Miro

One of a series of monographs introducing the work of 20th-century artists, this text is devoted to the life and career of the Surrealist Joan Miro. Born in Barcelona, Miro became enthralled by the work of the Cubist and Fauvist artists, who influenced his early style. His free-form abstractions draw on fantasy, dream and myth, and many have been characterized as attempts at psychic automatism, or direct transmission from the subconscious. After 1930 he developed his lyrical mature style, distinguished by playful justaposition of freely-flowing lines and brightly-coloured abstract or organic forms. During World War II Miro created a series of works known as "The Constellations" in response to the disasters of war. Later he produced a series of monumental works, including murals for hotels and universities, and a huge ceramic mural for the UNESCO building in Paris. His other work includes a large body of lithographs, a medium especially suited to his simplified forms. Illustrated with more than 70 of his works, this book offers an overview of Joan Miro's prolific career.