Ramón Gómez de la Serna, a prominent figure in Madrid’s literary and artistic avant-garde in the 1920s and ’30s, created a unique artistic legacy through his study in the 1910s. He used the techniques of collage and photomontage to create a unique “portable museum” that placed him at the center of the aspirations associated with Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism.
This “portable museum” encompassed a wide range of themes, including eroticism, death, comedy, everyday events, illness, phantasmagoria, and the iconography of writers and artists. The study is an example of the fusion of different artistic disciplines sought by the avant-garde and of the assimilation of art to life. Ramón’s study served to shape his public image and distinguish himself as an artistic brand, with his unmistakable seal and his dedication to the concept of the record. His work is considered a testimony to the fusion of different artistic disciplines and the assimilation of art with life.
After his death in Buenos Aires in 1963, his widow, Luisa Sofovich, sent the objects from his studio to Madrid, where they are now on display in the Museum of Contemporary Art. Ramón, as he was commonly known, always drew inspiration for his work from the craziest objects. He was always a collector, unable to refrain from purchasing something he liked even when in a dire economic situation.
Ramón created his own literary style, la greguería, a combination of metaphor plus humor. His contributions extended across various literary genres, including novels, essays, and plays. His approach to literature, characterized by his use of humor, absurdity, and experimental techniques, challenged traditional Spanish literary norms and paved the way for modernism in Spanish literature. His works often explored themes of modern urban life, individuality, and the absurdity of existence, influencing generations of writers both in Spain and abroad.
Gómez de la Serna’s impact on Spanish literature goes beyond his creative output; he was also a prominent cultural figure who fostered literary circles and contributed to the dissemination of avant-garde ideas. His role as a literary critic and essayist helped to promote the work of emerging writers and introduced Spanish audiences to international literary movements such as surrealism and futurism.