Alice Brill (Colony Germany 1920 - Itu, SP 2013)
Alice Brill was a photographer, painter, record label and draftsman. He arrived in Brazil in 1934, fleeing Nazism. He attended the Santa Helena group, in São Paulo, in the first half of the 1940s. Between 1946 and 1947, he took courses in the United States, at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and at Art Student's. League, in New York.
By returning to Brazil, he acted in Habitat magazine, for which he photographed architecture and works of art between 1948 and 1960. At the invitation of Pietro Maria Bardi (1900–1999), Director of the São Paulo Museum of Art Assis Chateaubriand (MASP), carried out, in 1953 and 1954, an extensive photographic work on everyday life in the city of São Paulo. His activity as a photographer focused mainly between 1948 and 1960.
Parallically, he dedicated himself to oil painting, with an emphasis on the urban landscape. In later productions, he approached abstraction. He graduated in Philosophy from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) in 1976. He completed his master's degree in 1982 and a doctorate in 1994, both at the University of São Paulo (USP).
published, among others titles, the books Mario Zanini and Seu Tempo (1984) and Samson Flexor – from figorativism to abstractionism (1990). In 2005, Alice Brill's The World of Alice Brill was retrospective, with part of her photographic production belonging to the collection of the Moreira Salles Institute.
Critical commentary
At the request of Pietro Maria Bardi (1900 - 1999), director of the São Paulo Museum of Art Assis Chateaubriand - MASP, Alice Brill carries out, between 1953 and 1954, a great photographic work on the city of São Paulo. In these images, the artist reveals the urban space and the daily life of São Paulo, as in motion on Rua Direita (CA.1953).
From the beginning of her career, the artist has dedicated herself in parallel to oil painting, also exploring the urban landscape. In the 1960s, the paintings that present human figures in houses or apartments stand out, and reveal the loneliness in the metropolis. To the marked structure of her canvases, she combines the refined use of color, and creates unexpected formal relationships in the landscape. In later paintings, he maintains dialogue with abstraction, and explores the textures in works of tonal wealth. Throughout his career, Alice Brill also conducts research on Brazilian artists, and publishes texts on Mario Zanini (1907 - 1971) and Flexor (1907 - 1971), among others.
Criticism
"Alice Brill, a painter who, on the one hand, remains faithful to her style of images, with very firm composition and similar motifs, on the other hand she knows how to develop her works always with new elements, especially tonal wealth. Exhibited now confront us with their style again more mature and very personal, in their very own pictorial solutions. Some of these works continue to show the motifs of constructions, mansions, others are more busy compositions, which include tree shapes, and other parts of nature, fleeing from Verticalism and achieving greater movement in the spaces filled in. The texture of these images, which the artist in the previous phases usually fixed on the planes, now vibrates and uses erasures that make them extremely beautiful. We consider for these reasons the current phase of Alice Brill's painting of great value, in addition to her permanent dedication to good painting. It has, in my view, the character of a liberation for new fields of interpretation in the sense of well-settled and strictly pictorial work. It is a new attitude of ascension by which Alice already with her previous works is part of an important sector of São Paulo painting and continues to be the active artist, in perpetual renewal of her research, which gives her a prominent position in our environment". Pfeiffer
BRILL, Alice Alice Brill. São Paulo: Galeria Alberto Bonfiglioli, 1979.
"All this record seen today has the nostalgia of the city that was once more elegant and harmonious. Alice Brill, for the more accentuated artistic training and the direct influences of painting and drawing, photographed the city of São Paulo in the 1950s in a more constructive and graphical way. His gaze, a privileged sense of our century and the main mediator between the subject and the objective and dynamic reality, is more poetic, refined and transformative". Pirelli/Masp of Photographs: V. 7. São Paulo: Masp, 1997.
Testimonies
"Photograph has accompanied me since I was a child. My father, a traveling painter, was also an excellent photographer, many of his photos were published.
