History of Spanish Painting

Essay on the Informalism and Abstract Expressionism artistic periods

Donna Summers II 

November 13, 2019 

History of Spanish Painting 

Prof. Fernandez 

Luis Feito and the Informalism and Abstract Expression movements. 

Luis Feito was born in Madrid, Spain in 1929 before the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, which began in 1936. Throughout his younger years, he lived and traveled throughout Spain, France, Montreal, Canada, and New York. He attended Escuela superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. As he grew into an artist, he briefly created during the Cubism period during the 1950s. Shortly thereafter, he settled into his own artistry as an Abstract Expressionist and Informalist artist with his own style. His uniqueness quickly illuminated the public, and he became a part of the vanguard of leading artistry throughout Europe. Feito mainly used a spatula and would often times directly apply the paint from their bottles. Within his artistry, “accidents” were encouraged, because that contributed to the free form of his work. His famous works include Numero 148, 1959; Numero 363,1962; Numero 460-A, 1963. Although he never titled his work, he numbered them to show chronology throughout his artistic processes. Eventually, Feito’s work developed into Abstract Expressionism. 

Informal art, also known as Informalism, and Art Informel developed in post-war Europe, specifically the Spanish Civil War which ended at the beginning of World War II. This art movement was the voice of postwar as well as the existentialism of war and its effects it had. Informalism’s vanguard stance within the art scene assisted in its fast growth throughout Europe. The movement challenged the normal and accepted way of art by using non-geometric abstraction, while emphasizing its techniques and mediums use during creation (Carre D’ Artistes). Color was the prime subject of informalist paintings, and each artist had its own style in creation, especially Feito who was said to have a figurative style, more so metaphorical to his own mentality of who he was as an artist and a civilian witnessing two wars, as a child and an adult. 

The complexity of Informalism is immense due to its integration of outside mediums such as sand, dirt, and a plethora of natural materials. Specifically, Feito used natural elements such as sand. He combined sand with oil paints, and further incorporated red, yellow, and orange to play with the light and shadows throughout his works (RoGallery). 

Also, it is common for the artists to directly apply paint to the canvas, instead of drawing or sketching. In the color choices of art pieces, there is a level of complexity and forms of expression from the immediate feelings, memories, and attitudes towards the physicality of how Spain and the rest of Europe adapted to war effects (Carre D’ Artistes). The beauty in Informalism is that it provided artists’ the opportunity to fully express themselves in the most honest and liberating way. Their honesty in their art production added freedom to work, and their work is mainly open for interpretation by its viewers. Prolific informalism artists include: Luis Feito, Antoni Tapies, Antonio Saura, and many more. Despite color being the prime subject, artist could damage or change the physical nature of the canvas, such as ripping, scratching, or cutting it as a part of their own physical expression. 

Feito was very active in Abstract Expressionism, and after his involvement in Cubism and Informalism, he focused on abstract works. The Abstract Expressionism movement developed in New York and was popular throughout the United States and Europe. Abstract Expressionism is similar to Informalism, because they both emphasize the emotions, freedom, and honesty with a plethora of styles, mediums, and outside influences. This movement was very diverse, meaning some artists chose large canvases with several elements combined to deliver something to the audience, while other artists would use only subtle and few colors with linear and geometrical lines and shapes to deliver something totally different from their counterparts. There are three aspects of Abstract expression: Action painting, various styling, and large areas with meditative effects. Action painting was more spontaneous and random, and the finished outcome occurred by chance; Various styling included clear shapes and geometric imagery to appear more structured; while the last used large areas or field with paint that would create subtle and meditative effects. Informalism and Abstract Expression had the same sense of gestures, expressions, anti-compositional formats. Popular names from Europe and the U.S. in this movement include: Luis Feito, Jackson Pollock, Antonio Tapies, Manolo Milares, and many others. 

