Woman, Bird, and Star (Homage to Picasso) | Joan Miró
“…a painting should ignite the imagination.” – Joan Miró
A couple of weeks ago Drew, Nathaniel, and I went to the Seattle Art Museum to see an exhibition of the late work of Joan Miró. Drew is a fan of Miró’s earlier work, but I wasn’t familiar the artist before this show. I was immediately drawn to the image above (which was used in the promotional materials) and had to see it. And I’m glad I did. Woman, Bird and Star (Homage to Picasso) is a huge, bright oil painting, and it was inspiring to stand in front of it and study the lines and colors.
“In painting, you should be able to discover new things each time you look at it. For me, a painting must give off sparks. It must dazzle like the beauty of a woman or a poem….” – Joan Miró, 1959
Figures, Birds, Constellations | Joan Miró
In the 1920s Miró made his first visit to Paris and began painting in the Surrealist style. Later he began working in collage, which led to sculptures. Although much of his work was categorized as Surrealism, Miró eschewed the label. According to joanmiro.com, “Miró and Andre Masson were considered the beginning of the Surrealist movement but Miró chose not to be labeled as a Surrealist in order to be free of experiment with other artistic movements/styles. He eventually pursued his own interests and ideals, as displayed by his involvement in the Surrealist, Expressionist and Color Field movements.”
Personage and Bird | Joan Miró
Birds, stars, and women show up repeatedly in Miró’s work. He liked to explore “…the dynamic between an ordinary human being and the aspirations of the spirit.” He described his creative process as “…searching for the noise hidden in silence, the movement in immobility, life in inanimate things, and the infinite in the finite.”
The work in this show is from the collection of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.
“The simplest things give me ideas.” – Joan Miró
What ideas will you discover this weekend? If you’re in Seattle, you have until May 26th to visit the Miró exhibition.
P.S. If you want to go to Spain, check out Seattle Art Museum’s Facebook contest.