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BIOGRAPHY

BY ALICIA VELA

1957

Magi Baleta was born August, 15th in the Dr. Seguí clinic in Barcelona.

1962-64

First years of school in the Mare de Déu School in Sant Feliu de Llobregat.

1965-74

Highschool degree at the Verge de la Salut School in Sant Feliu de Llobregat.

1967-73

At a very young age he already showed great interest in drawing and painting. He takes classes in Sant Feliu with professor Estapé. During this period he finds himself drawn to landscapes, which will remain one of his main interests during his professional career. 


This is how his brother Pere Baleta describes his love for the mountains "we remember his great interest for the mountains not only as an artistic inspiration but also as a fondness. It was my brother who introduced me to mountain climbing. We shared this interest since we were very young. I remember the trips to Collserola, la Penya del Moro, les Torres... sometimes having to cross through inhospitable paths and other times simply through open fields with my complaints of the spikes and thorns. I remember during the time of Joanot Martorell he went with friends to Pedraforca, el Taga, el Puigmal... where he returned years later with Mar.

For several consecutive summers he spent some time with his friend Manel Plana in La Mancha (campo de Criptana) and Teruel (Albarracín). He always came back with lots of notes he would draw in pencil and watercolours. It must have been the end of the seventies. He introduced me to discovering the vertical walls of Montserrat. Together we walked through the endless ways and channels of the mountain he felt so close to. The channels of Sant Jeroni, Micos, els Ecos, Cavall Bernat were some of the ones we traveled through”. 

1975

Highschool Degree at Joanot Martorell Institute in Esplugues de Llobregat.

1976

Admission at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Barcelona.

 

Me meets Jaume Plensa, Ignasi y Xavier Aballí, María Carbonero, Salvador Juanpere, Amador P. Calvet. He collaborates later on and maintains a good friendship with all of them. 

1976-78

Art teacher at the Sagrada Familia de Barcelona School, C.I.C. Institute and at the Applied Arts School in Cornellá.

1978-79

Studies Litography with Daniel Argimon at the Conservatory of the Arts of the Book in Barcelona.

1980-81

Graduates in Painting and Printed Art at the Faculty of Fine Arts of Barcelona. In the same year he begins his partnership with the Printed Art Department at the Faculty starts. 

1980

He travels to New York with Jaume Plensa.

1981
At the end of the year he takes up and shares the atelier with Jaume Plensa in the Joaquín Costa Street, 24 1º 1ª.

1982-99

Collaborates as a consultant and begins a close relationship with the studio “ediciones 6a” in Palma de Mallorca directed by the Printmakers Pep Sitgar, Lluís Roca and the artists María Carbonero and Ramón Canet.From the beginning he contributes and participates in many activities carried out by the studio. During these years some of Baleta’s engravings and litographies are printed.

1982

Generalitat de Catalunya Grant for "Research in new expressive forms”.
Group Exhibition "Arteder'82". Bilbao.
Group Exhibition. Biological Faculty of the Barcelona University.

 

1982-87

Print making professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Barcelona.
 

1983

Individual exhibition at the Contratalla Gallery in Tarragona.
Group Exhibition at the Spanish Institute of the Spanish Embassy in Athens, Greece.
Master of Arts in Fine Arts.


In the same building at the Joaquín Costa Street, 24 he moves to the third floor where he will later have his print making studio. His passion and sensibility for the graphic arts will make this place a center of vital importance for the printed art editing and experimenting in Barcelona. He collaborated with important artists in his studio such as Daniel Argimon, Antonio Saura, Antoni Tápies, Francesc Guitart, Pablo Palazuelo, Eduardo Arroyo, Sean Scully, Jaume Plensa, M.A. Campano, Alicia Vela, Ignasi Aballí, Arranz Bravo, Joan Benassar, Ramón Canet, Ferran Garcia Sevilla, Xavier Grau, J.M. Sicilia, Xano Armenter, Perico Pastor, Pere Gastó, Miquel Vilá, Santi Moix, Julio Vaquero, Juan Cruz, Charo Pradas, Susy Gómez, J.P. Croft. Saskia Moro, Adolfo Estrada, Joan Brotat, Carmen Calvo, Carlos Pazos, Cormenzana, Agustí Puig...
 

Group Exhibition "el gravat de creació. Calcografia contemporánia.". Fundació Caixa de Pensions, Palau Macaia. Barcelona. Catalogue.
 

1984
Together with Lluí Vives he creates an editorial collaboration in order to publish graphic art. They wanted to “regain the interest in those artists committed to printed art, who produced direct and original work, preserving the tactile and visual qualities inherent in the often wasted engraving techniques. Moreover, we pursue an openminded field of experiment and search to support this self-contained language”

He directs and coordinates the editing of “Carpeta 6 pintors"; litography and chalcography works of Ana Comellas, Cristina Escapé, Joaquín Escudé, Sol Fábrega, Esperanza García, Lluís Vives at the studio 6a in Palma.  
 

1984-85

He actively collaborates in the creation and teaching of the international printed art courses in Arenys de Mar y Calella. Barcelona.

1985

Travels with his brother and a group of friends from Sant Feliu to the Aneto's summit.
 

