The Holy Cross, in The Realejosshows off a huge new mural of Matthias Mata which is a tribute to the men and women who support the primary sector in the municipality and, in particular, two of the most emblematic products of the realejero field: potatoes, in the 400th anniversary of his arrival in Icod el Alto from America, and the grapes with which the local wines are prepared. This homage to the countryside also has a face, that of Vicente Suarez Llanos and Amparo Gonzalez Verdetwo farmers from Icod el Alto and Cruz Santa, who have served as models for this work of Assembly Sabotage.
The local government (PP) highlights that Mata “leaves his artistic stamp again in a large-format mural in The Realejos commissioned by its City Council”, a creation “personified by reproducing the faces of two farmers who have dedicated their lives to this work and who symbolize the traditional crops of the potato and the vineyard».
Mata thanked that “people have embraced and understood this project” and, especially, “Vicente and Amparo for being my inspiration to be able to portray that world.” The artist has worked for two weeks in a monumental work, more than 16 meters high, “which also pays homage to those wrinkles that mark the path that we now walk”. And it is part of the acts of the fourth centenary of the beginning of the sowing of potatoes in Europe, specifically in royal lands of Icod el Alto, back in 1622, according to the historian Jose de Viera y Clavijoin its Dictionary of Natural History of the Canary Islandspublished in 1799. Viera wrote that “the first potatoes were brought from Peru by Juan Bautista de Castro around the year 1622. This gentleman had them planted on his land in Icod el Alto from where they have happily spread throughout the Canary Islands” .
Amparo Gonzalez Verde puts a face to all the women of the realejero field. She worked throughout her life in agricultural work and seeing herself in giant size, she highlighted that it is “a very great pride that I did not expect when they told me that if I wanted to pose, to find me a hat. Now I am almost famous in the town of the Holy Cross.
Vicente Suarez Llanos He is 82 years old and has been working in the fields in Los Realejos all his life, since he can “use reason”. Still active in his orchards, he has devoted himself to “planting everything: potatoes, wheat, oats, barley, beans… everything.” He will never leave him because he admits that he likes that “at least there are at least potatoes in the house.”
When contemplating the mural in a visit organized by the Municipality of Los Realejos, Vicente Suárez could not hide his surprise at the size of the work: «It is very beautiful and will remain there for life. Now everyone will see me there. I’m very happy”.
This new artistic action is added to the numerous mural projects that the Realejero Consistory has promoted in recent years to create an authentic open-air museum with more than 43 works by renowned local and national artists such as Matías Mata and Ugly Flipfrom Lancelot; Juliet XLFFrom Valencia; isaac malakkaifrom Andalusia; spokfrom Madrid; Iker Wallfrom Bilbao; Tanausu Germanfrom Gran Canaria, or Víctor Pacheco KOB, Roberto Rodríguez, Ayoze Domínguez, Acaymo Padrino or Adán Pérezfrom Tenerife.
