An eclectic artist in the media he used in his work, Ceará-born Sérvulo Esmeraldo (1929-2017) is the subject of the show Linha e luz, a retrospective of his artistic career on view at the Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil in Rio de Janeiro (CCBB-RJ) until June 26.
From woodcut to kinetic art
Esmeraldo marked his work with technical plurality, ranging from carving to woodcut, including the use of technologies applied to generate kinetic, optical and electromagnetic effects, always employing a language and a treatment of form that gave his artistic expression internal coherence.
Esmeraldo's artistic journey began with woodcut. In the late 1940s, at the Sociedade Cearense de Artes Plásticas, he came into contact with the production of Inimá de Paula, Antonio Bandeira and Amilcar Martins. He ventured into painting and worked on the installation of the 1st Bienal Internacional de São Paulo. He eventually moved to São Paulo, where he was a disciple of Lívio Abramo.
In Ceará, he founded the Museu da Gravura in Crato. But he expanded his artistic activity by moving to Paris to experiment with lithography as well as metal engraving. In the 1960s he joined the kinetic art movement. During that period he created the series of works named Excitáveis, also experimenting with sculptural objects.
How to visit
This rich artistic experience can be visited free of charge on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00 to 21:00. On Sundays, between 9:00 and 21:00. Tickets can be issued online.
The curators and the logistics of the show
The exhibition is curated by Marcus Lontra and Dodora Guimarães. To gather the works, the curators relied on the logistical support of Clé Chenue do Brasil, which ensured safe packing and transport conditions with professionals specially trained in collection handling techniques.
