Erica Perry - Joan Miro

After viewing the works of Miro and his peers in class and then going even

more in depth with Miro’s works in research, I still do not have a great

understanding of the art world. I think that all artists have a right to

their views and should always be able to paint how they feel. However, as I

reviewed much of the well-known works of Miro, I could not quite get into

his head. The works were beautiful, but I was not able to see their true,

all around beauty. Still, Miro was a wonderful addition to the art world.

Joan Miro was born April 20, 1983 in Barcelona, Spain. He studied as a

young student at the Barcelona School of Fine Arts and the Academia Gali. He

is recognized today as an all inspiring Surrealist painter. Although through

out his life, he painted in many different styles. In the 1920s, he went to

Paris to paint and try to find his niche. January 24, 1937, he had to set up

shop in the gallery of his dealer. He was unable to return to his homeland

because of the Spanish Civil War.

Miro’s works are very distinct because he allows his forms and designs to

jump out at the viewer. He uses large distinct, but manipulated shapes. His

use of bright colors allows for the paintings to draw to it the eye of its

viewer and keep it interested for extreme lengths of time. Another aspect of

Miro’s works, are that they are often so simple that one, myself included,

might spend a lot of their time viewing trying to find the meaning of the

painting. Once they think they have found the meaning, they take a some more

time to figure out the hidden meaning, if there is one. A common aspect of

Miro’s paintings is that those viewing and admiring his work look beyond the

true meaning and make the painting more complicated than it really is.

Miro never thought of his paintings as being abstract. He once said " Form

for me is never something abstract. It is always a token of something...For

me, form is never an end itself." Like so many other artists, Miro never

thought of his paintings as ever being truly finished. Like during his Red

and Black series of 1938, he painted really only two different pieces. The

other paintings were just over laps of the first two in different

perspectives. He also would use red for one of the designs and black for the

other. Those were the only two colors used in this series of paintings.

Miro, although he only used two colors, and two of the most drab colors, he

made some terrific artwork. The paintings done in all black gave a sense of

unhappiness and in the second painting of the series, discord and mass

hysteria. However, when the paintings are brought together and red is added,

the art tells a whole new story. The red gives the paintings a sort of

uplifting look. The situation does not look as bad or as unhappy. The

addition of the squiggly lines and shapes over, under, and around the

painting of the distinct characteristic shapes, adds more personality to

each of the designs.

In his early works, Miro painted more along the lines of actual beings.

Meaning people, buildings, landscapes, and everyday events. During this time

he used more of the earth tones and some pastels. These works were

absolutely beautiful and allowed the viewer to be pulled inside to see

deeper into the subject. These paintings are the type of art that I am drawn

to. These works were all done before 1920, what I think is the time before

he truly found himself as an artist.

His later works are just as intriguing and magnificent, I just have a

harder time with absorbing all that they are. The works after 1920, are what

he is most well known for. These works are " subject matter drawn from the

realm of memory and imaginative fantasy," according to Microsoft Encarta. I

believe this to be a very accurate description of these works. In these

paintings, he used a lot of distorted shapes and images. There were many

curvy lines and he liked to use dots and blobs of different shapes and

sizes. Many of these paintings are set on a neutral background, allowing the

bright colors to absorbed into the canvas and then pushed back out into the

eye of the viewer. His later works did not tell a distinct story as much as

they allowed each person to create their own. If a person is having a happy,

uplifting day, the works will be bright, happy, and fun. However, in the

same ay, if a person is having a horrible day, the paintings will seem dark

and gloomy. As I looked through the different paintings of Miro, I could not

help but see the wonderfulness that they each encompassed. I am more than

positive that Miro did not intend for his works to be interpreted in the

ways that I did, but hey art is about individuality.

One of my favorites of the Miro paintings, is Ciphers and Constellations in

Love with a Woman. This painting reminded me of those clear summer nights

when my friends and I would look up into the sky and just marvel at the

magnificent array of color, brightness and endless space. This painting to

me did not stop with the back of the canvas. It continued on into the

endless sky. The addition of the light blue color that fades as it comes

from the right corner makes the painting just as enchanting as the clear

summer night sky.

Blue II although it is so simple, it is one of his works that allow for a

person to stand and gaze and look for the meaning. I personally do not think

that Miro had a distinct meaning in mind for this painting, but it is with

all its simplicity nice to look at. Milano and Animal Composition are two of

his ever so active pieces. They have multiple colors that just seem to make

the canvas glow. There are so many lines and shapes, that one does not know

where to start looking. It is works like these that make Miro a master of

the canvas. Other paintings that are even more complicated, but also seem

very fun are Carnival of Harlequim and Dutch Interior I. Both of these

paintings are very active and have multiple subjects acting out at the same

time. It is to the benefit of the viewer that paintings do not move. The

setting for both of these works is indoors.

The title Carnival of Harlequin

describes the painting perfectly. These two paintings made me think of the

Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. This is only because of the unstopping activity

in all three.

Miro’s paintings were mostly of original creation and mind. To be able to

pull together non-distinct shapes and images to almost make them distinct

and to make the addition of color and the context in which it is all

perceived takes extreme genius. I greatly admire Miro for his ability to

look beyond what is right in front of him and to reach a whole new level of

reality. His works of art and use of color help many of his paintings to

stand out.

For over seventy years, Miro blessed us with his artistic ability, and I do

believe that he helped many of the people who viewed his work think beyond

the real. It is a shame that he is no longer around to share with us his

ability first hand. However, through study of his works and his ability, I

do think it is possible for him to live on in each one of us. Miro passed

away on December 25, 1983 in Majorca, Spain. I hope that the creation of his

works brought as much joy to him, as it does to all those who have the

privilege of taking the time to admire them.

Sites:

http://sunsite.dk/cgfa/miro/

www.ocaiw.com/miro.htm

www.moma.org/exhibitions/miro/menu.html