Enric Planasdurà

ENRIC PLANASDURÀ (Barcelona, 1921–1984).
"Abstraction," 1960.
Oil and ink on paper.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 38.5 x 69 cm; 57.5 x 88 cm (frame).

This work on paper by Enric Planasdurà stands out for its gestural and cosmic character. The golden lines traverse the paper with an almost calligraphic vibrancy, while the white spaces create counterpoints of light that seem to emerge from the depths of the background. Here, Planasdurà combines the spontaneity of ink with the density of oil paint, constructing an image in which material, rhythm, and space are integrated into a single visual tension. The composition does not depict a closed form, but rather a field of forces: an abstraction with astral, organic, and musical resonances.

The work marks a significant moment in the artist’s career, when his exploration was moving toward more informalist and materialistic languages, following his experiences with geometric abstraction and Concrete Art in the mid-1950s.

Enric Planasdurà was one of the leading figures of the Catalan avant-garde of the 1950s and 1960s. He actively participated in cultural groups and organizations such as the Saló de Maig, the Cercle Maillol, and the Associació d’Artistes Actuals, and served on the executive and advisory committees of Barcelona’s first Museum of Contemporary Art between 1960 and 1963. His work spanned geometric abstraction, Informalism, and figuration, always driven by a strong experimental spirit. He is represented at the Fundació Vila Casas and is associated with the historiographical revival of postwar Catalan abstraction.