círculo Artístico. Barcelona 1974 : Galería Toison. Madrid 1975 : Galerie Poisson d'Or. Paris 1978 : Galerie Marigny. Paris 1979 : Galerie Marigny. Paris 1982 : De Cortez Gallery. Toronto 1983 : De Cortez Gallery. Toronto 1987 : Galería Novart. Madrid 1987 : Galería Enebro. Segovia 1988 : Galería Berruguete. Valladolid 1988 : Museo de Calahorra. La Rioja 1988 : Galería Arlanzón. Burgos 1988 : . Castellón 1988 : Inter Arte 88. Valencia 1988 : Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Albacete 1989 : Museo de La Rioja. Logroño 1989 : Galería Novart. Madrid 1989 : Obra Social y Cultural, Fundación de laCaja de Ahorros de Asturias. Gijón 1991 : Heller Gallery. New York 1991 : Galería Novart. Madrid 1991 : :es:Museo de Ciudad Real|Museo de Ciudad Real 1993 : Montserrat Contemporary Art Gallery. New York
