Spanish Masters Eduardo Chillida & Antoni Tàpies

Online Selected Prints Exhibition 4/30/2021-7/20/2021

This time, YiCOLLECTA has brought in the works of two national treasures from Spain. Although they are mainly collages and have been reorganized and mixed together, the final works and content are very different and unique.

Famous Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida (1924-2002) is regarded as the most outstanding sculptors of our time. He was well-known for his large-scale public sculptures, as well as his use of materials (such as oxidized iron and granite) which are big and perfectly integrated into the spaces around them. His works are displayed in various places including Spain, Germany, France and the US. He has also held many exhibitions all over the world, and won the International Sculpture Award at the Venice Biennale in 1958.

During his time as an architecture student, Chillida also applied architectural principles to his large-scale public sculptures, which were measured perfectly with the actual building ratio, indicating that the sculptures consider people’s actual perceptions in space and its relation to the buildings. They evaluate people's movements inside and outside the sculptures, so that the buildings go beyond designing a sense of space. Chillida used big and heavy cast iron and granite to create sleek, dynamic lines that aren’t subject to the stiffness of the metal, giving the sculpture flexibility. When the audience stands in different positions, they will experience different feelings, establishing personal connections with his works.

As one of the pioneers of modern sculpture, Chillida’s success is not only reflected in the materials, but also hidden in the concepts of space and the natural world. Music played an important part of his life and became a common theme in his works. Not only does the melody stay for a while while playing, it also makes a lasting impact on your memory. Listening to music in a particular place changes the way you feel about the place, which is how Chillida wanted to make his audience feel through his music-related public sculptures, experiencing both the lasting and momentary combination between melodies.
He tried to extend the sense of space into nature, incorporating large-scale sculptures in different situations. The artwork, Wind Comb, is a classical representation of Chillida’s art. He created three sculptures at seaside in his hometown, Donostia - San Sebastian, where the sculpture would endure heavy wind and rain. They oxidized, eroded, and became one with nature, reacting to the environment around them.

In addition to sculpture, he also worked with plaster, painting, printmaking, etc. Early on in his career, he focused on printmaking through paper-cutting and collage. Papers were divided into “layers of space”, showing a kind of depth that continued late into his career. He never stopped exploring with forms and lines. His prints are currently part of the collections at the Spanish museums.
Like Chillida, we can also see the mixing of materials and collage techniques in the works of Antoni Tàpies. However, the difference is that Tàpies’ works are mostly flat. Recognized as an artist who doesn’t stick to one pattern/doesn’t follow a set form, he is considered one of the most outstanding European artists of the 20th century and one of the first to explore mixed media.

When he was a child, Tàpies’ father was anti-clerical while his mother was a devout believer. Because he grew up in an environment where two sides held different religious views, he began to look for a new spiritual realm. As a young man, he suffered from tuberculosis, which led him to explore the meaning of life, as well as music, philosophy, and eastern teachings. Due to various factors, his works reflect the pain of mental and physical torture, but also defines the boundary between man and nature. We hope the audience can think about the meaning of life while observing the works.

Tàpies was good at mixing discarded materials to create works of art. Hair, rags, and paper are his creative media. Gray and earthy tones show up in his works and different symbols are added. These symbols represented his inner world, such as stars, moons, crosses, and so on. Influenced by eastern aesthetics, he also mixed in eastern elements in his works; ink strokes and splashes can be seen in his works.

His works have been recognized by The World Congress of Art History and can be seen in the world’s most prestigious museums. Tàpies also founded the Antonio Tàpies Foundation to promote research and knowledge of modern and contemporary art. In 2010, the king of Spain, Juan Carlos, awarded him with the title of Marquess of Tàpies and he also received numerous awards and honors.

*Since the works are overseas, it will take 2-3 weeks for delivery, please be patient

Curator: YiCOLLECTA