When my mother and I left Germany, fleeing Nazism, I was 12 years old, taking as a gift from my father a mini-camera Agfa, like coffin, producing 3 x 4 cm photos. With it I registered the impressions of the trip through Spain and Italy, before the definitive emigration to Brazil. I have always been closely linked to the representation of images, practicing drawing and painting, in addition to photography. This activity helped me a lot to overcome the difficulties that emigrant life imposes.
I arrived in Brazil in August 1934 and attended school until I mastered Portuguese. Between work and study I started looking for artists for contact and learning in my free time, which was facilitated by my work in an international bookstore, which also dealt with reproductions and art books, a rarity in the city, where there was still no museum or art gallery modern.
When I got a scholarship after the war, in 1946, I had the possibility to attend the Faculty of Arts at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, for a year. Next to the painting I enrolled in the basic photography course offered at this institution, in addition to other subjects. The photography course was passionate, reinforcing my intention to become a photographer. Then, I had a semester of classes at the Art Student's League in New York, leaving time for volunteer work with an established photographer, where I also learned the retouch of positives.
I managed to save the money needed to buy my basic photographic equipment for installing A laboratory, mainly an Omega magnifier, and I returned to São Paulo in early 1948 willing to establish myself as a photographer. In the house that my mother had rented there was a spacious basement that served well for this purpose.
In the same year I was invited to accompany as a photographer a delegation of federal deputies on a trip to inspect the works of the Central Brasil Foundation, including a visit to the Carajás Indians from the island of Bananal.
This task came to meet my aspiration to carry out photographic reports. The experience was extremely interesting and resulted in a large amount of good images; I returned home with a large order of copies. I always worked with a Rolleiflex and, occasionally, with an Ikonta 35mm.
In São Paulo I had contact with the Museum of Art (MASP) and the Museum of Modern Art (MAM), newly founded, when they were still located on the street April 7, and with the Ediotors of the first Architecture and Art Magazine, "Habitat"; of which I became an official photographer throughout its existence, being responsible for the reproductions of works by artists and biennials commented on in their pages. For museums I also reproduced the works of the collection and the exhibitions, a service also often performed for the artists. This work brought me a lot closer to my fellow artists, who had the opportunity to portray, often with their families. He would go to the children's house to photograph it in his own environment, if possible outdoors, as if it were a visit. He sought the trust of the child to be able to surprise him in his activity, thus achieving very natural expressions. I used several films, of colored pages, spiral type, which I made at home, being very successful. of the festivities of its 4th centenary. I was excited about this work, which resulted in many photos of the city, not only of the center, but also of its periphery, of the various neighborhoods, with its different types of housing, from the poorest shack to the luxury of the most elegant houses and buildings (still!). I also tried to record squares and streets and the inhabitants, surprised in their usual activities. (...)
When I returned to my painting activity, in the 1960s, I did not give up on photography, continuing to record my impressions in Brazil and abroad, personally performing the laboratory work, while we kept our house. Only in the mid-80s, when we moved to an apartment, I closed the lab work, continuing to report on occasional trips, with an Olympus machine, much lighter and in color. I got some interesting results, especially on a study trip to Indonesia, which have not yet been exposed".
