Rivera, Manuel
The work of Manuel Rivera (Granada, 1927-Madrid, 1995) is mainly characterized by his omnipresent metallic canvases. He was one of the first Spanish artists to introduce abstract art and informalism to Spain in the mid-20th century, co-founding the renown group \"El Paso\".
Rivera (Granada, 1927 - Madrid, 1995) started his academic training already acquainted with the current artistic movements. As a result, he refuted the traditional materials of oil and canvas, using instead wire cloth, which became its trademark.
At the beginning of his career, his paintings consisted of a single plane, attaching the metal canvases to wooden or aluminium frames. However, he soon discovered that using two planes gave mobility to the painting, multiplying the space within the frame. Later in 1959 he introduced the wooden board to work as support when attaching the wire mesh. While in the early 1960s he gradually introduced color into his paintings, which until then had been limited to black and white.
His production, at times lyrical in content and at others dramatic, evolved to constructivist approaches.
\"I have a material in my hands which, without ceasing to be material, allows me to play constantly with space and light,\" said the artist. \"I am not simply looking for a balance of shapes and colours,\" he explained. I need something more. I need to start from a lyrical idea or from a pain, from an emotion\".
His work is internationally recognized and present in numerous museums and collections such as the MOMA and the Guggenheim in New York, the Tate Gallery and the British Museum in London, the Reina Sofia Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in Paris, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, and many others.