Spring Love (2010) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
Currently on view at the Fondation Beyeler is an exhibition featuring work by renowned Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes (b. 1960 Rio de Janeiro). Incorporating basic motifs from the diverse and tropical culture of Brazil, Milhazes’ work also recalls symbolism from the history of Brazilian culture. After major exhibitions including those at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Fondation Cartier, Paris, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, and the Pinacoteca, São Paulo, this is the artist’s first exhibition in Switzerland. The solo exhibit will feature four new large-scale paintings revolving around the theme of the four seasons which were commissioned for the show. Also included are a selection of the artist’s colorful collages as well as a mobile and a vibrant floor work.
More text and images after the jump…
Summer Love (2010) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
Milhazes’ art reveals vibrant compositions encompassing colorful abstract ornaments, flower motifs, and geometric forms laden with the movement and rhythm of Brazil’s dynamic culture. Her vibrant abstract style recalls the evident influence of Henri Matisse but also echos the rhythmic geometric patterns of Piet Mondrian, and Sonia Delaunay.
Modinha (2007) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
Milhazes’ compositions also recall Brazilian modernism, a key movement in the history of Brazilian art which took place during the 1920s to the 1940s which challenged the dominance of Western art and sought to actively merge Brazilian and European culture.
Summer Love (2010) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
From the beginning of her career, Milhazes has devoted herself to collage. Her unique painting style, which recalls dials or transfers, echoes the method found in traditional collage technique. She works by applying paint to transparent plastic foil and when the paint is dry she places the foil on the canvas. She repeats this process continually until the foil elements leave traces which reappear in the same or different work. These foils act as layers, thus preserving past and present time. They capture an earlier moment of the artist’s painting and contribute to the final product.
Autumn Love (2010) by Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
The current exhibition’s theme of the “Four Seasons” was the first time the artist decided upon the subject matter of her work before she began to paint. She normally selects a title for her work after upon completion. Collage titles are often derived from the materials she uses, which include colored, monochrome, patterned, glossy or fluorescent papers.
Beatriz Milhazes at the Fondation Beyeler Exhibition View, via Fondation Beyeler
The exhibition’s finale is an impressive floor work also shown by the Fondation Beyeler at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2010. It incorporates hand-painted white, gold, and platinum ceramic tiles designed by the artist.
Beatriz Milhazes Installation View at Fondation Beyeler
Beatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
eatriz Milhazes, via Fondation Beyeler
-R.A. Proctor
Related Links:
Exhibition Page [Fondation Beyeler]
Beatriz Milhazes at the Fondation Beyeler [Vernissage TV]
Four New Monumental Paintings by Brazilian Artist Beatriz Milhazes at the Fondation Beyeler [Artdaily]