Alice Brill
Acerves
Central Bank Collection - São Paulo SP
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo, MAC/USP - São Paulo SP
Collection Museum of Image and Sound, MIS - São Paulo SP
Mário de Andrade Municipal Library - São Paulo SP
Pirelli Collection/Masp - São Paulo SP
Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo, MAM/SP - São Paulo SP
Banespa Museum - São Paulo SP
Individual exhibitions
1948 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Domus Gallery
1964 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the plastic artist's house
1965 - Porto Alegre RS - Individual, at Galeria Carraro
1966 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Galeria São Luís
1967 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Galeria Astreia
1967 - Santos SP - Individual, at the CCBEU Gallery
1969 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Cosme Velho Gallery
1969 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Individual, at the Goeldi Gallery
1970 - Zurich (Switzerland) - Individual, at the Buerdeke Gallery
1971 - Campinas SP - Individual, at the Girassol Gallery
1973 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Cosme Velho Gallery
1974 - Campinas SP - Individual, at the Hobjeto Galeria
1976 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Galeria Documenta
1977 - Brasília DF - Individual, at Oscar Seraphico Art Gallery
1978 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Paulo Prado Gallery
1979 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Bonfiglioli Gallery
1981 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Paulo Prado Gallery
1983 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Bonfiglioli Gallery
1988 - Brasília DF - Individual, at the gallery dreer
1988 - São Paulo SP - of Art and Language, at Sesc Paulista
1990 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Banco Central do Brasil
1992 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Banespa
1994 - São Paulo SP - Alice Brill: Paintings, at MAC/USP
Collective exhibitions
1944 - São Paulo SP - 9th Hall of the Artists' Union Plastics, at the Prestes Maia Gallery
1947 - São Paulo SP - 11th Hall of the Plastic Artists Union
1948 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at the Domus Gallery
1948 - São Paulo SP - 12th Salon of the Plastic Artists Union - Mário de Andrade Award
1951 - São Paulo SP - 1st São Paulo International Biennial, at the Trianon Pavilion
1954 - São Paulo SP - 3rd Salão Paulista de Arte Moderna, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1957 - São Paulo SP - Proposals, at FAAP
1959 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria AntigoNova
1959 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Kaboré
1959 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Selearte
1961 - São Paulo SP - 10th Salão Paulista de Arte Moderna, at Galeria Prestes Maia - Small Silver Medal
1962 - São Paulo SP - 11th São Paulo Salão de Arte Moderna, at Galeria Prestes Maia - Silver Medal
1962 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galerias Kaboré
1962 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria AntigoNova
1962 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Selearte
1963 - São Paulo SP - 12th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at the Prestes Maia Gallery - Small Gold Medal
1964 - São Paulo SP - 13th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art - Small Silver Medal
1965 - Campinas SP - 1st Contemporary Art Salon of Campinas - Silver Medal
1965 - Itu SP - Collective, at the Saci Art Gallery
1965 - Punta Del'Este (Uruguay) - Modern Art Biennale
1965 - Ribeirão Preto SP - Collective, at Galeria 4 Artes
1965 - São Paulo SP - 14th Salão Paulista de Arte Moderna, at the Prestes Maia Gallery - Silver Medal and Acquisition Award
1965 - São Paulo SP - Proposals 65, MAB/FAAP
1966 - Campinas SP - 2nd Contemporary Art Salon of Campinas
1966 - Salvador BA - 1st National Biennial of Plastic Arts
1966 - São Paulo SP - 15th Salão Paulista de Arte Moderna, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1966 - São Paulo SP - Manchas, at Galeria 4 Planetas
1967 - Campinas SP - 3rd Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Campinas
1967 - São Caetano do Sul SP - Salão de Arte Contemporary - Bronze Medal
1967 - São Paulo SP - 16th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at the Prestes Maia Gallery
1967 - São Paulo SP - 9th São Paulo International Biennial, at the Bienal Foundation
1968 - Salvador BA - 2nd National Biennial of Plastic Arts
1968 - Santos SP - 1st Official Salon of Contemporary Art of Santos
1968 - São Paulo SP - 17th São Paulo Salão de Arte Moderna
1968 - São Paulo SP - 1st FAAP International Engraving Exhibition
1969 - Israel - Brazilian engravers and designers in Israel
