Miquel Barceló

MIQUEL BARCELÓ (Felanitx, Mallorca, 1957).
"Huitre et citron. 1984.
Carborundum, etching and aquatint on paper, E.A. copy.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Measurements: 40 x 48 cm.(plate); 62 x 90 cm.(paper); 110 x 140 cm.(frame).

"Huitre et citron" belongs to the first years of Miquel Barceló's international consolidation, a moment in which the artist develops a material language of great expressive intensity. The composition presents a still life reinterpreted from an almost organic and visceral perspective: the shapes of the oysters, open and arranged on a textured background, acquire a tactile and almost sculptural presence, reinforced by the carborundum technique.

The contrast between the dark density of the support and the watery areas inside the shells generates a visual vibration characteristic of the artist. The small yellow circle of the lemon introduces a chromatic accent that balances the composition and refers to the classic tradition of the Mediterranean still life, although reinterpreted from a contemporary and experimental aesthetic.

This print already reflects the fundamental elements of Barceló's work: interest in nature, fascination for the organic and a pictorial approach to the surface that goes beyond the traditional limits of engraving.

Miquel Barceló was trained in Palma de Mallorca and continued his studies in Barcelona, making his debut at the tender age of seventeen. After discovering art brut in Paris, in 1976 he held his first solo exhibition in a museum, at the Museum of Mallorca.

In 1986 he received the Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas and later the Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Artes, among other international awards. His work is represented in important museums such as the MoMA in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, among other institutions of reference.