Sèrie Negre

Antoni Tàpies

SOLD OUT

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Sèrie negre, ARTIKA and the Fundació Antoni Tàpies have reproduced the 15 drawings that comprise the complete series, and which the artist produced in 1967 on Kraft paper, a support that enabled the artist, through nuance and relief effects, to emphasise the authentic protagonist of the series: the colour black.

All the plates have been printed on high-quality handmade paper; each of them is numbered and includes the seal of the Fundació. Presented in the form of a diptych, together they form the Art Book of this exclusive edition, limited to 998 copies in Arabic numerals and 298 in Roman numerals.

The Study Book, a bilingual Spanish-English edition, takes the reader on a journey through the life and work of the artist, an account that is jointly written by his son, Antoni Tàpies Barba, Xavier Antich, President of the Board of the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, and the art historian Pedro de Llano, who analyses all the drawings, one by one.

Hand-crafted in hessian fabric, the case is comprised of two parts: a detail from one of the plates featuring the artist’s signature and a silkscreen print of a text by Tàpies. The case, which contains all the different parts of the work, can also be used as a display unit for the drawings.

This paper, which is specially produced for this work by expert papermakers at a traditional craft workshop, is made from two different types of pure cellulose.

Once the paper paste is uniform in texture, it is pressed between rollers, to obtain the initial irregular paper sheets. Any sheets that do not reach the required quality are rejected by a specialist.

The pressed sheets are hung beside a window and left to dry naturally for three or four days, depending on humidity and current weather conditions.

Once they are dry, they are flattened by hand and checked individually. After that, they are pressed twice – first manually and then using a hydraulic press.

Technical experts adjust and correct the colour tests, so as to change the printing plates if necessary. The drawings are analysed and rejected if they do not reach the desired standard.

All the plates are die-cut in accordance with the original. This process is carried out carefully by hand in order to ensure that the 15 drawings are all faithfully reproduced.

Each plate is secured on to its respective diptych using three drops of glue. All the drawings are numbered on the back and bear the seal of the Fundació Antoni Tàpies.

All the diptychs, which have been specially created so as to easily display and enjoy the plates, are kept in a folder that functions as an Art Book.

The two sections of the box are lined with natural hessian, combining two colours, as a reference to the materials Tàpies used in his works.

Both the front cover of this spectacular box and the text by Tàpies are screenprinted in black ink onto the hessian fabric.

The two sections are joined using a system of magnets. The first section contains the Art Book, and also functions as a display frame, while the second contains the Study Book.

The cover of the box features an enlarged image of one of the plates. A highly original design that offers users many different options for displaying and enjoying this wonderful work.

Sèrie Negre - Technical specifications - Estuche

Box

Size: 16.14 x 20.86 x 5.11 in
Two sections joined by magnets: one containing the Art Book, covered by a laminated glass sheet, forming an independent frame for hanging. The second includes the Study Book, which has a raw hessian cover
Cover: black, raw hessian
Weight when empty: 31.96 lb

Sèrie Negre - Technical specifications - Dípticos y Carpeta

Diptychs and Folder

Size of the 18 diptychs: 13.38 x 18.11 in
Folder size: 13.58 x 18.30 in
Paper: Tintoretto Gesso 0.55 lb (diptychs) and 0.77 lb (folder)
Printing: front and back in one single ink (black)

Plates

15 die-cut plates
Each one secured to their respective diptych using three drops of glue
Paper for plates: hand-crafted, 0.40 lb
Printing: printed in a fifth black inko

Study Book

Size: 12.59 x 17.32 in
Paper: Tatami White, 0.37 lb
Printing: 4/4 inks- Binding: sewn and paperback
Covers: double cardboard, 0.77 lb (pasted cardboard, front and back)
Cover printing: printed in four inks
Bilingual edition: Spanish and English

(1923-2012) Tàpies is one of the foremost exponents of informalism worldwide. This painter, sculptor, and theorist of Spanish art has received numerous awards and distinctions throughout his career. He was one of the pioneers in transforming into artistic elements what at first sight only looked like broken leftovers such as strings, papers, remnants, etc. His interest in this topic comes from the initial influence of artists like Miró and Klee, which led him to increase the iconography and studies of colour in his paintings and sculptures. This combination gives rise to creations of great expressive and communicative capacity.