ART CITIES:Salzburg-Miquel Barceló
As one of the most important representatives of Spanish contemporary art, Miquel Barceló is drawing inspiration from Diego Velázquez and art-making practices of the Avant-garde, he is perhaps most popular for his hybridization of traditional Spanish figurative aesthetics and thick, abstract brushstrokes. Barceló is inherently drawn to that having received training in installation work, painting and ceramic. This ability to work across various mediums comes from the artist’s hunger for travel and exploring new lands.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Archive
Miquel Barceló’s yearning for the sea is no surprise: born in 1957 in Felanitx, Majorca, the sight of the salty water stretching as far as the horizon goes has been present throughout his youth and became the key affective element in his landscapes. Miquel Barceló in his solo exhibition “On the sea”, presents new works in which the sea and the sky dominate the composition. The reoccurring motif of the sea was present in his works since the 1980s, although it was portrayed via different techniques and materials. Barceló’s practice constantly evolved and he still explores the subjects of time and metamorphosis in his work by having it demonstrate the effect. The pastose application of paint is giving the pictures an atmospheric quality. Barceló paints water and air in shades of white and blue. Elements merge to create a world marked by transience. The changing forms of the sea and clouds are captured with a soft touch which blurs any defined outline. The shapes are nebulous, as though the sky could stand for the sea, and conversely. Paradoxically, Barceló renders liquidity with a dry surface. Most titles evoke a transitory moment, and at times a nostalgic mood: “Ce matin tôt” (Early this morning), “Fin juin début septembre” (End of June early September), “La baie trop calme” (Too still the bay), which recalls the Impressionists’ attention to the fleeting effects of light, atmosphere and motion. Miquel Barceló, was born in Felanitx, Majorca, where he studied in the Arts and Crafts School of Palma de Majorca before enrolling at the Fine Arts School of Barcelona in 1974. After a year in Barcelona, he returned to Majorca to protest with “Taller Lunátic,” a conceptual vanguardist group, and participate in the publication of an artists´ newspaper called “Neon de Suro”. One year after returning to Majorca, Miquel Barceló had his first solo exposition in the Palma Museum. In the 80s he traveled extensively throughout Europe, the United States, and West Africa and eventually set up studios in both Paris and Segou, Mali. The time Miquel Barceló spent in different countries affected his art by way of multifaceted landscapes and various cultural influences. His artwork represents an eternal exploration of new forms of expression in which he experiments with different techniques, materials, textures, light perspectives, and colors.
Info: Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Mirabellplatz 2, Salzburg, Duration: 19/5-21/7/18, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-14:00, https://ropac.net
