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Basic data

The painter and sculptor Rafael Canogar is considered one of the leading figures of Spanish abstract art of the second half of the 20th century. After an initial artistic phase of figuration and naturalism, Canogar turned to informal abstraction.

  • Born: 17 May 1935
  • Place of birth: Toledo, Spain
  • Nationality: Spanish
  • Era: contemporary art
  • Stylistic direction: Expressionism, abstract painting

 

Rafael Canogar Prices

Artist: Title: Price: Type: Size: Edition: Handsigned: Numbered: Date:
Rafael Canogar Huldigung an Goya 900 Euro Original print 29.9 x 22 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Menschenlandschaft 900 Euro Original print 22 x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Komposition mit Kopf 900 Euro Original print 29.9 x 22 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Komposition mit Hund 900 Euro Original print 29.9 x 22 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Studie für eine Flagge 900 Euro Original print 22 x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Studie für ein Monument 900 Euro Original print 22 x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Komposition mit drei Figuren 900 Euro Original print 29.9 x 22 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Blinde Figur 900 Euro Original print 22 x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Komposition mit Händen 900 Euro Original print 22x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019
Rafael Canogar Sitzende Figur 900 Euro Original print 22 x 29.9 in limited edition of 75 yes yes 17.07.2019

 

Biography

The Spanish painter and sculptor Rafael Canogar was born in Toledo on May 17, 1935. After the end of the Spanish Civil War, his family decided to leave their hometown and arrived in Madrid in 1944. Canogar's artistic talent was already evident at a young age. Already at the age of 12, the boy received painting lessons from the artist Martiarena. He advised him to devote his time entirely to art. Thus, in 1948, the 13-year-old Canogar finished his school career without graduating and in the same year joined the workshop of the painter Daniel Vàzquez Dîaz. There he was trained in painting and drawing under the aspects of the contemporary avant-garde. The works of Braque, Picasso and Míro served as models for his figurative painting.

After his training, however, Rafael Canogar quickly turned his back on figurative painting and devoted himself to abstract art from 1954. Together with other Spanish artists, such as Monolo Millares, Antonio Saura and Luis Feito, he founded the artist group "El Paso", which significantly changed the Spanish avant-garde. Thus "El Paso" opposed the existing Spanish cultural policy, which offered few opportunities for the cultural opening of Spain due to the dictatorship. In addition to numerous exhibitions, they published the magazine "Cartas de El Paso", which acted as a mouthpiece for their movement. Until 1960, Canagor, like other artists of "El Paso", had stylistically devoted himself to Informel.

After the artist traveled to the U.S. in 1960 to participate in the exhibition "New Spanish Painting and Sculpture" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Informel was recognized as an art movement by the Spanish regime, Canogar changed his artistic style. Gradually, figurative elements reentered his work, breaking with his abstract compositions. At the same time, he spent a year as a professor at Mills College in Oakland and was awarded the Grand Peis of the Biennale de São Paulo in 1971. From 1975 he returned to abstract painting, focusing on geometric abstraction.

Today Rafael Canogar lives and works in Madrid.

 

Exhibitions

  • 26.02.21 - 31.12.21 Helga de Alvear Collection – Centro de Artes Visuales Helga de Alvear, Cáceres.
  • 28.03.20 - 07.02.21 Rojo - Colección Mssa - Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende, Santiago, Chile.
  • 07.03.20 - 19.04.20 The Kuntsi Collection - Taidehalli - Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland.
  • 20.10.2018 - 24.03.2019 Art without Guardinaship: The Salón Independiente in Mexico, 1968-1971 - MUAC Mexico City.
  • 25.05.2017 - 22.07.2017 Rafaeal canogar. Ayer hoy - Centro de Arte Tomás y Valiente, Fuenlabrada Madrid.
  • 19.11.2015 – 14.02.2016 Abstracciones. Nueva York, París, Cuenca, México - Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexiko City.
  • 17.09.2015 - 24.01.2016 The EY Exhibition: The World Goes Pop - Tate Modern, London.
  • 26.09.2015 - 29.11.2015 Graphic Wars - Museum Of Contemporary Art, San Diego.
  • 05.04.2014 - 01.06.2014 Fragmentaciones Gráficas. Rafael Canogar - Fundación Antonio Pérez.
  • 07.03.2014 - 31.03.2014 Rafael Canogar. Ocho Maestros del Arte de Nuestro Tiempo - Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Infanta Elena, Tomelloso.
  • 14.11.2013 - 02.02.2014 La Abstracción de Rafael Canogar - Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno, Valencia.
  • 19.02.2010 - 31.08.2010 Conceptos. Seleccion de Fondos del Museo Vostell Malpartida - Museo Vostell, Malpartida de Caceres. 

 

Awards

  • 1969: Golden Palette Prize, Cagnes-sur-Mer.
  • 1971: Itamarati Grand Prize, São Paulo
  • 1972: Golden Sun Prize, Palma de Mallorca.
  • 1982: Grand Prize of the International Triennial for Painting, Sofia.
  • 1998: 'Cultura Viva 1998', Madrid.
  • 2002: Tomás Francisco Prieto Prize, Madrid.
  • 2003: Fine Arts Gold Merit Medal, Madrid.
  • 2006: Culture Prize, Madrid.
  • 2009: Ignazio Silote per la Cultura, Rome.
  • 2009: Serigraph Prize of the Villa de Torre-Pacheco, Murcia.
  • 2012: National Engraving Prize, San Fernando.
  • 2017: Phoenix Art Prize of the Chinese National Academy of Painting and Art, Fenhuang.
  • 2018: "Exceptional Medal for Cultural Merit" of Castilla-La Mancha Region.
  • 2018: Award of the medal of honour by the Asociación Española de Pintores y Escultores.

 

Literature

  • Rafael Canogar. Ayer hoy, exhibition catalog, Centro de arte Tomas y Valiente (Publ.), Cerat, 2017.
  • La abstraccion de Rafael Canogar, exhibition catalog, Institut Valencià d‟Art Modern (Publ.), Valencia 2013.
  • Rafael Canogar: el paso de la pintura, Víctor Nieto Alcaide, San Sebastián 2006.
  • Canogar : exposición enmarcada en el programa, Angela Saucar & Jenny F. Dodman, Madrid 2003.
  • Las constantes artísticas de Rafael Canogar, Javier Tusell, Barcelona 1999.
  • Rafael Canogar, Dypréau Jean, Crispolti Enrico, Cirlot Juan Eduardo, Romr 1962

 

Own Writings

  • Rafael Canogar. Realidad y memoria 1992-2003, Rafael Canogar, Madrid 2003.

 

Collections

Brazil

 

Germany

 

Italy

 

Portugal

 

Spain

 

USA

 

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