A biography of Xul, a biography of everything....
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Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari (1887-1963) was born with that name, but later decided that he wanted to change it to Xul Solar, a phonetic equivalent of his parents surnames. Xul was many things: a painter, an astrologist, a mystic, a creator of languages and religions. He participated actively in the Argentinian artistic scene from the 1920's onwards, and was permanently involved in new endeavors with friends such as Jorge Luis Borges, Oliverio Girondo, Leopoldo Marechal, and Macedonio Fernández. According to Borges, "Hombre versado en todas las disciplinas, curioso de todos los arcanos, padre de escrituras, de lenguajes, de utopías, de mitologías, huésped de infiernos y de cielos, autor panajedrecista y astrólogo perfecto en la indulgente ironía y en la generosa amistad, Xul Solar es uno de los acontecimientos más singulares de nuestra época".
Because of all that, it isn't easy to find a good biography about Xul, because such a biography would have to be little less than a biography of everything. Fortunately for us, "Xul Solar: pintor del misterio" is almost certainly such a biography. Well documented and easy to read, it is evident that Álvaro Abós had a great idea when he decided to write this book.
Notwithstanding that, I think that this biography could have been even better if it had had illustrations of at least some of Xul's paintings. All the same, we can solve that inconvenient if we visit www.xulsolar.org.ar/xulhall.html, a website where you can admire Xul Solar's works. Do you really need to do that?. Well, allowing Borges to speak again, "Sus pinturas son documentos del mundo ultraterreno, del mundo metafísico en que los dioses toman las formas de la imaginación que los sueña. La apasionada arquitectura, los colores felices, los muchos pormenores circunstanciales, los laberintos, los homúnculos y los ángeles inolvidablemente definen este arte delicado y monumental.El gusto de nuestro tiempo vacila entre el mero agrado lineal, la transcripción emotiva y el realismo con brocha gorda; Xul Solar renueva, a su modo ambicioso que quiere ser modesto, la mística pintura de los que no ven con los ojos físicos en el ambito sagrado de Blake, de Swedenborg, de yoguis y de bardos". No need for more words, don't you think?.
Also, it is wortwhile to point out that another possible problem for the English speaking reader is that this book is written in Spanish, so get ready to practice your language skills, or be prepared to wait a long time for an English translation that may never come...
On the whole, I recommend his book to you if you are at least somewhat interested in Xul Solar's paintings, or eager to know more about a man as peculiar as Xul was.
Belen Alcat
