José María de Labra

JOSÉ MARÍA DE LABRA (La Coruña, 1925-Palma de Mallorca, 1994).
"Much earlier", 1968.
Oil on board.
Presents faults in the frame.
Signed and dated. Signed, dated and titled on the back.
Measurements: 50 x 70 cm; 72 x 92 cm (frame).
José María de Labra (A Coruña, 1925 - Palma de Mallorca, 1994) was a painter, sculptor and designer considered one of the key figures in the renewal of geometric abstraction in Spain during the second half of the 20th century. His work is situated at the crossroads between painting, sculpture and design, with a special attention to the construction of space and formal harmony.
He was trained at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts in Madrid, where he studied between 1945 and 1958. In his beginnings he cultivated a figurative painting, with schematic lines and religious themes, but in the mid-fifties he evolved towards geometric abstraction and constructivism, becoming one of the pioneers of these currents in Spanish art.
During his training and artistic maturation, he participated in important avant-garde groups and movements such as Grupo Parpalló and Equipo 57, with which he contributed to the introduction of normative art in Spain. His career was characterized by experimentation with materials, the search for new spatial structures and the progressive integration of painting, sculpture and design. Throughout his career he exhibited in numerous international cities such as New York, Berlin, Buenos Aires and Tokyo, and received important awards such as the Francesco Perotti Prize at the Venice Biennale (1956) and the Gold Medal at the Salzburg Biennale of Sacred Art. His work is part of important collections such as the Museo de Arte Abstracto Español de Cuenca and the Afundación Collection.
In his last decades, he expanded his work towards design and interior design, always maintaining a conception of art based on geometry as a universal principle of order, beauty and balance. His legacy has been the subject of exhibitions and monographic studies that have consolidated his position as a fundamental figure of contemporary Spanish abstraction.