Lucio Marcos Street

Lucio Marcos Estévez, was born 1st April 1929 in Torrelavega. He is a cantabrian artist.

Known specially by his sculptures, he discovered his artistic qualities when he was just a child. Without any family history, he started drawing in a self-taught way. He stood out quickly for his water-colors and drawings with nib.

His recognized reputation as a sculptor began with his trade as a welder and a coppersmith in Torrelavega's metal industry. He found a way to express his artistic curiosity through the material he was using everyday at work: the iron. His job as a metal worker in the company Landaluce, inspired him to create peculiar and personal sculptures.

These sculptures are characterized by their huge size, their theme always related to the industrial world, and especially, by using a unique technique such as smelting of electrodes to achieve ronde-bosse sculptures.

Within all his works, the ones that stand out the most are those which are in public spaces of our region.

In Torrelavega, we can see the one which is known as “Entrance Hall of Torrelavega's Industrial Museum”, which is located in La Lechera's garden. As a request of the Mayor at that time, José Gutiérrez Portilla, Marcos directed this project after compiling disused machinery from different factories in the area: a drill from Cuchía's quarry, a vulcanizing press from Firestone, and a vacuum extractor and a turbine from Solvay. In 1991, this square was officially opened. In its centre there is a monument in memory of Torrelavega's industrial and commercial roots. It is a sculptural set made from the giant steering wheel and the connecting-rods of an old generating steam engine that had been in use for a long time in Solvay's factory, in Barreda.

The old machine is held by two pillars of artificial stone with emblems designed by Marcos, which represent Torrelavega's industrial and commercial spirit.

In addition, “Sardinera's Monument” is located in Suances, next to the fish market in the harbour. This time, it was a request of Suances' Town Hall in homage to the sailor families.

Lucio Marcos built this six-metre-high stainless steel sail, representing a “sardinera” carrying the fish on her head, in the traditional way, a sailor holding his oar and a woman sewing nets.

They are “engraved” in a piece of twenty-milimetres stainless steel by using the cutting out technique. A giant roller bends the sail to make it look like it was blowing in the wind.

Apart from these public works, many iron sculptures belong to private owners, such as the one located in Landaluce in Requejada. It is a big piece of work which represents a human figure carrying an anvil on his shoulders.

In 2003, the Bulevar Ronda section next to La Lechera was named “Lucio Marcos” due to Torrelavega's Town Hall decision to give each of the streets in that area the name of several distinguished local artists. At that time, the mayor was Blanca Rosa Gómez Morante.

Nowadays, Lucio Marcos, aged 83, is retired and away from his artistic activities beacuse of his poor health.

Bibliography: Family sources. Torrelavega's Municipal Newspaper Library.

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