1969 - São Paulo SP - 1st Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1969 - São Paulo SP - 1st Paulista Salon of Contemporary Art
1970 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Collective, at Galeria Goeldi
1970 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, in the MAM/SP
1970 - São Paulo SP - 2nd São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon
1970 - São Paulo SP - Pre-Bienal de São Paulo, at Fundação Bienal
1971 - Jundiaí SP - 1st Meeting Jundiaiense de Arte
1971 - Paris (France) - Salon d'Automne
1971 - São Paulo SP - 3rd São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon
1971 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Azulão
1971 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at the Bonfiglioli Gallery
1972 - Jundiaí SP - 2nd Jundiaiense Art Meeting
1972 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Collective, at Galeria Vernissage
1972 - Santo André SP - Salão de Santo André
1972 - São Caetano do Sul SP - Salão de São Caetano
1972 - São Paulo SP - 4th São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon
1972 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Kalendas
1973 - Santos SP - 2nd Biennial of Plastic Arts
1973 - São Paulo SP - 5th Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1974 - São Paulo SP - 5th Salão Paulista de Arte Contemporânea
1975 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at the Bonfiglioli Gallery
1976 - São Paulo SP - 10th Expo-Arte and Ecological Thought, at the São Paulo City Council
1976 - São Paulo SP - 8th Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1977 - Tokyo (Japan) - 3rd Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan
1978 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 18th Art and Ecological Thought Exhibition, at the Euclides da Cunha Library
1978 - São Paulo SP - 16th Art and Ecological Thought, at Cetesb
1979 - São Paulo SP - 11th Panorama of Current Art Brazilian, at MAM/SP
1980 - ITU SP - Exhibition Various Trends
1980 - Penápolis SP - 4th Northwest Visual Arts Salon, at the Penápolis Educational Foundation. Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of Penápolis
1980 - Santos SP - 5 Trends, at CCBEU
1981 - São Paulo SP - Collective, at Galeria Azulão
1982 - Beirut (Lebanon) - Collective, at the Chahine Gallery
1982 - São Paulo SP - Contemporary artists, at the Banco do Brasil Athletic Association
1982 - São Paulo SP - Ismenia Coaracy, Odetto Guersoni and Alice Brill, NA Galeria Sesc Paulista
1983 - São Paulo SP - The City in Art, at CCSP
1983 - São Paulo SP - A Mulher no MAM, at MAM/SP
1983 - São Paulo SP Senac
1983 - São Paulo SP - Artescultura
1984 - São Paulo SP - Photography and the 50s at MAC/USP
1986 - New York (United States) - Conexus Project, at the Museum of Hispanic Art
1986 - São Paulo SP - Art on paper, at Galeria Paulo Figueiredo
1986 - São Paulo SP - Exhibition commemorating the anniversary of São Paulo
1986 - São Paulo SP - Collective Exhibition, at the Regina Sampaio
1988 - Ohio (United States) - Collective, at the Gallery of Fine Art, Columbus University
1988 - São Paulo SP - Art on paper, at the Paulo Figueiredo Gallery
1988 - São Paulo SP - Juréia, at Sadalla Galeria de Arte
1988 - São Paulo SP - Show of the 13th Macabíadas, at Clube Hebraica
1989 - United States - Connections Projects: Conexus, at the Museum of Contemporary Art
1992 - São Paulo SP - Portrait of an artist, twelve photographers portraying great artists, at MASP
1993 - São Paulo SP - Immigrants, at the Pinacoteca do Estado
1993 - São Paulo SP - Small formats, few words, at the Documenta Gallery
1994 - São Paulo SP - Flags: 60 artists honor the 60th anniversary of USP, at MAC/USP
1994 - São Paulo SP - Immigrants of the German Language People - Photos From the 50's, at MAC/USP
1994 - São Paulo SP - About Photography, at MAC/USP
1994 - São Paulo SP - O Olhar e o Fica. The Search for Paradise, at the Pinacoteca do Estado
1996 - São Paulo SP - Bandeiras, at the SESI Art Gallery
1996 - São Paulo SP - Figure and landscape in the MAM collection: tribute to Volpi, at MAM/SP
1997 - São Paulo SP - 7th Pirelli Collection/Masp of Photographs, at MASP
2001 - Itatiba SP - Brazilian photographers, in the Mandala Center
2001 - São Paulo SP - Porto Seguro Photography Awards, at Espaço Porto Seguro Photography - Special Porto Seguro Premium
2002 - São Paulo SP - Art and unconscious: three views on the Juquery, at the Moreira Salles Institute
2003 - São Paulo SP - Israel and Palestine: two states for two peoples, at Sesc Pompéia
2004 - São Paulo SP - Paper Office, CCSP 
2004 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo 450 years: the image and memory of the city in the collection of the Instituto Moreira Salles, in the Centro Cultural FIESP
Source: Itaú Cultural
