Marbella Exhibition showcases Manolo Millares' ironic Works of Art

Until 30th June this year Marbella's Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo will showcase an exhibition of art works by Canary Islands-born artists Manolo Millares. Born in Las Palma des Gran Gran Canaria on 17th January 1926, the self-taught artist died in Madrid on 14th August 1972, leaving behind a fascinating collection of paintings, drawings and collages that are now displayed in galleries and museums all over the world.

Three Novelties for Andalusia

Marbella's exhibition will feature 79 works of art, including three pieces that have never been seen in Andalusia. Created as a contribution to the  propaganda campaign that ran for 25 years against Franco's dictatorship, the works are Millares' ironic take on the situation.

Millares came across surrealism for the first time in 1948 and by 1955 he had moved to Madrid to become an abstract painter. By 1957 he had established himself in the art scene to such an extent that he was able to found the avant-garde artist colony El Paso (The Step) with fellow artists Pablo Serrano and Antonio Saura in Madrid. He was also involved with a group of artists known as "The Informalists", a merry band of artisans which included Antonio Saura, Antoni Tàpies and Anibal Villacis among others.

Their view was that art should not be bogged down by concept and theory, but should be allowed to experiment freely with whatever medium came to hand. Millares had already begun to experiment with various materials, including burlap, sackcloth, wood and sand, to create unusual collages back in the 1950s.

By 1961 Millares' reputation had grown internationally which enabled him to open his first solo exhibition at the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York.

Timeless Art

Today works by Millares can be seen at the Tate in London and many other art galleries and museums of international repute. Manolo had started with watercolours of landscapes, when he was still living and working in the Canary Islands, where he exhibited several times. He was influenced by contemporary artists like Burri, Miró and Klee, but his works are far less derived from art history, thus having a timeless appeal few of his contemporaries can match.

Marbella’s Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo (MGEC) is exhibiting 79 works of art Millares created between 1964 and 1972. The collection will showcase 27 paintings and 39 drawings owned by private collectors and 12 prints belonging to the museum's permanent collection titled "Descubrimiento en Millares".

Marbella's wonderful Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo was founded in 1992 and is housed in the old Hospital Bazan. The museum's famous collection includes works by Picasso, Tápies and Miró.

Art lovers visiting their Marbella holiday homes this spring can also look forward to two other fabulous exhibitions that are currently on show. The museum's "Paper Cuts" exhibition is showing original paintings, collages and limited edition prints by contemporary British artist Joe Webb until 7th April 2015.

"Pangalea II" is an exhibition of new art works from Latin America and Africa. This show has only just opened at Museo del Grabado Español Contemporáneo and will close 6th September 2015.