Carlos Franco

The painting of Carlos Franco (Madrid, 1951) is characterized by his recurrence in themes involving the individual unconscious and the study of symbols of the collective unconscious. From this perspective, we must understand his reliance on classicism, mythological motifs, and transculturality; that is, the search for the underlying roots and needs of human behavior.

From his earliest years of production, direct references and influences can be detected from great artists of the past, such as Van Gogh, Goya, and Rubens, in terms of the loss of visual uniformity of the painting's surface; and from Ingres, Manet, Picasso, and Bacon, in terms of creators of aesthetic and social themes, as well as movements such as Pop Art and Pompeian painting. He works within the realm of figurative tradition, using the juxtaposition and expressiveness of color, sometimes in a voluptuous manner, depending on the subject matter.

Among his most ambitious projects is the decoration of the façade of the Real Casa de la Panadería (Royal Bakery House) in 1989, located in Madrid's Plaza Mayor. His paintings have traveled to museums in various countries, including Panama, Colombia, and Brazil, following a traveling exhibition organized in 2004 by the State Society for Foreign Cultural Action. In 2007, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía organized an exhibition of his entire graphic work to be displayed at the Silos Monastery in Burgos.

His work is part of museums and public collections such as Artium Centro-Basque Museum of Contemporary Art (Vitoria), Los Bragales Collection (Santander), “La Caixa” Contemporary Art Collection (Barcelona) or MNCARS Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid).