MASSON André. Obra 1943-1984.

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CATALOGUE'S DETAILS

The catalogue includes illustrations of exhibited works at the Galeria Joan Gaspar (Barcelona and Madrid). It begins with an introductory article in Spanish, Catalan, traslated to English and French. 

ANDRÉ MASSON (Balagny-sur-Thérain, 4 de enero de 1896 - París, 28 de octubre de 1987).

He studied art in Brussels and in 1920 moved to Paris. In 1922 he signed a contract with the famous art dealer Daniel-Henri Kahnweiler, dealer of Picasso, Gris, Léger, Manolo, Laurens, Togores etc. In 1924 he contacted with the surrealist group leaded by André Breton. Friend of Miró they explored the automatic painting setting the bases of the very recent surrealism. Towards 1929 he withdraws from Breton but in 1937 they make up and Masson returned to the orthodox surrealist group. In 1934 he visited Spain and lived for sometime in Tossa de Mar.

He returned to Paris 1937 and when the II world war begins he moved to USA where he performed a great influence to young artists as Achille Gorki, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, they founded the abstract expressionism. When the war was over he returned to Paris and in 1954 he was awarded in France with the “Gran Prix National des Beaux Arts”. In 1950 took place his first retrospective exhibition with Alberto Giacometti in the Kunstmuseum in Bern. In 1955 he participated in the first Documenta in Kassel. In 1958 the Albertina Museum in Wien organized a retrospective exhibition of his graphic works. Once more he was invited to participate in the Kassel Documenta in 1964, year when two very important retrospective exhibitions were taking place, one in Akademie der Kunst in Berlin and in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

In 1972 was invited to participated in the Venice Bienal, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris organized an anthological of his drawings and the MOMA in New York celebrated a huge retrospective. In 1978 exhibited in the Kunsthalle in Bremen. In Spain two big anthological exhibitions took place: in 1985 “La Caixa” in Barcelona and in 2004 at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid. Masson did continue painting until the end of his live. He died in Paris in 1987 at the age of 91 years.