Ivan Serpa

Ivan Ferreira Serpa (April 6, 1923–April 6, 1973) was a Brazilian painter, draftsman, printmaker, designer, and educator active in the concrete art movement. Much of his work was in geometric abstractionism. He founded Grupo Frente, which included fellow artists Lygia Clark, Helio Oiticica, and Franz Weissmann, among others, and was known for mentoring many artists in Brazil.

Early life and education Serpa was born in the Tijuca neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

From 1946 to 1948, Serpa studied printmaking with printmaker Axl Leskoschek in Rio de Janeiro. Serpa was also mentored by the art critic, Mário Pedrosa. But in general terms, Serpa did not have much formal training in art.

This weekly event became a salon for many up and coming artists that would later be major contributors to the neo-concrete and concrete art movement in Brazil.

Serpa had also previously taught art therapy to psychiatric patients at the Occupational Therapy center of the National Psychiatric Hospital in Brazil.

In 1954, Serpa published a book he wrote with Mario Pedrosa called, Crescimento e criação, which incorporated his work as a teaching children. He often gave free art classes to children.

From 1957 to 1959, Serpa won the foreign travel prize at the 6th Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna in Rio de Janeiro. This prize allowed him to travel to Europe, focusing on Italy and Spain, but also including France, Germany, Holland, Portugal, and Switzerland. During this time Serpa lived in Paris in 1957, where his work was displayed at concrete and neo-concrete art shows.

In the 1960s, Serpa worked as a paper conservator at the National Library. This work led to experimentation with paper collage, where he incorporated methodologies from the conservation, restoration, and preservation techniques he used in this position.

He often worked with Lygia Pape on art projects.

Serpa's 1962 series, Fase negra (Black Phase), reflected the political environment in Brazil at that time.

In mid-1960s, Serpa reconnected with geometric art, which moved his work toward kinetic and op art.

Personal life In 1949, Serpa married Lygia Serpa. They had a son, Yves Serpa, who was born in 1951; a daughter, Leila Serpa, born in 1955; and son, Heraldo Serpa, born in 1958. 2008: "Time & Place. Rio de Janeiro 1956–1964." Moderna Museet (Stockholm) 2010: "Das Verlangen nach Form – O Desejo da Forma. Neoconcretismo und zeitgenössische Kunst aus Brasilien." Akademie der Künste, Berlin 2010 Vibración. Moderne Kunst aus Lateinamerika. The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection, Bundeskunsthalle (Bonn) 2017–2018: "Making Art Concrete: Works from Argentina and Brazil in the Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros." Getty Center (Los Angeles, California) (August 29, 2017 – February 11, 2018) Solo exhibitions 1954: "Collage and Painting." Pan American Union (Washington, D.C.) [catalogue] 1965: "Exposição de desenhos e guaches de Ivan Serpa (1963–5)." Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo (São Paulo) [catalogue] 1968: "Pinturas." Galeria Bonino (Rio de Janeiro) [catalogue] 1967: Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro) [brochures] 1971 Desenhos 1946–1971, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro) [catalogue] 1974: Retrospectiva, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro) [catalogue] 1993 Retrospectiva, 1947–1973, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (Rio de Janeiro) [catalogue] 2012: "Ivan Serpa: Pioneering Abstraction in Brazil," Dickison Roundell (New York, NY) – November 1-December 21, 2012

Selected works Faixas ritmadas at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1953) (1954) (1954)

Awards 1947: 52nd Salão Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Bronze Medal for painting 1948: 52nd Salão Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Bronze Medal for painting 1951: Bienal Internacional de Arte de São Paulo, Prêmio Jovem Pintor/Best Young Painter prize for Formas (Forms) 1960: 1st Zürich Biennale, prize 1961: 6th São Paulo Bienal, ARDEA prize 1961: 5th Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, acquisition prize

Works and publications

– Published by Dickinson, New York, on the occasion of the exhibition "Ivan Serpa: Pioneering Abstraction in Brazil," November 1 - December 21, 2012.