Calligraphique 1987

Editor: Here we have Antoni Tapies' "Calligraphique" from 1987, a mixed-media drawing in ink. There's a definite rawness to the brushstrokes; it feels immediate, almost urgent. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a profound engagement with the act of mark-making itself, delving into the wellspring of primal expression. Consider how cultures, from cave paintings to modern graffiti, have used graphic gesture to inscribe meaning, power, and identity. Can you see hints of Asian calligraphy perhaps? Editor: I think so! Especially in those swirling, almost dance-like characters. The ink splatters remind me of action painting. Curator: Precisely. Tapies, working within the Art Informel movement, evokes the symbolic weight of Eastern calligraphy without replicating it. It's about tapping into the universality of gesture. The contrasting light and dark inks… what feelings do those evoke for you? Editor: Tension, maybe? A push and pull, like the conscious and unconscious. It feels weighty, but also spontaneous. Curator: Indeed. He conjures not literal forms but rather echoes of shared visual language that resonate deep within our collective memory, drawing us back to the essence of communication. Editor: I never thought about abstract art having so much to say about how we communicate non-verbally. Curator: The enduring power of images, especially abstract ones, lies in their ability to access layers of understanding beyond the strictly literal. It's about unlocking what the image *means*, more than simply what it depicts. Editor: This has completely changed my perspective! Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's these echoes that allow a dialogue with art across generations.