1. Concretism and Neo-Concretism
A Radical Leap
Jornal do Brazil, 1958
Concretism and Neo-Concretism

2. International Sources

3. International European Constructivism: (left) Max Bill “Art Concrete” Retrospective, Zurich, Switzerland. (right above) Neoplasticism, Piet Mondrian (Dutch, ), Tableau, 1921; (right below) De Stijl, Theo van Doesburg, Simultaneous Counter-Composition, 1925

4. Georges Vantongerloo (Dutch, ), Curves, 1938, oil on panel, x 70.5 cm. European source for Brazilian Concrete artists

5. Max Bill (Swiss, , “Zurich Concrete” Group) Tripartite Unity, , stainless steel, 19x35x46” Museu de Arte Contemporanea da Universidade de Sao Paulo. Moebius strip spatial and surface qualities

6. " We call those works of art concrete that came into being on the basis of their inherent resources and rules - without external borrowing from natural phenomena…. Concrete art … is the expression of the human spirit, intended for the human spirit, and it should have the sharpness, the clarity and the perfection that must be expected from the human spirit.… Concrete art is ultimately the pure expression of harmonious measure and law. It orders systems and uses artistic resources to give life to these orders … It strives for universality and yet it cultivates uniqueness.”
- Max Bill

7. Max Bill, Endless Ribbon, granite, 1953 (orig
Max Bill, Endless Ribbon, granite, 1953 (orig., 1935), Baltimore Museum of Art Sculpture Garden

8. Alexander Calder (American Kinetic Abstract Sculptor, ) ceiling of “acoustic clouds” for the Aula Magna auditorium, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, architect Carlos Raul Villanueva, 1952

10. Antônio Maluf, Poster for the First São Paulo Biennial, 1951

11. Joaquin Torres-García, Constructivist Painting No
Joaquin Torres-García, Constructivist Painting No. 8, 1938, gouache on paperboard , 31 5/8 in. x 19 1/2 in. SFMOMA. Publication of text, Universal Constructivism, Torres-Garcia’s theory of art that he promoted in Uruguay after 1934 at the El Taller Torres-García(the Torres-García studio), part of the School of the South, where artists worked collectively on murals, architecture, sculpture, and crafts, often in conjunction with writers, musicians, and performers.

12. Lucio Fontana (Argentina,1899 - Italy,1968) Concetto spaziale, 1952 enamel on metal, diameter: 9’ 9’

13. Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale (Spatial Concept) 1965, water-based paint on canvas, 130 x 97 cm

14. Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, oil on canvas, punctured, 1949
Lucio Fontana, Concetto spaziale, oil on canvas, punctured, A painting opened up to space like sculpture – a “sculpture-painting”

15. (left) Tomás Maldonado (1921- ) Argentinian-born, painter, industrial designer, and theorist) design for the cover of Arturo (“a review of abstract arts”), 1944, which lauched the Asociación Arte Concreto-Invención and Madi movements (right) Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Composition, oil on wood, Central influence on young, non-figurative artists.

16. Tomás Maldonado, Untitled, 1945, tempera on cardboard mounted on varnished wood, 79 x 60 cm. “problem” of the frame – sculpture/painting

17. Manuel Espinosa (Argentine, b
Manuel Espinosa (Argentine, b. 1912) Painting, 1945, oil on board, 88 x 47 cm.

18. Lidy Prati, Concreto, 1945 oil on board, 62 x 48 cm.

19. Gyula Kosice, Madí Luminous Structure, neon, 1946

20. Gyula Kosice, Royi, Articulated Sculpture, 1944, wood

21. Lygia Clark (Brazil, 1920-1988), at work in Rio de Janeiro 1958,

22. (left) Lygia Clark, Relief Painting with Yellow Square, oil, 1957, 30 in. H Brazilian Neoconcretism compare: Kasimir Malevich, Suprematism, White on White, 1918

23. Lygia Clark, Sundial, 1960, 3 views, Neoconcretism compare with (LR) Max Bill, Tripartite Unity, Concretism

24. Lygia Clark, Machine Animal (Bicho), 1962, aluminum, 55x65, Sao Paulo

25. Lygia Clark, Rubber Grub, 1964 (1986), rubber, 56 in
Lygia Clark, Rubber Grub, 1964 (1986), rubber, 56 in.H Museo de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro

26. Lygia Clark, Mandala, from the series, Collective Body, 1959, Elastic bands linking people at their wrists or ankles

27. Lygia Clark, Air & Stone (Multiple) 1966, inflated plastic bag and stone

28. (left) Lygia Clark, Mask with Mirrors, 1967; (below) Dialogue, 1968 The mask holds small movable mirrors in front of the eyes, juxtaposing and fracturing reflections of the self and the surrounding world. (right) Clark, Sensorial Gloves, Part of Nostalgia of the Body series. Gloves are made of various materials, sizes and textures. Participants use the many combinations of gloves and balls of different sizes, textures and weights, and then hold the balls again with bare hands.

29. Lygia Clark, Individual Therapy with Relational Objects, Rio de Janeiro, 1975

30. Lygia Clark & Helio Oiticica, Dialogue of Hands (multiple), 1966, Elastic Moebius band

31. (left) Hélio Oiticica (Brazil, ), White Crossing Red – Metaschema 1968, oil, 21 in. high. Concretism (right) Piet Mondrian, Tableau, 1921, Neoplasticism, and Kasimir Malevich, Suprematism, White on White, 1918

32. Hélio Oiticica, Spatial Relief, 1959, synthetic polymer paint on wood, 38x48x8” compare (right) Alexander Rodchenko , Spatial Relief, 1920, Russian Constructivism

33. Helio Oiticica, Glass BolidePortuguese word for fireball or flaming meteor 4 Earth, 1964, Glass, earth, and painted gauze

34. Helio Oiticica, Box Bolide, 1964, painted wood and glass, 20 in H, Rio de Janeiro

35. Hélio Oiticica, Tropicalia, 1967, installation exhibited in the New Brazilian Objectivity exhibition at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro

36. Helio Oiticica, Nildo, of the Mangueira samba group, wearing Parangolés, 1964 Oiticica defined the Parangole as "anti-art par excellence" and discussed his aspirations "to create new experimental conditions where the artist takes on the role of proposer, impresario or even educator.”

37. Helio Oiticica, Mosquito of Mangueira wearing Cape 6 (Paragole 10), 1965, and dancing with Glass Bolide 5 (Homage to Mondrian), 1964

38. This entire experience into which art flows, the issue of liberty
itself, of the expansion of the individual's consciousness, of the
return to myth, the rediscovery of rhythm, dance, the body, the
senses, which finally are what we have as weapons of direct,
perceptual, participatory knowledge is revolutionary in the total sense of behavior. (Oiticica)

39. Lygia Pape (Brazil, ) Pages from The Book of Creation, 1959, painted card, each c. 30x30 cm. Neo-Concrete. Genesis narrative of human development in abstract geometric metaphors that can be manipulated by the viewer turned co-creator.
Lygia Pape, Väviska, 1957

40. Lygia Pape, The Keel – Cutting through Time, page from The Book of Creation, 1959

41. Lygia Pape, Divisor, 1968, 98 ft. cotton square
Lygia Pape, Divisor, 1968, 98 ft. cotton square. “Mathematical order was once again displaced by people’s movements and speech.” (Guy Brett)

42. Sérgio de Camargo (Brazil, 1930 – 1990) Large Split Relief No
Sérgio de Camargo (Brazil, 1930 – 1990) Large Split Relief No.34/4/74 , painted wood, , c. 200x100cm, Tate Gallery, London. Neo-Concretism
detail

43. Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt, b. Germany, 1912-17; d
Gego (Gertrude Goldschmidt, b. Germany, ; d. Venezuela, 1994), Vibrations in Black, 1957, aluminium, 75 x 60 x 43 cm, Sammlung Fundación Gego, Caracas

44. Gego, Untitled, Watercolor and ink on cardboard, 10 15/16 x 9 1/16 inches. Fundación Gego Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

45. From the series: Drawings without Paper Gego created these types of works beginning in 1976/1977. They are assemblages of wires, elements from building blocks, hangers, and other found and modified objects. The 2003 Venice Biennale exhibited her works as “Structures for Survival”
Detail showing construction
Wire Drawing Without Paper lighted to produce
equivalent shadow

46. Gego, Reticularia, Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, 1969
Gego, installation photo,1989(?)

47. Gego, Reticularea, 1975, stainless steel wire, 83 X 102 X 8 inches, Houston MFA

48. Gego, "Drawing Without Paper 83/9," 1983
Gego, "Drawing Without Paper 83/9," Aluminum hoop, plastic mesh, plastic hoops, enameled iron wire, and metal pieces, 8 1/4 x 7 1/16 x 3/16 inches. Fundación Gego Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.