Miquel Barceló

MIQUEL BARCELÓ (Felanitx, Mallorca, 1957).
"Lanzarote 15".1990.
Etching and aquatint on paper, copy 29/35.
Signed and numbered in pencil.
Measurements: 43 x 53 cm.

"Lanzarote 15" is part of a group of works inspired by the artist's experience on the Canary Island, whose volcanic geography and arid atmosphere deeply marked his visual imaginary. The composition presents a still life of organic and material character, resolved through a free gesture and an intense tonal exploration.

The use of etching allows for a spontaneous and vibrant line, while aquatint generates large areas of glaze and atmospheric depth. The touches of color in the orange centers introduce a chromatic contrast that concentrates the eye and accentuates the almost tactile dimension of the image.

The work synthesizes some of Barceló's most characteristic traits of those years: interest in the elemental, the presence of the organic and a strong material-expressive charge transferred to the field 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.