Antoni Tàpies (1923-2012) shared a general sensibility which affected artists on both sides of the Atlantic after the Second World War and the dropping of the atomic bomb, and soon expressed an interest in matter - earth, dust, atoms and particles - which took the shape of the use of materials foreign to academic artistic expression and experiments with new techniques. . . For his works to have the power to transform our inner selves, Tàpies believed that the notion of matter must also be understood from the point of view of Mediaeval mysticism as magic, mimesis and alchemy. . . Tàpies’ work has always absorbed the political and social events of the time. In the late sixties and early seventies his political commitment in opposition to Francos dictatorship deepened and the works from that period have a marked character of denunciation and protest. . . In the early eighties, once democracy had returned to Spain, his interest in canvas as a support took on renewed strength - along with his activities in the graphic arts. At the end of the decade his interest in Eastern culture increased because of its emphasis on what is material, the identity between man and nature and a rejection of the dualism of our society. The works of Tàpies last years are often a reflection on pain - both physical and spiritual - understood as an integral part of life. Influenced by Buddhist thought, Tàpies believed that a better knowledge of pain allows us to soften its effects and therefore improve our quality of life. The passage of time, which has always been a constant in his work, takes on fresh nuances when lived as a personal experience which brings greater self-knowledge and a clearer understanding of the world around him. images posted hère: 1. photograph of Tàpies in Barcelona on his 85th birthday in 2008, from The New York Times, February 8 2012. . 2. Untitled (Coup de pinceau) (Brushstroke in Red), 1969, edition of 150, published by Maeght Éditeur, Paris (Galfetti, 207). Signed tapies in pencil l.r., numbered edition of 150 in pencil l.l. Lithograph in red ink on paper, image size 11 x 1 in. (27.8 x 2.5 cm) Collection of Scattergood-Moore. . 3. 4. & 5. Derrière le miroir. No. 180. Paris, Maeght 1969 28 pages with a color lithograph. Loose double sheets in original envelope, - 150 copies of the special edition. Signed by the artist in the imprint. - With a poem by Joan Brossa on the last page. - The literal meaning of the red thread runs from the envelope on all sides of the issue, some of which are folded several times. The lithograph was printed in three different shades of red. 38.0: 28.0 cm
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 23:24:22 +0000
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