Luis Eduardo Aute

Luis Eduardo Aute was born in Manila, Philippines, in 1943. His father was from Barcelona, son of Andalusians, and went to work in Manila at 18. There he met his mother, a Spanish woman from Valencia and Santander. A few years later, the family moved to Spain. In Madrid, he studied at a school where English was spoken, and also learned Tagalog, Spanish and Catalan. From a young age he drew and painted, and loved cinema. At eight, he traveled to Spain for the first time. In Madrid, accompanying an orchestra, he sang in public for the first time. The song he performed was called Las hojas muertas.At eleven, he saw On the Waterfront, a movie that impressed him. He loved cinema and started writing poems in English. He was also influenced by Niágara, where he discovered the sensuality of Marilyn Monroe. At fifteen, in Madrid, he formed a trio with two friends and performed at a end-of-year party. At that time, he painted a lot, and liked German expressionism. He was awarded a silver medal in a youth art contest.In 1960 he had his first solo exhibition in Madrid. That year his brother was also born. He was part of several groups, such as Los Sonor, where he played the guitar. He also sang English songs by Elvis. Although he dedicated himself to cinema and painting, he always returned to what he loved most. In 1961 he wrote his first screenplay and submitted a short film to a contest. He also made a book of texts and poems that he sent to be bound. His parents separated. He made another short film that was rejected for being immoral. In 1962 he had another exhibition and met Marichu, whom he married in 1968.In 1963 he started studying architecture, but only two weeks later he went to Paris. There he lived the culture of the time, discovered the music of Brel and Brassens, read Éluard and Nietzsche, and saw films banned in Spain, such as Lolita. He returned to Paris several times. He lived off his paintings, selling them in the United States. He also worked in cinema, as an actor and assistant director. In Madrid, he worked on some French films. Aute was always an artist who moved between several worlds, never stopping to explore.