Antoni Tàpies's Late-Career Paintings at Nahmad Contemporary Challenge Expectations

Nahmad Contemporary in New York City hosted "Antoni Tàpies: Paintings, 1970-2003" from March 20 to April 22, 2017, showcasing ten pieces from the Spanish artist’s later years. Situated at 980 Madison Avenue, this exhibition intentionally omitted his iconic works from the 1950s to the 1970s, instead emphasizing his formalist creations from the 1970s onwards. The earliest artwork displayed was Door-Wall (1970), featuring a textured rectangle on unprimed canvas. Significant pieces included Composition (1972) and Black Mark and Arrows (1978). Subsequent works like To Painting (1989) and Base-Matter (1995) further explored these themes. The exhibit indicated a transition in Tàpies' focus from existential despair to an inquiry into the nature of representation in painting, paralleling artists such as Francis Bacon and Robert Motherwell.