MIAMI, FLA.- On February 6, Pérez Art Museum Miami opened a major historical survey of Catalan master Antoni Tąpies. The first major survey since the artist’s death in 2012, the exhibition is comprised of 50 works, including paintings, assemblages and drawings. Tąpies: From Within features work from the mid-1940’s up through 2011, with notable examples from every decade of the artist’s 70-year long career. All the works were drawn from the artist’s own collection, or that of the Fundació Antoni Tąpies in Barcelona. These pieces, which had personal resonance for Tąpies and remained in the artist’s control throughout his lifetime, offer a unique perspective on his creative process. Many of the works selected have rarely been seen prior to this exhibition, providing an intimate glimpse into Tąpies’ relationship with his practice.

This retrospective was organized jointly by the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and the Fundació Antoni Tąpies, and curated by former Tate Director Vincente Todolķ. PAMM’s chief curator, Tobias Ostrander, worked closely with the Fundació and Todoli to choose the 50 works included in PAMM’s focused presentation of Tąpies: From Within, which is the sole US presentation of the show. The artist’s early “matter paintings” from the 1950s, up through his recent works, emphasize the materials from which they are made- oil paint mixed with dirt and stones, covered with gestural markings. Their emphasis on “poor” materials contrast with the gleaming surfaces of Miami, creating a critical dialogue with the museum and its surrounding context. Ostander also emphasizes Tąpies’ influence on a new generation of contemporary artists also interested in discarded materials and rich surfaces. PAMM will open a commissioned project by Argentinian artist Diego Bianchi on February 19, whose appropriation of worn and found materials highlights the link between Tapies’ work and that of many of today’s contemporary artists.

“Tąpies’ emphasis on matter, earth and humble materials, creates an interesting counterpoint to our increasingly digital world,” explained Ostrander. “His works were a response to the Atomic age and new relationships understood between humans and matter. Today we see many artists increasingly interested in surface textures, density and weight, in physicality and the unique art object; all as a critique of the non-materiality of the digital world. In this context Tąpies’ alchemical works become a dynamic reference.”

The survey offers a window into the most important artistic and social developments of the post-war period, as seen through the eyes of one of the most successful abstract painters of his generation. Displayed chronologically, the works reveal the influence of major movements in the art world on Tąpies, from surrealism to abstract expressionism, to conceptual art. The impact of pivotal cultural shifts and world events are also evident, such as the explosion of the atomic bomb, ethnic violence and the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, Tąpies steadfast interest in “poor” materials – such as clay, dirt and detritus – remains evident throughout the retrospective. His characteristically bold techniques are on full display, such as his groundbreaking method of “carving” into his canvases by mixing paint with found materials.

Highlights from Tąpies: From Within include:

• Fils sobre cartó (Threads on Cardboard), 1946 - a delicate collage represents an early exploration of two materials that would later become established aspects of his practice.

• Gris amb dues taques negres. N. oXCII (Gray with Two Black Marks, No. XCII), 1959 - textured, mixed-media on canvas conveyed with gestural markings.

• Tela encolada (Glued Fabric), 1961, - a bold reinvention of a sailcloth accented with paint and folded into a compelling geometric design atop a canvas.

• Cadira i roba (Chair and Clothes), 1970 – an elegant yet simple object assemblage that defines with the arte povera movement, made from everyday materials found in the artist’s studio.

• Dķptic amb dues formes corbes (Diptych with Two Curved Forms), 1988 - a dream-like mixed media reponse to the figurative resurgence of the 1980s.

• Atman, 1996 – displays the strong influence of Asian art on his practice, particularly Japanese calligraphy and the structure of folding screens.

• Sóc terra (I Am Earth), 2004 – a mixture of graffiti-like marks with spray-painted sections, this piece speaks to both the artist’s ecological and spiritual concerns.