Gerardo Rueda

GERARDO RUEDA (Madrid, 1926–1996).
Untitled, 1989.
Mixed media and collage with screen-printed paper on cardboard and fabric.
The glass has slight damage.
Signed and dated by hand in pencil.
Measurements: 20.5 x 20.5 cm; 35.5 x 35.5 cm (frame).
A composition with a distinctly geometric and minimalist character, in which Gerardo Rueda articulates planes, pure forms, and chromatic hallmarks through the superimposition and combination of different materials. The incorporation of screen-printed papers and textile elements lends the work a subtle textural dimension, characteristic of the artist’s exploration of space, structure, and balance.Created in 1989, it belongs to Rueda’s mature period, when his abstract language focused on formal refinement and the compositional possibilities of collage. The work’s apparent simplicity stems from a carefully balanced construction, in which each element establishes relationships of proportion, rhythm, and negative space.

Considered a key figure in Spanish abstraction during the second half of the 20th century, Gerardo Rueda was a pioneer in introducing Informalism to Spain and, together with Fernando Zóbel, founded the Museum of Spanish Abstract Art in Cuenca in 1966.Since his first exhibition in Madrid in 1949, he built a significant national and international career, with exhibitions in Paris, Venice, and numerous European and American cities. He collaborated with the Juana Mordó Gallery and received major honors, including the Hermanos Serra Prize and his appointment as a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1995. Notable among his projects are the mural relief on Madrid’s Paseo de la Castellana and the stained-glass windows of the Cuenca Cathedral. His work is included in major collections such as the Reina Sofía Museum, the British Museum in London, the San Francisco Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, and the Rufino Tamayo Museums of Contemporary Art in Mexico City, Caracas, and Barcelona.