Antoni Tàpies, born 1923 in Barcelona, Spain is an artist that was known for his multimedia paintings and drawings which often included a wide variety of mediums and included often found objects. Tapies found his passion and realization for art whilst recovering from a serious illness that lead him to stop pursuing his academic studies. In the mid 1940’s he became increasingly interested in the philosophical teachings of Heidegger and Sartre, and became interested in the magical and iconographic imagery of the time. He was inspired by artists of the time such as Miro and Picasso, who he would later visit in studio. Meeting other modernist Catalonian painters inspired Tapies to think more abstractly and he gained an appreciation for surrealism. As he grew more experienced in his craft, his works took on a more abstract approach and nonfigurative result. He became more interested in the power and intention behind marks, and found inspiration through graffiti made on walls around him. Soon after this period in the 1950’s Antoni Tapies would begin solo exhibiting his work and gaining international recognition.

Hidden Paragraph