Antoni Tàpies

ANTONI TÀPIES PUIG (Barcelona, 1923 - 2012).
"Tressè".1981.
Etching and resins in two inks (ocher and black) with collage (4 small strips of fabric) on Arches paper, P.A. copy.
Print run of 50 copies, 15 H.C. and 4 P.A.
Edited by the Lelong Gallery, Paris.
Printed in the workshops of Joan Barberà.
From the private collection of Joan Barberà, a gift from the artist in gratitude for the work done.
Signed and justified in pencil.
Referenced in Tàpies Vol.III, p.84, nº 799, editorial G.G.
Measurements: 80 x 120 cm; 106 x 132 cm (frame).

This work belongs to one of the most mature moments of Antoni Tàpies' graphic production, when the artist explores with great intensity the material possibilities of engraving. In "Tressè", the composition is articulated from a large geometric structure in ochre tones that contrasts with a black background, generating a powerful visual tension. The surface is constructed by means of scratches and glazes that evoke the eroded texture of a wall or material in transformation, a characteristic resource of Tàpies' plastic language.

The incorporation of small textile fragments in collage reinforces the material dimension of the work, bringing the print closer to the procedures that the artist developed in his painting and in his famous "matter paintings".

Antoni Tàpies is one of the leading figures of European art in the second half of the 20th century and the leading exponent of informalism in Spain. Co-founder of the Dau al Set group, he developed his own language based on material-gestural experimentation, integrating signs, graphics and symbolic elements with a strong spiritual and existential charge.

His work is present in institutions such as the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), the MACBA (Barcelona) or the Fondation Maeght (Saint-Paul-de-Vence), among many others. Awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale and the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, his graphic production constitutes a fundamental chapter in his career and maintains a solid demand in the international market.