The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Tàpies, Antoni
(änt´n tä´ps) (KEY) , 1923, Catalan artist. He became a painter after first studying law. His earliest works were inventive arrangements of objects against dark backgrounds, but his later work shows the influence of Paul Klee and Joan Miró. Under the influence of Jean Dubuffet, his work became more abstract and he began to mix media. For example, he painted Desk with a Straw directly on a desktop. Other notable works include Grey Blanket (1971, New York), Pants and Woven Wire (1973, Los Angeles), and Blue and Bamboo (1973, Barcelona).