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exhibitions modErnism [paGEs 62 to 67] Ana. “In other words, this is also part of it, it is a value Shortly after arriving in Brazil, in 1920, where
for this modernist project, that these things are part he married Regina and settled down for the rest
BEYOND THE of the daily life of people”, he adds, pointing out that of his life, Graz exhibited at the Salão do Cinema
the exhibition includes menus and fans for carnival
Central in São Paulo. It is said that there Oswald de
WEEK OF 22 balls designed by Gomide and drawings by Flávio Andrade was enchanted by his work and bought one
de Carvalho for the ballet A Cangaceira. of his paintings, offering for the transaction a land in
Expanding the debate on Brazilian Some of the highlights of the selection currently Pinheiros - where Graz would later build his house. It
modernism is featured in exhibitions at on display, such as the living room set designed by was also Oswald who invited him, two years later, to
major institutions, highlighting the role Graz (which was also present at the mam exhibition) participate in the Week of Modern Art, where Graz
of decorative and applied arts and the is a reason for celebration apart for the museum, would present seven paintings. Despite approaching
production of names such as John Graz and as it represents one of the most important recent the movement of modernist artists in this period - he
the Gomide brothers donations received by the mac: from the Fulvia also collaborates with the famous magazine Klaxon -,
and Adolpho Leirner Art Déco Collection in Brazil.
Graz quickly began to devote himself more to applied
“From the point of view of mac’s institutional history, arts and interior architecture.
By maria HirsZman and I have no doubt, this is - after the collection that He immersed himself in the rationalist ideology of
marcos Grinspum fErraZ Ciccillo created for the creation of mam-sp, which the Bauhaus, and it was especially in the international
was transferred to mac, and perhaps the Theon explosion of Art Deco - which allowed ornaments
in aDDition to the traDitional exaltation that Spanudis donation - the most important donation and decorations rejected by the German school -
usually marks the celebrations of great dates, the that the museum has received in recent times. Also that Graz was inspired. He is therefore considered
movement around the centenary of the Week of because it is more difficult for the museum today to one of the main names to bring the European style
Modern Art in 1922 - which promises to shake up find collectors willing to donate works of this quality to Brazil, notably after visiting, alongside Regina,
the calendar for next year - seems to stimulate and importance”, says the curator. in Paris, the International Exhibition of Decorative
the expansion and deepening of studies and “Universities are durable institutions. This collection and Modern Industrial Arts, in 1925. His dedication
investigations about modernity in Brazil. At least will be studied, preserved and disseminated in an to this universe resulted in opening of the John Graz
that is what the various exhibitions recently opened in academic environment. Furthermore, the university Decoration store in 1930, with which he decorated
different museums indicate, such as the Pinacoteca usually does not have the funds to purchase rare and houses designed by famous modern architects such
do Estado, the Museum of Modern Art (mam-sp) unique works”, says Adolpho Leirner when explaining as Warchavchik and Rino Levi. But it is also from this
and the Museum of Contemporary Art (mac usp). why he and Fulvia decided to bequeath the works to performance that a certain rejection of his name-and
In addition to their particular characteristics, the the museum. According to him, the exhibition Projects of the Gomide brothers-in the pantheon of the great
exhibitions held by these three institutions make for a Modern Daily Life already signals this interest. In modernist artists in the country stems from.
up, as a whole, an interesting panel, which together addition to the furniture by Graz and the furniture set “There was a misunderstanding of the artistic
reaffirms issues that are often kept in the background: at the Casa Modernista by Gregori Warchavchik, a class itself. John Graz creates absolutely modern
the role of the decorative arts in the constitution of series of other gems from this collection, mined over environments, but that falls into the ‘decor’ category,
this modern thought; the fundamental importance the decades, are added to the museum’s collection. it’s not art. They did not understand the importance of
of less established but no less relevant artists, such Among them, it is possible to mention the sculpture this union between intellectual creation and industry,
as John Graz and the Gomide brothers; the need India, by Cássio M´Boi, a plaster relief by Antelo the production of objects for everyday use. They were
to pay attention to precious information present Del Debbio (found by chance by the couple in a still closely linked to the traditional genres of art:
in less valued materials, such as drawings, studies demolition house on Av. Rebouças), two chairs by painting, sculpture, engraving, drawing”, says Milliet.
and correspondence, with a significant and growing Flávio de Carvalho and the study for a poster of the Fernanda Pitta follows the same line: “Both at that
presence in museum collections. Tarsila do Amaral exhibition in Moscow. The donation moment and in the historiography that comes later,
“Our interest is precisely to look at other matrices also includes an archive with data on all this material, there was a tendency to reduce the experimental and
and configurations of modernity and the modern that which constitutes important research material and transformative aspect of Art Deco, without realizing
historiography has not paid so much attention to which served as the basis for the book Arte Déco no the rupture and experimentation character that this
today. It has not looked as it should”, says Fernanda Brasil - Fulvia e Adolpho Leirner Collection, released school presented in that historical context”.
