Walking in Gaudí’s Footsteps
Antoni Gaudí/(1852-1926)/devoted his life to the Sagrada Família.// In the following interview,/Sotoo Etsuro,/the chief sculptor,/talks about his experiences.//
You are now a world-famous sculptor,/but did you want to become one/when you were young?//
　　I graduated from an art school/majoring in sculpture,/and became an art teacher.// In those days,/I didn’t know/what I really wanted to do.// One day,/I was driving/and saw a pile of construction stones.// It may sound strange,/but I heard my inner voice say,/“I want to carve stones.”//
　　I quit my job/and decided to go to Europe.// I had only a little money with me,/but I never asked,/“What if this doesn’t work out?”//

Did you go straight to Barcelona?//
　　No, I went to Paris first,/but I felt/there was no place for me.// The whole city was so solidly built.// It was as if you couldn’t touch anything.// I hopped onto a train for Barcelona.//
　　I arrived late in the evening.// I walked out of the station,/and found myself on a street/lined with bars.// I still remember/the taste of the sardines, tomatoes, and wine/I had that night.// Although I hardly understood Spanish or Catalan,/the simple food and warm atmosphere/made me feel at home.//

What did you think/when you first saw the Sagrada Família?//
　　I was strolling around Barcelona/and chanced upon a building site/where there was a mountain of stones.// In fact,/it was the construction site/of the Sagrada Família.// Although construction had been underway since 1882,/there was still a lot of work to be done.// My instinct told me/that those stones were waiting for me.//

You got a job as a stone-cutter.// How did you manage that?//
　　I went to see the chief architect,/but I was turned away at the door.// Nobody knew me,/and in their eyes,/I was simply an outsider.// Their refusal, however,/didn’t discourage me.// I kept going back.// A month later,/with the help of a Barcelona sculptor,/I finally met the chief architect.// He gave me a chance/to take a test as a stone-cutter.// The question was/whether I could meet his expectations.// You can’t imagine how nervous I was/while waiting for the result,/or how overjoyed I was/when somebody said,/“Congratulations!”// That was how I became/a sculptor for the Sagrada Família.// It’s now my life’s work.//

You were practically just out of art school.// The other stone-cutters/had been working for years.// It must have been hard to fit in.//
　　At first,/the other stone-cutters/treated me with suspicion.// They called me  japonés ,/meaning “Japanese.”//
　　Mornings began with an ordeal.// At 7 a.m.,/all of us stone-cutters/would get together for a drink.// I had to drink to fit in.// But it was not by drinking/that I won their acceptance;/it was by proving myself.// I impressed them with my first sculpture,/a statue of an angel playing a harp.// It was then/they started to call me “Sotoo.”//

Did you experience any misunderstandings/due to cultural differences?//
　　Definitely.// There were misunderstandings/almost every day.// For instance,/when I was working,/the other stone-cutters/would come around to chat.// That got on my nerves,/so I said,/“Let me work!”// That made them talk even more.// In the end,/I got so angry/that I threw my hammer/to make them go away.// After that,/they left me alone.// For my part,/I had no idea/why they kept annoying me.// I should have known/that they were just trying to be friendly.// They wanted me to feel relaxed.//

You’ve dedicated yourself to the Sagrada Família/for over 40 years.// What keeps you going?//
　　Gaudí is my inspiration.// He started working on this project,/knowing that he wouldn’t be able to complete it.// When he died,/he didn’t leave detailed plans;/he left only some sketches,/models, and followers.// I consider myself/as one of his followers.//

Working without detailed plans/must have been hard,/right?//
　　Absolutely.// I really had to struggle/to find how to make sculptures/that would fit into Gaudí’s work.// One day,/when I was visiting Gaudí’s tomb,/I heard his voice:/“Don’t look at what I have done;/look at what I was looking at.”// I thought,/“This is a path I can follow.”//
　　From that day on,/I have been trying/to understand Gaudí’s philosophy,/his respect for nature,/and the inspiration he received from it.// In short,/I am walking in Gaudí’s footsteps.//

One last question:/Do you have mottos you live by?//
　　Life is full of encounters and challenges.// Be ready to take up any challenges/with passion and courage.// Have good friends/who make you optimistic.// And one more thing:/Cut loose once in a while.//