Paulo Monteiro

Born in 1961 in São Paulo, Brazil. Monteiro was heavily influenced by the 1980s, a culturally turbulent period marked by the growth of global capitalism, the widespread spread of mass media, significant disparities in wealth and the distinctive musicality and fashion sense of electronic pop and hip-hop music, and artists who grew up during this period were heavily influenced by this cultural climate.

Untitled 2020 oil on linen 169.9 x 229.9cm

Monteiro is one of the founders of the group "Casa7", which is dedicated to the revitalization of Brazilian painting. He has participated in two São Paulo Biennials, some of his works are in the collections of major institutions such as MOMA, and he lives in Rio de Janeiro. He produces paintings, drawings and sculptures marked by minimal expressive forms. Using neo-expressionists like Luperz, Pollock and de Kooning as references, Monteiro understands his cohesive artworks as wholes, rather than as the sum of the whole. His background as a cartoonist gives his work a graphic element that is particularly evident in his paintings of the late 1980s.

Untitled 2020 oil on linen 29.8 x 21.9cm

Untitled 2020 Patinated bronze 41 x 95.9 x 26cm

Paulo Monteiro belongs to a generation of Brazilian artists from São Paulo in the 80s. until March 1985, Brazil was under a military dictatorship. Since then, there has been a desire to preserve a democratic society, but there has also been a struggle. From an economic point of view, Brazil is very often a country full of hope and on the rise. The country's cultural identity is diverse, with a rich history in music, literature, architecture and art.

Untitled 2020 oil on bronze 47.9 x 7 x 4.4cm

Untitled 2020 oil on linen 146.1 x 200cm

After the Second World War, concrete art movements dominated the Latin American art scene. Rationalism led the way in support of objectivity. Works were geometric and formal, emphasizing material aspects and their own authenticity. Later, a group of artists built on this foundation and became more aware of the viewer's perception. Conceptual art was accompanied by a more individual expression of the artist.

Untitled, 2019 70 x 50 cm

Untitled, 2018 30,2 x 22,2 cm

It was in this context that Paulo Monteiro began to find his own language and organize the group Casa 7, a group of artists named after the house they shared from 1982 to 1985.In 1986, Monteiro collected materials such as wood, iron pipe, rubber and electrical wire to build sculptures. The forms of the works were often flexible, free to change and disappear. Most of these works have not survived. Monteiro was interested in the process of movement, which he expressed through sculpture, painting and drawing.

Untitled, 2018 70,5 x 50,2 cm

Untitled, 2018 30,3 x 24,5 cm

In his early paintings, he lets a black line move near the edge of the white paper. The edge of the paper or canvas was a place he liked to explore and where different colors met. This language became the subject of his entire body of work, but never produced a figurative image. The only figurative forms that appear can refer to body parts or kinetic gestures expressed through dance. For a long time, he practiced classical ballet. Similar to this discipline, his lines and forms are organic, flowing, dynamic and rounded, yet not uncontrolled. Monteiro never subjectively designed where these lines or forms would go, although he had a set of rules to guide him in the creative process. The line eventually ceases to need any support and becomes a thing in itself, made of bronze or aluminum. The ground sculptures are mainly in terra cotta or industrial colors. In 2005, bright, sweet colors were used in his gouache paintings and later in his paintings. For the artist, paint is not primarily used as a color, but as a material. In 2012-2013, he also added color to hanging sculptures.

Untitled, 2018 90,2 x 60,6 cm

Untitled, 2016 15 x 11 cm

In his sculptures, time and gravity lead to forms that stretch, bend or fold, or take a fixed shape that he sometimes breaks by opening the subject through a hard incision. He uses his hands as his primary creative tool to manipulate material shapes and reproduce forms and lines, but always generates slightly different and unique creations. Monteiro creates relational objects, each with an individual identity, which they can turn into a combination, thus transcending each individual work.