Group exhibition Contemporary catalan Art "Art Català Contemporani". Fundación Xarxa Cultural. Catalogue.

1986

Group exhibition Catalonia Center of Art "Catalunya Centre d'Art". Girona.

1987

Individual exhibition Fausto Velázquez gallery, Sevilla.
Group exhibition 6a Graphic Work “6a Obra Gráfica”. Lonja Mallorca. Catalogue.
Group exhibition 6a Graphic Work “6ª Obra Gráfica". Calcografía Nacional. Madrid. Catalogue.
Invited as an artist to the Conference on editing and contemporary printed art by Calcografía Nacional.

1988

Invited artist over six months by the printed art department and litography of the Visual Arts Research Institute, ASU, (Universidad de Phoenix Arizona) tempe AZ USA. Crucial stage of his development as he starts his mineral series, subtle repetitions that let conceptual aspects of the graphic techniques shine through. 

 

Participation in the group exhibition Contemporary spanish Printed Art "grabado Contemporáneo Español". Conde Duque Center. Madrid.
 

1989

Group Exhibition "6a Llonja". Palma de Mallorca.
On the occasion of the exhibition he participates in the workshop "Creative Printed Art. Original Work Today" along with Joan Barbará, Juan Carrete Parrondo, José Hernández and Gonzalo Calvo at the Sa Nostra auditorium of Palma de Mallorca.
Participation at the 18th Biennale of Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. Catalogue.

 

1990

Group exhibition "9 catalonian print artist". Bello Piñeiro Museum. Ferrol. Catalogue.
Group exhibition Members's Work Today, Nagoya 90. Japan. Catalogue.
Group exhibition in Sa Torre de ses Puntes. Manacor.
Participates together with Juan Carrete Parrondo, José Hernández and Gonzalo Calvo in the Sa Nostra auditorium. Palma de Mallorca.
Travels to Paris and participates at the graphic art fair SAGA, Grand Palais, with 6a (6th) Editions of Palma.
He meets his lifemate Esperanza Mulet.

1991

Invited as a Professor by the Fine arts school of Helsinki. Finland.
 

1992
His daughter Mar is born.

Individual exhibition Espai Gráfic Shahin Nassar, Palma de Mallorca.
Group exhibition "6a Graphic Work". Rostok and Bremen. Germany.

1993

Selected for the group exhibition of the National Printed Art Award. Calcografía Nacional. Madrid. Catalogue.
 

1995

Individual exhibition in the Caligrama gallery. Barcelona.
Selected for the group exhibition of the National Printed Art Award. Calcografía Nacional. Madrid. Catalogue. 
Group exhibition "Gràfica Contemporània Barcelona-Nagoya". Casa Golferichs, Barcelona. Participates in the workshop with Joan Hernandez Pijuan and Antoni Valero.

1997 

Individual exhibition in Edicions 6a Obra Gráfica Gallery. Barcelona.
Individual exhibition Taiki-dö Gallery. Naka-ku. Yokohama. Japan.

 

1998

II Graphic Art Trienal. La Estampa Contemporánea. Cultural Center of Asturias, Palacio de Revillagigedo. Gijón. Catalogue.
Invited as a Professor for postgraduate studies in “from the printed importance to the digital impression”. Fine Arts Faculty of Barcelona.
On the occasion of the exhibition "Rembrandt, the natural and human landscape. Engravings” at the Caixa de Pensions de Palma de Mallorca Foundation, he participates in the workshop "Present time of the Graphic Arts” along with Pep Sitjar, Joan Oliver, Ricard Martinez and Luis Humberto.

1999

Travels to Saint-Yrieix La- Perche in order to take part in the "6éme Biennale du Libre d'Artiste". He enjoys his passion for editing and presents his books on etching "Som l'altre" with poems from Biel Mesquida. His last metaphor about the river and the mountain. France.
He presents his book "Som l'altre" at the cultural center Sa Nostra de Palma of Mallorca in December of the same year.
On Mallorca, during a trip with his daughter, he passes away in an unfortunate accident.

2000

Presentation of the book "Som l'altre: Poems by Biel Mesquida, printed art by Magí Baleta". Librería Laie in CCCB, Barcelona.
Celebrating “Ciutat de paraules", a reproduction of a mural painting piece of "Som l'altre" was placed across the MACBA, Barcelona.
Solo exhibition of the editing of the printed art work from his book "Som l'altre" in Espai Mallorca. Barcelona.
Group exhibition Contemporary Graphic Art in Barcelona. Museum for printed art. Buenos Aires. Argentina.
Group exhibition "Taller 6a". Sa Nostra. Palma de Mallorca. Catalogue.

2001

Group exhibition "13L. Llibres d'artista". Sant Pol de Mar Museum. Barcelona.
Exhibition "Magí Baleta". Art Center Santa Mónica. Barcelona. October-November 2001. Catalogue.

2002

Exhibition "Magí Baleta". Cultural Center Can Ricart, Sant Feliu de Llobregat. February 2002. Catalogue.
Exhibition "Magí Baleta". Espai Ramon Llull, Palma de Mallorca. March 2002. Catalogue.

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