Vicenç Viaplana

VICENÇ VILAPLANA (Granollers, Barcelona, 1955).
"Serret". 1985.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower margin. Titled on the back.
Measurements: 142 x 111 cm.

We are in front of an enigmatic architectural space. The painting seems to be located between reality and imagination: an interior of silent atmosphere, with structures that evoke a basement, a library or a crypt. The composition is articulated by means of volumes and imprecise perspectives, and a play of chiaroscuro that suggests depth and mystery. The tones (the contrast between the red of the stone and the black of the atmosphere) contribute to create a sense of isolation and reflection. There is no human presence, but the space breathes a strong psychological charge.

Viaplana made his individual debut in 1975, at the Ciento gallery in Barcelona, and since then he has held personal exhibitions in this city as well as in Madrid, Ibiza, New York, Kyoto, Groningen, Tokyo, Basiela, etc. He has also taken part in outstanding group exhibitions all over the world, among them the "G Gallery" Teatru Studio in Warsaw (1977), Armory in New York (1990), Runkel Hue Williams in London (1993), Reflex in Amsterdam (1993), the Royal Ueno Museum in Tokyo (1995), the Reinickendorf Hall in Berlin (1996), the Cervantes Institute in Munich (1996) and the Pelaires Hall in Palma (2003), among many other galleries and art centers all over the world. Since 1978 he has combined painting with design, having worked for prominent clients such as the restaurant "El Bulli", the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, the MACBA shop-bookshop, the Centro Insular de Cultura de Las Palmas, the Diputación de Barcelona, etc. He has also designed the "Pisa" bookshelf, the "Tanatona" lamp and the "Oa" tables for Tresce. He is currently represented in the Museum of Granollers, the Vilacasas and Soriguè Foundations, and the collections of Fundació La Caixa, Ernesto Ventós Omedes, Josep Mª Civit, Tous-de Pedro, Runkel Hue Williams, Prudential Securities, Vreg Baghomian and Aaron B. Kratz.