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Geraldo de Barros
Sem título | Untitled, 1990montagem em plástico laminado sobre madeira
laminated plastic mounted on wood122,5 x 122,5 cm
48.03 x 48.03 inGeraldo de Barros is a key name of 20th-century Brazilian art. Combining his first studies on painting with a later interest in photography, he pushed the envelope of the traditional photographic processes, questioning the classic rules of composition. Geraldo de Barros took a formal concern – as clearly seen in Brazilian concretism, in which participated intensely – and managed to merge this with his social concerns, leading him to approach the industrial processes in his work, dealing coherently with geometric constructions, reproducibility, the socialization of art, the theory of form and industrial design.One of the most significant figures in Brazilian contemporary art, Geraldo de Barros is recognized as a pioneer who helped pave the way for the avant-garde movements of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. His multidisciplinary investigations helped to position Brazilian art on the global stage, challenging the paradigms of art – in regard to form, material, and medium – while constantly questioning the notion of reproducibility in art.These questions led him to explore ways of producing art that were both accessible and easier to manufacture. In the 1980s, de Barros created a series of works in Formica, designed to be fabricated at the Hobjeto furniture factory. Both his furniture and Formica artworks were made using the same innovative techniques.Um dos artistas brasileiros mais importantes da contemporaneidade, Geraldo de Barros carrega o legado de quem pavimentou o caminho da vanguarda artística brasileira das décadas de 1940, 50 e 60. A multidisciplinaridade de suas pesquisas contribuiu para posicionar nossa arte entre as mais potentes do mundo, quebrando paradigmas dentro da linguagem artística, seja com as formas, materiais e suportes, seja por meio do questionamento permanente da noção de reprodutibilidade da obra de arte.
Esses questionamentos impulsionaram o artista a estudar as possibilidades para obras que fossem de fácil produção e mais acessível. Sendo assim, na década de 1980, o artista criou uma série de trabalhos em fórmica para serem manufaturados na fábrica de móveis Hobjeto. Tanto o mobiliário, quanto às obras em fórmica, eram realizadas utilizando as mesmas técnicas.
