Untitled, 2009

Rafael Canogar  

Rafael Canogar is a Spanish painter and sculptor, born in 1935.

After the Spanish civil war, his family settled in Madrid. The artist got hold of a paint brush at the age of 10. From 1948 until 1940, his family moved to Saint Sebastien for a year, during which Rafael Canogar took drawing lessons from the Basque artist, Martiarena.

1954 onwards, he turned towards abstract art, passionate about the link between shape and the material, his work is a lot like monochromes. In 1957, he created the EI Paso group. With artists like Luis Feito, Manuel Rivera and Antonio Saura, he begins the Spanish avant-garde movement and continues to do so until 1960.

He's completely devoted to the activity, and lets go off paint brushes and applies paint with his hands on canvas. He applies folds of pigments, like a farmer who cultivates land.

During the 60's, he makes portraits, but it's not the resemblance which motivates this practice. A technique that gradually heads towards abstraction and he begins to include collages.

In 1982, Rafael Canogar is awarded the National Prize of Arts in Spain, before being designated Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1985.