Antoni Gaudí

Gaudí Up Close

The history of Catalan modernist architecture is built with the name of Antoni Gaudí, the inseparable genius of the city of Barcelona, whose work and essence have crossed borders.

ARTIKA presents Gaudí Up Close, a project that began to take shape more than a decade ago, with the aim of making known some of the most revealing facets of the artist that, despite their historical significance, remained unknown to the public.

A hand-numbered artist’s book, limited to 4,998 copies, which gathers unpublished material of the architect and reveals his most revealing facets.

The sculpture-case houses two volumes and an architect’s portfolio that offer a unique and detailed view of the artist.

«The work is exhibited in a wooden sculpture-case with a handmade reproduction of one of the emblematic chimneys of the Casa Milà (La Pedrera), known as the "warriors".»

The Art Book allows visitors to admire 48 drawings by Gaudí in their original size, where the most evocative, rich, surprising and beautiful details of Gaudí’s universe can be discovered. The Study Book offers a selection of unpublished articles on Gaudí in the voice of experts: the architect and director of the Gaudí Chair, Juan José Lahuerta; the architects Jordi Faulí and Chiara Curti; the art historian, Joan Aicart; and Dr. Mireia Freixa, who carries out a detailed study of the plates.

The architect’s portfolio reveals the reproduction of three plans, with their conservation folds, of his great projects: a beautiful design for a pier (1876); the original project for the façade of the Casa Milà (1906); and the first plan of the demonstration of the visibility of the Sagrada Familia (1916).

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

SCULPTURE-CASE

  • Wooden case with marble sculpture coated with paint + cement powder + anti-graffiti varnish. Interior lined in naturlinnen fabric (2040).
  • Signature of the artist burned in laser on the left side of the sculpture of the fireplace.
  • Dimensions: 35,5 x 45,1 x 19 cm.
  • 15 kg approx. (total weight of the work).

STUDY BOOK

  • Contains a selection of unpublished articles on Gaudí with architect and director of the Gaudí Chair, Juan José Lahuerta; architects Jordi Faulí and Chiara Curti; art historian, Joan Aicart; and Dr. Mireia Freixa.
  • Bilingual edition, in Spanish and English.
  • 360 pages.
  • Size: 28 x 37,8 cm.

ART BOOK

  • Contains 48 drawings by Gaudí in their original size, where the most evocative, rich, surprising and beautiful details of Gaudí’s universe are discovered.
  • Bilingual edition, in Spanish and English.
  • 38 drawings on Fedrigoni paper
  • 112 pages.
  • Size: 28 x 37,8 cm.

ARCHITECT'S FOLDER

  • Architect’s folder in 2.5 mm cardboard lined with 400 g paperboard.
  • 3 signed plans, complete die-cut and folded like the originals: Casa Milà (44.5 x 93.5 cm), Embarcadero (76 x 50 cm), Sagrada Familia (52.5 x 67 cm).

PRODUCTION PROCESS

The binding of the volumes is done by hand by gluing the covers to the casing with special glue. The pages of both books are sewn with high quality cotton thread.

The cover of the Art Book is a sheet of iron on which the G of Gaudí has been stamped with a typography of the period. This is painted in brown to achieve a rust effect reminiscent of Gaudí’s forging.

The trencadís of the covers is achieved with a layer of matte lamination and high-relief UVI silkscreen printing, which is attached to a rigid cardboard and a counter-glued cardboard.

The 48 drawings, some of them die-cut according to the originals, are attached to the Art Book by means of three glue dots. On the back of each sheet is its numbering and the stamp of its origin.

The architect’s folder, made of cardboard and lined with cardboard, has a black cloth spine, and a die-cut with the passage of two ribbons. In addition, Gaudí’s signature is stamped on the front cover.

The case – sculpture is made of wood to support the total weight of the elements of the work. Its interior is lined by hand with a special fabric with seams, to protect its contents and achieve a better finish.

The figure of the “warrior” of the stone quarry on the cover of the case is made using a mold that is filled with marmolina, marble powder with resin. Once dry, it is removed from the mold and covered with anti-graffiti varnish.

Both the wooden case and the figure receive a bath of textured paint. Finally, the artisan proceeds to assemble, with precision, the reproduction of the sculpture of La Pedrera on the cover of the case.

Antoni Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí

Born on June 25, 1852 in Reus (Tarragona). At the age of 18 he moved to Barcelona to study architecture at the School of Fine Arts (La Lonja). He worked on several projects, among them the remodeling of the Parque de la Ciudadela, and when he finished his degree he won a competition with the preliminary project for the street lamps of the Plaza Real.

In 1883 he was appointed architect of the Sagrada Familia, and at the same time he participated in projects in which his architectural innovations and the artistic elements that made him unique were already evident: Casa Vicens (1883), the pavilions of the Finca Güell (1884), Casa Botines, in León (1891), the beginning of Park Güell (1900), the renovation of Casa Batlló (1904) and Casa Milà, “La Pedrera” (1906). From 1914 he dedicated himself exclusively to the Sagrada Familia, to the point that in 1925 he set up his home there.

On June 7, 1926 he was killed in an accident in Barcelona. His remains rest in the crypt of the temple.

About the artist

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