Antoni Tapies Exhibition at Timothy Taylor Gallery

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by Bryony Harrison (subscribe)

Freelance writer and poet from London; if you would like to read my poetry, please check out my book, 'Poems on the Page', available from goo.gl/Ta4oAX.

Event: 07/03/2013 - 13/04/2013

Filling Tapies's Void

'materia i diaris', 2009, by Anonti Tapies

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As a writer, I appreciate the significance of words and language, just as I would expect an artist to appreciate the significance of visual imagery. When it comes to the late Catalan artist, Antoni Tàpies, however, he thought language was just as important. Born in Barcelona in 1923, Tapies began to emerge as an artist after the Second World War. He was strongly influenced by the Spanish Civil War, as well as his devout Catholic background. Much of his work focuses on the 'existential void', perhaps best seen through his signature motif of scenes depicting windows and doors, which create a sense of isolation and introspection.

Many of Tapies's later paintings could also fall into the category of graffiti art where his handwritten slogans and messages speak of the social unrest and political struggles in society. It is these works that are the focus of the The Timothy Taylor Gallery's commemorative exhibition. Up until the 13th April, the gallery is exhibiting eleven of Antoni Tapies's major paintings created in the period between 1992 and 2009. You will see repeated ciphers and notations scored, carved, and etched onto canvas, with the letter 'T' making a frequent appearance. 'T' could represent many things, from the initial of his name, a crucifix, or rejection of particular ideals.

The abstract nature of his work is open to interpretation, so allows you to form your own truths about the messages he is trying to relay.

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