Jordi Teixidor

(Valencia, 1941)

Untitled

1974

silkscreen on paper

65 x 49 cm

Inv. no. 35081

BBVA Collection Spain



Jordi Teixidor is one of the most distinguished names in Spanish contemporary art. His close relationship with the
, mainly with Fernando Zóbel (1924-1984) and Gustavo Torner (1925), led to Teixidor’s assimilation of their teaching and his adoption of an unambiguous abstract language. A significant influence on his future career was his first trip to New York in 1973, where he became acquainted first-hand with the works of Mark Rothko (1903-1970) and Barnett Newman (1905-1970), the main exponents of American abstract painting. This discovery was key to shaping Teixidor’s painterly language, predicated on
, influenced by
and close to Minimalism.

As one can see in the work at hand, during his early years the artist focussed on an investigation into geometry, aimed at the creation of fields of paint that would let him explore the relationship between different planes and their grouping. In fact, this concept is closely related to his interest in gemology and mineralogy. He based the geometric structure of his work on the study of
, through which he achieved a variety of combinations using delimited planes of colour. The result is a refined, pristine painting in which he experiments with colour fields by superimposing large flat monochrome surfaces to obtain a more dynamic effect.

Always remaining true to abstraction, without any intention of showing or conveying emotion, his works from this period are markedly reflexive in nature. Through them the artist embarks on a quest for essence, which lies in the structure of the surface of the painting, defined by flatness and the symbolism of colour. In consequence, geometry -an absolutely critical element in his aesthetic discourse- is the organising principle of the space, procedure that means a true contribution to Spanish art of the time.