IGUALADA, 1962 Josep Millàs
For Josep Millàs, one of the fundamental values in the art of painting lies in the purity of the process—both in terms of medium and method—.
Josep Millàs is an artist who works from the silence of matter to give voice to emotions. With a career recognized by several painting awards, his work has been exhibited in numerous shows and is part of private collections in Europe, the United States, and Canada.
His artistic practice is mainly articulated through acrylic on wood. These materials allow him to explore textures, transparencies, and contrasts, shaping a unique language that moves between form and intuition. Each piece is the result of a deep dialogue with light, color, and gesture.
With a contemporary outlook and vibrant energy, Millàs invites us to a pictorial experience where emotion and matter merge with authenticity and expressive strength.
“Between Gothic and Modernism”
by Josep Manel Aznar, artist
The works hanging on the walls of the Sala Rusiñol belong to the artist Josep Millàs. He is a creator deeply committed—above all—to well-executed work: elegant in form and color, carefully refined in detail, and always grounded in the essence and presence of what is seriously presented to us.
This does not prevent the artist from intentionally incorporating elements of distortion in his design, characteristic of the creative act, or from revealing his poetic rebelliousness in everything that may, at first glance, appear familiar.
For Josep Millàs, one of the fundamental values in the art of painting lies in the purity of the process—both in terms of medium and method—and he is drawn to this principle with a conviction that goes beyond what we can glimpse in his works.
The representational elements that make up nearly all of these images have been carefully chosen and strategically placed on the surface, so that for the viewer’s eye, their contemplation becomes neither tedious nor obscure, but rather clear and accessible.
At the same time, Millàs integrates into his paintings chromatic areas that are sufficiently meaningful, designed to surround and define the true protagonist or main subject of the pictorial scene. He does so by relying on a simple yet effective visual imagination.
Millàs’s figuration can be described as highly personal and sincere, without artifice or ambiguity, allowing us to approach it without obstacles, always accompanied by a subtle aura of plastically expressed stillness.
In the works before us, one instantly notices the absence of the most organic element—the human figure—which has been entirely removed from the scene, giving almost all protagonism to architectural presence. Architecture emerges as the true axis, actor, and structural backbone of the image. In fact, one can sense conceptual echoes of fin-de-siècle French symbolism—as if concealing a message—or the metaphysical art of the Italian painter De Chirico.
As for color, Josep has made two tones his own: earthy browns and blues. Blended with subtle intention and skill, they create an interplay in which the resulting greys serve as a counterpoint to the soft, carefully crafted harmony. It is a rather intimate color palette, a composition that could be described as idealistic, and a direct, concise offering to the senses of the viewer—perhaps captivated by a mystery that slowly dissolves.
To conclude, I would add that this exhibition, the result of months of work, is not only filled with craftsmanship, experience, and elegance, but also with honesty. It becomes a distinctive artistic event that highlights the connection between what is seen and the passion of an artist in love with painting.
Thank you, Josep!
