NY1
10/31/2008 11:51 AM
New MoMA Exhibit Explores A Different Side Of Miro
Joan Miro may be one of the most recognizable artists of the 20th century. A new exhibit at Museum of Modern Art opening this weekend, shows a very different side of the artist. NY1's Stephanie Simon spoke with his grandson about the exhibit and filed the following report.
There are myriad sides to the Spanish artist Miro. There's the well-known lyrical painter seen in this work in the lobby of MoMA. There's the rebellious artist shown just a few floors up in this new exhibition called Juan Miro: Painting and Anti Painting.
Then there's the Miro that his grandson knew.
"He was a distant man," said grandson Joan Punyet Miro. "He was not normal. He was a very mystical creature."
Punyet Miro said his grandfather was inspired by everyday objects.
"Of course, he was going to restaurants. He was stealing napkins, putting it in his pocket, going to his sculpting studio the next morning, with the small napkin and creating a two-meter high bronze sculpture," said Punyet Miro.
Joan Punyet Miro was just 15 when his grandfather died in 1983. And while this new exhibit at MoMA shows a lesser known period of his grandfather's work, Punyet Miro calls it an important statement about him.
"Miro was the poet of pure and humble object," said the grandson. "He thought that the reason of life was living in the most insignificant objects in your everyday existence. So he took the napkin and the wishbone of a chicken and a normal napkin, whatever thing had an original shock for him and took it to the studio."
From 1927 to 1937, Miro created what he called Anti-Paintings. Curator Anne Umland says during that time Miro created radically-new art.
"Using flat, already-made, no shading of perspective depth, but contradictory indicators," said Umlad of his works. "He created a different sport of space by using distortions and unrealistic colors to change the notion of what a painting could be."
One of the many ways Miro rebelled against traditional painting was by signing his name on the back of the canvas, and once and awhile, hiding his signature within the painting.
The show is up now through January 12th.
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