Andrés Mende, Red and Black Abstract Informalist Artwork, 2018, Oil on Canvas

“Red and black” Andrés Mende, Abstract Informalism - Contemporary Art

Exceptional oil on canvas made by the Valladolid artist Andrés Mende, active during the last decade of the 20th century and the beginning of the current century. The support is very original, since the artist's characteristic is paper. This abstract work surprises the viewer thanks to the contrast of colors and the meticulous study of the lines. Its lines fit into any contemporary space, continuing with the style, or in a more classic environment, as a ground-breaking work. Dated on the back by the author in 2018, there is also the title of the work, “Red and Black.”

The expression of the work is helped by the color palette, since the author always uses black, brown and ocher colors, which usually contrast with some other color, such as in this case red. In this way, it provides depth and more dynamism to the result. His style is ascribed to abstract informalism, which could be considered a branch of European abstract expressionism. Informalism was born in Europe after the Second World War and is characterized by the inclusion of different materials in the works. Using chance and improvisation, material works are created, with an ideological basis linked to existentialism and individual subjectivity. It differs from American abstract expressionism in that it is more poetic, more static and more discreet than it.

This painting is eminently mental, nothing arises randomly or by chance. The compositions are premeditated, each stroke is thought out. Play with color, geometry, straight lines and stains. The result is a vibrant, unreal and lyrical painting.

His style is largely reminiscent of that of Fernando Zóbel, an artist of Filipino origin recognized worldwide. For him, the discovery of the painting of Rothko, Pollock, Kooning... meant the escape from figuration, joining informalism and abstract expressionism. However, little by little, Zóbel moved away from expressionist drama and based his painting on the nakedness of the line and the movement suggested through the strokes that cross the paper.

About abstract art

Abstract art is a style of artistic expression that is characterized by representing concepts abstracted from reality or independent of what is recognizable by the senses, through freedom, irrationality and diversity of shapes, lines and colors. That is, it is a subjective art that does not accurately or figuratively represent the visual reality that human beings perceive. It emerged around 1900 and was the axis of modern art that encompassed various artistic movements, such as cubism, surrealism and De Stijl. Abstract art allows the generation of different interpretations or points of view depending on the recipient because it does not seek to achieve perfection of the line or credible compositions. It is considered an art that reaches another dimension of morality and spirituality, because it expresses emotions and sensations separate from logic and objectivity.

Individual expositions:

2007 – Bozzetto Gallery, Bilbao.
2006 – Bombob Cultural Space, A Coruña.
2005 – P. Sta María La Real Exhibition Hall, A. de Campoo, Palencia.
2002 – Hotel Trip Sofía Exhibition Hall, Valladolid.
2001 – Bombob Cultural Space, A Coruña.
2000 – Bombob Cultural Space, Vigo.
1998 – Molmar Art Gallery, Pamplona.
1996 – Expoarte Gallery, Madrid.
1985 – Velázquez Art Gallery, Valladolid.
And many more collective ones.

Technique on support: oil on canvas
Title of the work: “Red and black”
Author: Andrés Mende
Style: informalism / abstract expressionism
Year: 2018
Country of origin: Spain
Good condition according to its age and use
Overall dimensions: 67 x 82 cm.
Dimensions without frame: 65 x 80 cm.
The frame that protects the work is offered as a gift, but has value in itself. It is provided at no additional cost so that when your artwork arrives at your home or destination it can be displayed immediately. Any damage to the frame itself, which does not affect the integrity of the artwork, cannot be accepted as a valid reason to open a claim or request a cancellation.