In 1933, the Spanish poet and playwright Frederico Garcia Lorca (1898-1936) popularized the duendeーthat impish demon of artistic expression rooted in Spanish folklore. Regarded as one of Spain’s most distinguished 20th Century writers, Lorca conceived of the duende to illustrate the agonizing internal force of the creator, one that pushes the limits to near-death. Nearly 100 years later, the duende remains a symbol of the artist’s conflict brewing within, and its most recent victim is thespian Jeremy Strong.
Strong, well-known for his role as the troubled Kendall Roy in HBO’s Succession, Strong discovered the concept of the duende through an introduction to the writer’s work years ago, now that devilish monster has been his companion ever since. The Emmy-winning actor channels the duende for his recent collaboration with luxury eyewear brand Jacques Marie Mage.
The line consists of a single style of eyewear, crafted in Japan using the finest plant-based acetate. Compact and sleek, the limited-edition aviator features a well-beveled bridge and brow and highly structural temples with custom wirecores. The temple interiors are emblazoned with the actor’s foil-stamped signature and JMM brand hallmarks, and the frame comes in four limited-edition colorways: Shadow Grey, London, Tobacco and Poison Green (Strong’s favorite).
Delivered in a custom monograph box set in Poison Green silk fabric, each pair of glasses is accompanied by a Poison Green (we told you it was his favorite) leather “Longhorn” eyewear case, a microfiber cleaning cloth featuring exclusive Duende by J.S. artwork and a custom stainless steel screwdriver set with enamel details. And in true fashion for an eyewear brand that never just delivers eyewear, each collection piece comes with a special chapbook detailing the lecture, originally delivered in 1933, in which Lorca explained the essence of the duende, available in its original Spanish with English translation.
In creating the line, Strong mentions the idea of the Point of Dangerーthat boundary line where one is forced to give up their free will and blindly surrender to the unconscious. This is the point to which the duende pushes its marks. It brings the artist face-to-face with death in a brutal display of power, one that helps the artist see the limitations of their own intelligence in the process. Strong has relied on this point as a guiding principle in everything he does. It is what pushes the expert to create the memorable and profound work that distinguishes them from the rest. In a renunciation of self-awareness, a sort of killing of the ego, does artistic truth prevail.
The DUENDE BY J.S. is available at JacquesMarieMage.com, in JMM Galleries and at select retail partners across the globe.
