Fita ART INTEGRAT, 2005. - Fundació Fita

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L’Abat tenia la idea d’un Sant Benet de pedra, assegut, com una
estàtua romana, acollint els hostes com a “pare d’Europa” –em
sembla recordar que en aquella època se n’havia fet la proclamació.
Vistos l’entrada i el lloc concret de l’emplaçament,
aquella mateixa nit vaig concebre la idea que, dempeus i de
ferro, l’escultura respondria més a l’entorn i a la finalitat. Així
vaig comunicar-ho a dom Aureli l’endemà mateix d’haver pernoctat
a Montserrat.
Ja havia treballat en ferro un Sant Andreu, i aquest material em
semblava prou adient per donar força a la imatge del “Pare
d’Europa”. Però encara calia estudiar-ho més. Havia de
començar obtenint informació per conèixer a fons la personalitat
de Sant Benet i fer l’estudi de l’espai escollit. I així ho vaig
fer. Plànols, fotografies, llibres, dibuixos i esbossos conservats
en són testimoni. Calia situar les mides, les inclinacions, els
punts de vista, sospesar els dubtes fins a trobar, a poc a poc, el
més adequat. Per introduir-me en el concepte del “Pare
d’Europa” em calgué llegir i resseguir la fesomia que Sant
Benet i els seus seguidors havien donat al teixit europeu. Vaig
entendre que, al marge del fet religiós, aquell ordit tenia també
un abast cultural i econòmic altament beneficiós.
Ens entrevistàrem les vegades que calgué, a Montserrat o en un
pis de Barcelona. Aquells contactes enriquidors per a ambdues
parts feien avançar el projecte, que entrà en estudis més parcials
i de detall: el cap, les mans, etc. La planxa de plom em fou
útil per a l’estudi del cap i per entendre quines formes prendria
el ferro forjat. Al taller on es realitzà l’obra, el de Jaume Roser,
de Cassà de la Selva, amb qui havia col·laborat, aconseguírem
la planxa d’un vaixell, rovellada i d’agradable textura. Per forjar-la,
calia roentar-la al foc i donar-hi forma amb martells,
seguint el model de guix i les plantilles que jo anava fent amb
paper d’embalatge. Vam treballar amb la peça ajaguda, amb
uns perfils de secció per fixar-ne els ferros forjats per mitjà de
soldadura autògena.
El dia de Sant Benet de l’any 1962 la imatge va ser col·locada
al lloc on roman actualment.
1962 Sant Benet.
Fragment.
He had the idea of a Saint Benet in stone, seated, like a Roman
statue, welcoming the guests like a “Father of Europe” – I
seem to remember that at that time the proclamation had been
made. Having seen the entrance and the specific place for the
work, that same night I conceived the idea that, standing and of
iron, the sculpture would respond more to its surroundings and
to its use. So I explained this to dom Aureli the day after having
stayed over in Montserrat.
I had already worked with iron on a Saint Andrew, and this
material seemed to me quite appropriate to give strength to the
image of a “Father of Europe”. But it was still necessary to
study it more. I had to start to get information to get to know in
depth the personality of Saint Benet and make a study of the
chosen space. And this is what I did. Saved plans, photographs,
books, drawings and sketches bear witness. It was necessary to
situate the sizes, the inclinations, the view points, weigh up the
doubts until finding, little by little, the most appropriate. To get
into the concept of “Father of Europe”, I needed to read and
research the physiognomy of Saint Benet and his followers,
giving the European texture. I understood that on the edge of
the religious fact, the text also had highly beneficial cultural
and economic reach.
We met as much as was necessary, in Monserrat or in a flat in
Barcelona. Those enriching contacts for both of us helped
advance the project, that entered in studies more particular and
detailed: the head, hands, etc. The lead sheet was useful for a
study of the head and to understand what forms wrought iron
would take. In the workshop where the work was made, that of
Jaume Roser, of Cassà of La Selva, with whom I had collaborated,
we would achieve the sheet of a boat, rusted and of an
agreeable texture. To solder it, it was necessary to make it glow
in the fire and give it form with hammers, following the model
of plaster and the blueprints which I had been doing with wrapping
paper. We worked with the piece prostrate, with some profiles
of section to fix the wrought iron by means of autogenous
soldering. The day of Saint Benet of 1962 the image was put in
its place where it remains to the present day.