Miquel Barceló

MIQUEL BARCELÓ (Felanitx, Mallorca, 1957).
"La Charrette de foin".
Etching, aquatint and carborundum on copper, E.A. copy.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Measurements: 91 x 154 cm.

In "La Charrette de foin", Miquel Barceló unfolds an imaginary of strong symbolic charge through a graphic language of great material-gestural power. The composition, in a wide horizontal format, is dominated by a central form that evokes an organic mass or an expanding beam, crossed by tense lines and concentrated around a circular axis that suggests movement or rotation.

The combined use of etching, aquatint and carborundum intensifies the density of the surface. The veiled areas and earthy tonal fields contrast with nervous incisions and accumulations of matter that add depth and relief.

In the lower corner, the small animal figure introduces a narrative scale that contrasts with the monumentality of the whole, accentuating the symbolic dimension of the scene. As in much of Barceló's work, nature, matter and gesture merge in a primary and archaic vision of the world.

This artist's proof underscores the experimental character of the artist's intaglio editions, close to his own creative process, reinforcing the singular value of the print within his graphic production.

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.