Waldemar Cordeiro
Idéia visível

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Artist Waldemar Cordeiro (Brazilian, born Italy, 1925–1973)Brazilian, born Italy, 1925–1973

CultureBrazilian

Titles

Idéia visível
Visible Idea

Date1956

PlaceSão Paulo, Brazil

MediumIndustrial latex paint on plywood laminate panel

Dimensions39 1/2 × 39 9/16 in. (100.3 × 100.5 cm)

Credit LineThe Adolpho Leirner Collection of Brazilian Constructive Art, museum purchase funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment

Object number2007.15

Current Location

The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building

Gallery 204

On view

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Department

Latin American Art

Special Collections

Adolpho Leirner Collection of Brazilian Constructive Art

Object Type

PAINTING

DescriptionAs the leader of São Paulo-based Concrete Art group,
Cordeiro insisted on a mathematical, objective approach toward art. Here, he
divides the support along its horizontal axis while inserting at the top vanishing
lines which appear to recede into the center axis and are mirrored at the
bottom. The resulting modular elements produce a visual ideogram that
alternates between the perception of line and plane, where movement and virtual
space are in constant conflict.

ProvenanceThe artist; [...]; Adolpho Leirner, São Paulo; sold to MFAH, 2007.
Exhibition HistoryMuseu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, September–December, 1957.

"Waldemar Cordeiro: uma aventura da razão," Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo, August–September, 1986.

"Arte construtiva no Brasil: Coleção Adolpho Leirner," Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, October–December, 1998; Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, January–March, 1999.

"Mostra do redescobrimento: arte contemporânea - Brasil 500 anos artes visuais," Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, April–September, 2000.

"Versiones del Sur: Cinco propuestas en torno al arte en América. F[r]icciones," Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, December, 2000–March, 2001.

"Brazil: Body & Soul," Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, October, 2001–January, 2002.

"Cuasi-corpus: arte concreto y neoconcreto de Brasil," Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City, February–June, 2003; MARCO Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Monterrey, México, July–October, 2003.

"Inverted Utopias: The Avant-Garde in Latin America, 1920–1970," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 20–September 12, 2004.

"Dimensions of Constructive Art in Brazil: The Adolpho Leirner Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 20–September 23, 2007.

"North Looks South: Building the Latin American Art Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 7–September 27, 2009.

"Adolpho Leirner Collection of Brazilian Constructive Art," Haus Konstruktiv, Zürich, November 12, 2009–February 21, 2010.

"Constructed Dialogues: Concrete, Geometric, and Kinetic Art from the Latin American Art Collection," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 16, 2012–January 6, 2013.

"Waldemar Cordeiro: Fantasia Exata," Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, July–September, 2013.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Etched in ink, recto lower right: "Cordeiro 56"

Painted on verso upper center: "waldemar / cordeiro S.P. / 1957"

Painted on verso center upside down: "(arrow-up and down) / cordeiro / 1957"

3 printed labels on verso- see accession folder photocopy:
1. "MAC MUSEU DE ARTE CONTEMPORANEA / DA UNIVERSIDADE DE SÃO PAULO ..."
2. "44 Waldemar Cordeiro..."
3. (illegible, discolored w/losses on edges) "MUSEU DE MODERNE..."

1 printed label tied w/string on back- see accession folder photocopy:
"44 / Waldemar...mam-Museu de Arte Moderna..."

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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