Lygia Clark
0.0
industrial paint on wood
41 by 82cm.; 16 1/8 by 32 1/4 in.
Executed in 1957-1982.AUTHENTICATION
This work is registered in the archives of The World of Lygia Clark Cultural Association under
number 544 and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
CATALOGUE NOTE
Lygia Clark was one of the most innovative Latin American artists of the 20th Century. She
transformed the practice of geometric abstraction through a profound belief in the importance of
interaction between an artwork and “participant”.
Clark initially explored the Modernist traditions that infiltrated Brazilian culture in the 1940s, and
looked toward geometric abstractions and the interplay of colour and line in the construction of
pictorial space. These initial investigations soon developed into bolder, more dynamic
compositions. The artist’s pivotal role in the Rio de Janeiro-based Neo-Concrete movement in the
late 1950s was imperative to her artistic development. The group challenged rationalist
Constructivism and promoted a subjective, more organic approach to art. The use of new
materials was greatly encouraged, as was the importance of invention and creativity.
Conceived in 1957 and realised in 1982, Superfície Modulada No. 2 is a beautifully serene
example from this incredibly important transitional period. Clark’s use of industrial paint on wood
together with her method of penetrating the picture surface with linear divisions, underscores her
interest in physical versus pictorial space. By fracturing the surface of the painting with fine
recessed lines, Clark creates something tangible, almost three-dimensional, thus disallowing a
planar reading of the surface. The absence of a frame or visible support allows the artwork into
real space within which the viewer can exist. Lygia Clark would endeavour throughout her career
to create a more direct relationship between the body and the object itself. With Superfície
Modulada No. 2, Clark creates an alternative for the art object. With this early and seminal work,
we see the beginning of the artist’s conception of art as an immersive and subjective experience.
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