Gazing at his canvases, you become aware of repeated symbols and recurring thematic pre-occupations and yet these never become monotonous or predictable. Paradoxically, they serve to empasise Miró's versatility as an artist because the symbols appear within radically diverse contexts. The most fascinating works for me are the burnt canvases, where Miró has entered a partnership with a destructive and fearsome elemental force. The result of this 'collaboration' is an unlikely blend of the planned and the contingent. Charred and jagged voids appear in the centre of the canvases, which are suspended in the middle of the room so you can walk around them and see them from both sides. They have effectively become sculptures. His most beautiful paintings are undoubtedly the 'constellation' series - dazzling and intense - many of which are represented here.
My view of Miró has shifted radically after seeing this exhibition. I thought of him as apolitical but this show emphasises his sense of Catalan identity and committed stance against Franco. His unsettling but beautiful paintings bear witness to an age of violence and anxiety we can only guess at. A very fine show.
