Description of the work

The work Autorretrato is by the artist Miquel Barceló. Lithography technique on paper. Measures 75 x 65 cm. Year 1999. Price 7500 €

(Felanitx, Mallorca, 1957) Spanish artist who is one of the most sought after and unanimously recognized in the current scene. Endowed with formidable creative force, his work ranges from immense canvases and murals to terracotta and ceramic sculptures. His painting incorporates numerous cultural references, among which the Mediterranean background should be highlighted in the first stage, and as a result of his stay in Mali, which began in 1988, the African landscape and way of life; more recently he has introduced into his work complex and intellectualized reflections on the artist's private environment, such as the workshop or the library. Another important area of ​​his artistic activity is book illustration, a chapter in which he has illustrated works by Dante, Paul Bowles and Enrique Juncosa, among others.

Miquel Barceló was born on January 8, 1957 in the Mallorcan town of Felanitx. He is the eldest son of Miquel Barceló and Francisca Artigues, who encouraged him to draw and paint from an early age.

He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Palma de Mallorca. In 1973 he took part in his first exhibition, a group exhibition entitled Young Art, held in his hometown. A year later he went on a study trip to Paris, where he discovered works of art that impressed him vividly. He presented his first solo exhibition at the Picarol Art Gallery, in Cala d'Or, Mallorca, in 1974. Barceló moved to Barcelona to enter the Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts, although he soon abandoned it. which is too academic for the artist’s concerns.

1976

In 1976 he returned to Mallorca, where he presented a solo exhibition at the Galeria 4 Gats. This same year he exhibits again, this time at the Museu de Mallorca. At this time he was part of the Taller Llunàtic group, and took part in the protest actions. They also begin their collaborations in the magazine Neon de cork, which will last for years.

In the summer of 1977 he took part in the occupation of the island of Sa Dragonera to prevent its urbanization (later in 1995 it was declared a natural park), remaining there for two more weeks when the protest ended.

This year he took part in his first exhibition in Barcelona, ​​where he met Javier Mariscal, with whom he became close friends.

In 1980 he moved to Barcelona. He is the only Spanish artist selected for Documenta 7 in Kassel, where he comes into contact with important artists and is known internationally. At the age of 25, he successfully exhibited in Paris with the help of gallery owner Yvon Lambert. He lives in several European cities, such as Naples, Paris and Vila Nova de Milfontes (Portugal), depending on the projects in which he is immersed, this nomadism being a feature throughout his life. He is associated with the most outstanding artists of the time and with important merchants for his career, such as Bruno Bischofberger, who represents him internationally. In 1984 he exhibited in this Swiss gallery for the first time

For more information on the work Self-portrait by the artist Miquel Barceló, in the Espai Cavallers gallery. Lleida.