After finishing school, Feito began to truly focus on his abstract work in 1954 after his focusing on his figurative style and cubism. Feito moved to Paris in 1953 on a grant from the French government and held many exhibitions there. While in Paris, Feito met other artists and he was very interested and influenced by Mark Rothko, a Russian artist. In 1952, French writer Michel Tapie, practically developed the art movement and his influences were the postwar Europe scene. While developing Informalism, Tapie was particularly influenced by the newness, modernism, and its avant-garde style which came from the freedom in the order and composition of the artwork. Tapie defined Informalism art, or Art Informel, as anti-geometric, anti-naturalistic, and nonfigurative which emphasizes the spontaneity, freedom, and non-premeditated ways of composition (TypesofArtStyles). 

His famous paintings during the Abstract and Informalist movements, include Numero 148, 1959; Numero 363,1962; Numero 460-A, 1963 (Foundacion Juan March). Feito’s work eventually developed into Abstract Expressionism. In Numero 148, 1959, the artist defines nebulae of blacks and whites that remind viewers of the Spanish landscape, and chiaroscuro is visible with the contrasts of light and shadows. In Numero 363, 1962, red and black used and remind viewers of the National Spain Holiday, and the colors are also mentioned to represent the blood and death of bullfighting in Spain. The chiaroscuro and tenebrism effect of this painting is very intense. There are different hues of black colors, and the background is a heavy mix of red and black. In Numero 460-A, 1963, the artist uses a solid yellow background, while creating a beautiful and intense mix of red and black in the center of the canvas. The yellow background represent the sky which adds a sense of life, vitality, wealth, and energy to the paintings as opposed to the earlier mentioned ones. An art critic described this piece as “Primitive Constructivism.” The primitiveness in the painting stems from the historical influence and the evolutionary change of the art scene that engulfed Europe and the U.S. and although many works are hard to decipher, there is a sense of chaos and intensity; however that does not cover the expressionism throughout the work. The constructivism is scene in the combinations of abstract forms and the mixing of elements and mediums that highlights the visual focus of the paintings that creates a balance (Foundacion Juan March). 

Aside from his individual work, Feito founded the El Paso art group with other Madrid based artists such as Rafael Canogar, Luis Feito, Juana Frances, Manolo Millares, Manuel Rivera, Antonio Suarez, Antonio Saura and Pablo Serrano with other art critics (SpainIsCulture). The group was founded in 1957 to revive the contemporary Spanish art, specifically Informalism due to its postwar theme. The group did several exhibitions together throughout Europe. As the years went by, the El Paso group continued holding exhibitions in 2018 where they described postwar Spain as “injustice,” “oppression,” and “uncertainty” that 20th century politicis caused, which emphasizes how their work was of cause and effect (Catalan News, 2018). The group acknowledged the legacies and influences of Diego Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro. 

Feito work is particularly inspiring to me, due to his freeform and spontaneity. He remained ambiguous about his own interpretations of his paintings which emphasizes how paintings was his own spiritual liberation. I particularly love how he did not title his paintings, instead he numbered them which is the concept of seriation. Serration is the dating method that assemblages from numerous sites, cultures, and chronological order. The incorporation of other scientifically based ideologies intrigues my own artistry and it emphasizes their intellectually and consciously driven artistic processes. 

Bibliografía

31, Author: typesofartstyles on enero. “Informalism, Abstract and Gestural Trends.” Types of Art Styles, 31 Jan. 2018, https://typesofartstyles.com/2018/01/31/informalism-abstract-and-gestural-trends/.

Acn. “’Post-War Art in Spain’ Opens at London Gallery.” Catalan News, Catalan News, 27 Feb. 2018, https://www.catalannews.com/culture/item/post-war-art-in-spain-opens-at-london-gallery.

Guggenheim, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/movement/Art-Informel.

Guggenheim, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/luis-feito.

“Informalism and Its Abstract Experiences.” Carré D’artistes, https://www.carredartistes.com/en/blog/informalism-and-its-abstract-experiences-n150.

March, Fundación Juan. Fundación Juan March, https://www.march.es/arte/cuenca/coleccion/artista.aspx?p0=9.

March, Fundación Juan. La Obra De Luis Feito – Commentary on a Collection • Fundación Juan March, https://www.march.es/arte/coleccion/ficha.aspx?p0=23&l=2.

“Spain Is Culture.” The El Paso Group. Sculpture,Painting. Biography and Works at Spain Is Culture., http://www.spainisculture.com/en/artistas_creadores/grupo_el_paso.html.