Juan Batlle Planas

Juan Miguel Luis Batlle Planas ( born March 3, 1911 in Torroella de Montgrí, Girona, Spain Province; † October 8, 1966 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was the leading exponent of surrealism in the visual arts of Argentina.

In 1913 he moved over the age of two with his parents to Buenos Aires, he never left his life. The Catalan community, he remained closely connected and therefore was early and well acquainted with the works of Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Antoni Tàpies. In a vocational school ( Escuela Industrial), which he attended from 1924, he specialized in mechanics and textile dyeing. In 1926, he learned the art of engraving. Since 1928, he was strongly influenced by Zen Buddhism, influenced by psychoanalysis since 1931. First automatic drawings were 1930. 1934 he turned finally to the surrealism. He created drawings, engravings, oil paintings, wall paintings, sculptures, moving objects, illustrated books, designed theater costumes and decorations and since 1937 also wrote poems.

In addition to this creative activity, he also worked as a theorist and teacher. So he taught from 1947 painting and sculpture in his own studio and was from 1953 courses on the psychology of form.

Name spelling

The name under which the family emigrated to Argentina, was probably Batlle plan, but has the spelling Batlle Planas enforced. Every now and then the name is rendered as a Battle Planas.