**Originally Listed At $1000**
Antoni Tapies (Spanish, 1923-2012), "Aparicions 8", ca. 1980s. A polychrome etching with relief in colors on wove paper, signed in pencil and numbered 13/99 by the artist. Tapies was a Spanish artist best known for his mixed media paintings. This etching with areas in bas relief conjures a similar tactile quality. Tapies' sophisticated marks appear to be at once intentionally calligraphic yet spontaneously graffitiesque. Born in Barcelona in 1923, Tapies studied law while simultaneously pursuing art. Friend and fellow Catalan Surrealist, Joan Miro, greatly influenced Tapies' early work. Paul Klee was another primary influence, as Tapies began to include scrawled markings in his compositions and joined the Art Informel movement. His work next grew more abstract harkening the Arte Povera movement. Size: 8" L x 10" W (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm) image; 22" L x 29.5" W (55.9 cm x 74.9 cm) wove paper; 24.375" L x 32.2" W (61.9 cm x 81.8 cm) framed.
During the Spanish Civil War and the terror of Francisco Franco, Tapies whose father was a Catalan nationalist remained in Spain and opposed the war. Tapies was exposed to this heated political environment. His father briefly served the Republican government and his grandmother was very involved in political activities. Since this experience of wartime and the postwar climate greatly affected him, social themes informed his work, and he invited the viewer to engage with his art to decipher its meaning. He famously stated, "If one draws things in a manner which provides only the barest clue to their meaning, the viewer is forced to fill in the gaps by using his own imagination. He is compelled to participate in the creative act, which I consider very important."
Tapies retrospectives have been presented at the Musee National d’art Moderne, Paris (1973) and Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York (1977). In 1978, his autobiography entitled, "Memoria Personal" (Personal Memory), was published. During the 1980s, Tapies explored more mediums, creating ceramic sculptures and even designing sets for Jacques Dupin’s play "L'Eboulement" (The Landslide). In 1990, the Fundacio Antoni Tapies opened in Barcelona, established in Tapies’s name to study and exhibit modern and contemporary art, periodically preparing Tapies-centric exhibitions and publications. Tapies was honored to represent Spain at the Venice Biennale in 1993, where he was awarded the Golden Lion for his installation. Three more retrospectives were presented at the Jeu de Paume, Paris (1994); the Guggenheim Museum SoHo, New York (1995); and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (2000) - and a major international retrospective organized by the Museu d’art contemporani de Barcelona, traveled to the Patio Herreriano; the Museo de Art Contemporaneo Espanol, Valladolid, Spain; the Museo de arte de Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico; Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; and Singapore Art Museum from 2004 to 2005.
Tapies' "Aparicions 8" etching with relief in colours was bought in (estimate $2,100 - $3,500) at Christie's South Kensington, April 2015.
Provenance: ex Allen Davis collection, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#131281
Condition
This work appears to be in excellent condition overall, but has not been examined out of the frame. Floated on a grey fabric mat and custom framed under glass. Wired for suspension on verso.