bicho lecture

Overview of Lidia Clarke

  • Artist Background

    • Lidia Clarke was a Brazilian artist born in 1920 and passed away in 1988.

    • Widely recognized as one of the preeminent artists from Brazil.

    • Her work gained substantial attention with a retrospective exhibition at MoMA in 2014.

    • Worked primarily in Rio de Janeiro.

    • Associated with a collective known as Grupo Frenchi or the Front Group.

Grupo Frenchi and the Emergence of Concrete Art

  • Historical Context

    • Grupo Frenchi was an assembly of artists working during the 1950s.

    • They focused on geometric abstraction.

    • The movement was heavily influenced by concrete art, a multidisciplinary initiative that included painting, poetry, advertising, design, landscaping, and music.

  • Definition of Concrete Art

    • Coined by Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg in 1930.

    • Refers to a form of nonfigurative painting and sculpture, also described as non-representational, indicating no reference to the human figure or specific natural objects.

    • Van Doesburg's manifesto declared that painting should be constructed from purely plastic elements, such as planes and colors (where 'plastic' refers to visual aspects and not the material).

    • Distinguished from abstract art as it emanates directly from the mind rather than abstracting natural forms.

  • Retrospective Application

    • The term concrete art has been retrospectively applied to works by artists such as Mondrian, Kandinsky, and Malevich.

Contributions of Artists Involved in Concrete Art

  • Max Bill's Role

    • Swiss artist Max Bill commenced work in concrete art in 1931.

    • Important for introducing concrete art to Brazil with his sculpture titled "Tripartite Unity" made from stainless steel.

    • The sculpture presents a Mobius strip, blending mathematical principles with artistic expression.

    • Exhibited at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art in 1950 and won a prize at the first Sao Paulo Biennial in 1951.

  • Critical Reception

    • Critic Mario Pedroza noted that geometry brought order and clarity to Brazilian art, promoting modernity.

  • Waldemar Cordero

    • Became spokesman for the Rupture Group in Sao Paulo, advocating for concrete art principles.

    • Promoted mechanical drawing to eliminate human gesture, focusing on modularity and seriality.

    • Imagery involved abstract visions relying on color, line, and plane.

Shift Towards Neo Concrete Art

  • Tensions Between Artistic Groups

    • During the late 1950s, differences arose between artists from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

    • Rio artists sought more sensitive, organic geometries, leading to the formation of Neo Concrete Art.

  • Neo Concrete Movement

    • Introduction of a manifesto in 1959 by artists, including Lidia Clarke.

    • Aimed to distance themselves from the Sao Paulo group's rigid rationalism.

  • Philosophy and Expression

    • The Neo Concrete artists viewed art as a "quasi corpus," transcending mere physical assembly.

    • Their work sought to integrate a sense of life as opposed to the lifeless quality perceived in Sao Paulo's approach.

Lidia Clarke's Contributions to Neo Concrete Art

  • Ovor (The Egg)

    • Work by Lidia Clarke highlighting references to organic forms, breaking away from pure abstraction.

    • Featured a gap in the canvas inviting the outside world into the artwork and vice versa, creating ambiguity about internal and external spaces.

  • Bichos: Small Creatures

    • Clarke utilized aluminum and geometric shapes to create a playful engagement with the viewer.

    • Hundreds of these sculptures were created, and each could be manipulated, encouraging viewer participation in the art-making process.

    • Bichos were hinged, allowing for multiple configurations, emphasizing the concept of viewer interaction.

  • Radical Intent

    • Scaled back the emphasis on traditional value in art objects, using accessible materials like those from hardware stores.

    • While originally designed for interaction, these works have been institutionalized, losing some of their radical potential.

Exhibition and Interaction with Bichos

  • Installation Context

    • Example installations showcase the physical presence of the Bichos in varying contexts.

    • Preferences for exhibiting works in ways that integrate with everyday life (e.g., on the floor versus on pedestals) to maintain viewer engagement and accessibility.

    • Current display methods sometimes obscure the interactive and participatory nature originally intended by Clarke and the Neo Concrete movement.