La barque, 1984

Miquel Barceló is a contemporary Spanish artist who creates abstract and conceptual paintings and sculpture. His earlier works are also influenced by the avant-garde and neo-expressionistmovements. The artist cites Italian painter and sculptor Lucio Fontana as a major influence. Barceló experiments widely with technique and material, the latter of which has included cast iron, Africa ceramics, decaying matter, and items he acquired during travels.Born on the island of Majorca, Barceló frequently incorporates the motif of the sea with its constantly moving shapes and colors into his work. At the same time, he has more than once been inspired by the textures of the desert (e.g. his white paintings based on the Sahara) and, in certain pieces, used them in juxtaposition with the sea. The artist has suggested entering a cave is similar to diving underwater, as both affects one's perception of light and the passage of time. Two of Barceló's best-known art installations include over 3,000 square feet of painted terra cotta clay -- depicting the Biblical tale of bread and fish -- on the walls of the San Pedro Cathedral Chapel in Majorca and over 16,000 square feet of colorful stalactites on the ceiling of the Palace of Nations, home to the United Nations. The latter transforms the space into "a sea and a cave," according to the artist.With his illustrations of Dante's Divine Comedy, Barceló's became the youngest artist to have work exhibited at the Louvre in Paris. (Artist website)