Pitta, curator of the John Graz exhibition: tropical last year by Editora Olhares. “There was a misunderstanding of the artistic
and modern idyll, on display at Pinacoteca Station. This greater openness to the study and exhibition class itself. John Graz creates absolutely modern
“A lot has already been said about artists such as of design and applied arts is celebrated by Leirner, environments, but that falls into the ‘decor’ category,
Di Cavalcanti, Tarsila do Amaral, Anita Malfatti and who underlines the importance - including historical it’s not art. They did not understand the importance of
Lasar Segall - who established themselves with an - of the collection that he assembled in the last half this union between intellectual creation and industry,
even international repercussion -, while John Graz, century. Regina Gomide Graz’s Mulher com Galgo the production of objects for everyday use. They were
Regina Gomide Graz and Antonio Gomide were panneau was, for example, in the exhibition organized still closely linked to the traditional genres of art:
somewhat sidetracked. Because it took too long. by Pietro Maria Bardi in 1972 to celebrate the 50th painting, sculpture, engraving, drawing”, says Milliet.
to understand that they worked with a branch of anniversary of the Week of Modern Art and is now Fernanda Pitta follows the same line: “Both at that
art that is extremely important for modernity itself, once again part of an event around the centenary of moment and in the historiography that comes later,
which has to do with the way of living and the way of the event. In fact, it was from Bardi’s hands that the there was a tendency to reduce the experimental and
living”, complements Maria Alice Milliet, responsible couple acquired the piece. transformative aspect of Art Deco, without realizing
for the exhibition Desafios da Modernidade – Família the rupture and experimentation character that this
Gomide-Graz in the 1920s and 1930s, on display until a Complete artist school presented in that historical context”.
last August at mam-sp. Unlike the mac exhibition, which brings together The fact of looking at the European matrices of Art
A similar movement, of deeper investigation works by a larger number of artists, the John Graz: Deco and Bauhaus did not prevent Graz from entering
of the motivations and productions developed by idílio tropical e moderno, until January at Estação the Brazilian cultural universe, which he soon fell in
different authors in these key years of modernism in Pinacoteca, and Desafios da modernidade – Família love with, no matter how much his vision is sometimes
the country, guides the investigation carried out in Gomide-Graz in the 1920s and 1930s (which was on considered idealized or idyllic. If the Gomide-Graz
the exhibition Projetos para um Cotidiano Moderno display at mam) are dedicated more specifically to exhibition at Mam-sp highlighted this decorative
no Brasil: 1920-1960, which can be seen until July the artistic nucleus formed by the Gomide brothers production by the three artists, the exhibition at
2022 on mac. The result of a project developed within and John Graz, with special emphasis on the latter. the Pinacoteca, which includes 42 works recently
the scope of the research project cnpq Narrativas It is noteworthy that all three are also present in donated by the John Graz Institute to the museum,
da Arte do Século 20, the exhibition brings together the extensive Moderno where? Modern when? The highlights a series of drawings and paintings where
a selection of works belonging to the museum’s Week of 22 as Motivation, curated by Aracy Amaral Graz portrays indigenous people, Afro-descendants
collection. And that they deserved a more systematic and Regina Teixeira de Barros, on display at mam. and aspects of Brazilian popular culture - Carnaval
look. In fact, the important presence of this expanded Born in Switzerland in 1891, Graz studied at the or Bumba meu boi parties, fishermen on rafts or
modernism in the museum’s collection is due to the School of Fine Arts in Geneva, where he met Brazilians Bahians carrying fruit.
active action of Walter Zanini. “Everyone speaks of Regina and Antonio Gomide. In addition to taking a “It is necessary to understand that it is part of
Zanini as an art historian, who dedicated himself course covering design, decoration and architecture, a broader process that dialogues with what other
to this new key of researching new contemporary Graz soon also started making advertising posters modern artists have also done, of appropriation and
practices, the procedural practices of the 1960s and stained glass, perfecting his techniques during a distant relationship, sometimes romanticized, with
and 1970s, but he played a very important role in the a period in Munich, Germany, and on trips to France Afro-descendant and indigenous cultures in Brazil”,
rescue of certain names in Brazilian modernism”, and Spain. According to Maria Alice Milliet, the artist says Pitta, about this apparent paradox. “It’s not just
remembers Ana Maria Magalhães, mac director had, therefore, “a very complete training”, based on a limitation of Graz. And we have to recognize that in
and coordinator of the exhibition’s curatorship team. an idea of “total art”. “And throughout his life, the this valorization process there is also an appropriation
“What matters is precisely this broader vision, of quality with which he does all of this is impressive: and an erasure of these agents.”
a project that is not only concerned with modernist the painting, the drawing, or the design of the floor, With exhibitions, critical analyzes and even the
forms, with art with a capital A, but which involved the ceiling, wall, even the object, the sink, the locks, rediscovery of lost works by Graz and the Gomide
engagement of these artists with several other fronts, furniture, the rug , the lamp, the plaster panels, stained brothers, what is celebrated is the expansion of
such as illustrators, graphic artists, decorators, glass… nothing escaped Graz’s design. It’s a total a debate that could have already been held and
designers, architects and scenographers”, explains conception of space”. that “refines and complexifies”, in Pitta’s words,
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