Josep Maria Riera i Aragó

JOSEP MARIA RIERA I ARAGÓ (Barcelona, 1954).
Untitled.
Etching and collage, copy 19/35.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Measurements: 43,5 x 15,5 cm.(print); 50 x 50 cm.(paper).

Graphic work of minimalist language, characteristic of the plastic universe of Riera i Aragó. In the upper part stands out a dark geometric element that, by its compact form and its linear prolongation, evokes a stylized airplane or an aerial artifact, a mechanical presence suspended in space. This suggestion connects directly with the artist's recurrent imaginary, linked to engineering, navigation and flying machines, reduced to essential and poetic signs.

The contrast between the black density of the "object" and the amplitude of the lower gray field reinforces the sensation of suspension and emptiness, generating a contemplative atmosphere where the machine seems to float in an undefined space. The work thus combines formal synthesis, spatial tension and a clear reference to the technical universe so characteristic of Riera i Aragó.

Riera i Aragó is one of the contemporary Catalan artists with the greatest institutional projection. His work is part of important public collections, including the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the MACBA (Barcelona), the IVAM (Valencia), the Museo Patio Herreriano (Valladolid), the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Ibiza, the Fundació Vila Casas, the Col-lecció "la Caixa", as well as various municipal collections and private foundations in Spain and Europe.