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Miro Lives in Barcelona By
Arnie Greenberg Our first impulse is to think of Goya, Valasquez and even Picasso, but once you've visited Barcelona, you'll understand how the native son of that city is really Joan Miro. While I knew that Miro was a friend of Picasso's and that he had gone to Paris to pain and exhibit in 1920, he was Catalan, Spanish and returned to Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, where after years of success, he died on Christmas day 1983. He
is buried in the cemetery at Montjuic, the hill that looks down on Barcelona,
and a modern foundation dedicated to his works is a magnet to thousands of people,
who visit throughout the year. While there is a permanent exhibition, one can
also enjoy special family tours and entertainment for school children and adults.
(Montjuic, seen in the distance, is a hill that looks down on the city of Barcelona) The
foundation is a huge and modern white expanse, which allows the viewer to see
the master's work from a distance. The paintings are usually large and bright
with splashes of bright colors, like reds and blues and black lines that connect
them. Miro received The Guggenheim International Award in 1959 and Gold Medal
of Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos in 1980. He had contempt for convention and
used Automatism and (some say) sexual symbols in his work. Miro once said that he would lie in bed at night, while in Paris, and shapes would appear to him on the ceiling. His work is totally surrealist and for him the great influence in his life was Salvador Dali. He successfully exhibited in Paris. Even Ernest Hemingway paid more than he could afford for a Miro at that time. The
foundation includes sculpture both inside and on the roof, where one gets a splendid
overview of the great city below.
(Miro's work is totally surrealist)
Address:
Centre d'Estudis d'Art de Montjuic, 08038 Barcelona
(For only 4 Euros, you can see samples of Miro's work at the foundation) Tel:
34 934 439 470 Note:
There is a funicular that will take you fron the Parallel to the site, but
it is currently under repair. Also on the side of Monjuic is an ancient Greek
theatre, the Olympic stadium, and a number of other museums worth seeing.
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