Humberto Espíndola (Campo Grande MS 1943)
Humberto Espíndola is a painter and draftsman, graduated in Journalism from the Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters of the Catholic University of Paraná, in 1965. The following year, he organized the first exhibition of artists from Mato Grosso, in Campo Grande, where he founded, in 1967, the Mato-Grossense Art Association. He turned to regional themes and produced paintings inspired by cattle. In 1973, he created the Museum of Popular Art and Culture, linked to the Federal University of Mato Grosso, in Cuiabá, directing it until 1982. In 1974, he made a mural for the Paiaguás Palace, seat of the state government of Mato Grosso. In 1977, he received the award for Best of the Year in Painting from the São Paulo Association of Art Critics (APCA). In Campo Grande, he co-foundered the Centro de Cultura Referencial de Mato Grosso do Sul, in 1983, and made the monument to Cabeça de Boi, made of iron and steel, installed in Praça Cuiabá, in 1996. Casa Andrade Muricy, in Curitiba, and, in 2002, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Campo Grande, and at the Museum of Art and Popular Culture, in Cuiabá.
Critical Comment
The production of Humberto Espíndola Part of the ox theme, seen as a symbol of the wealth of Mato Grosso. In cattle farming, it makes a sarcastic portrait of the society of the ox, which is mainly currency and symbol of power. In his first works, Espíndola presents the animal wrapped in dimness, causing strangeness. The ox effigy, on its canvas, is placed in a foreground, or isolated in a central oval, gaining the dimension of nobility of a portrait. In glory to the ox in the heights (1967), it uses a deliberate frontality of the animal, around which masks are accumulated, giving the picture a dynamic rhythm.
Some paintings have a symbolic meaning, with the use of the colors of the Brazilian flag. In others, it uses badges and medals, which refer to agricultural exhibitions. As the critic Frederico Morais notes, Espíndola humanizes the ox, to denounce the human will to power, as in O Tyrant (1984). In the series Archeology of the Boi - Boi Branco (1993), the use of lowered tones and the magical character stand out. The artist later performs generated and colored engravings on a computer, in which he obtains a great power in the color, as in Vaca Escada (2001).
Humberto Espíndola also has a relevant role in the dissemination of regional culture, creating, in 1974, the Museum of Art and Popular Culture, linked to the Federal University of Mato Grosso.
Criticism
"For Humberto Espíndola, the central idea of the rose was born from the badge or rosette - the commendation abundantly used in its previous phase, cattle farming. In the previous phase, the artist engendered his theme from the culture of the ox, a regional circumstance, to practice his leap in the search for the universal. Inverse - The rose emerges from the badge. It is the artist completing his work in his search returning/leaving from the universal to the regional, as Rosa came from the badge, he intends to address the taste of the livestock society. However, his work does not only reveal the taste of this class, but the most diverse. It goes beyond the discussion of regional society to achieve a lifestyle. Interprets the social starting from the particular, and the regional proximities that it transfers to it, to talk about the popular symbology fixing commendations, celebrations, a national taste of painting, among other intentions".
Aline Figueiredo
Figueiredo, Aline. Plastic Arts in the Midwest Cuiabá: UFMT/MACP, 1979.
Acerves
Pinacoteca Collection of the State of São Paulo - São Paulo SP
Collection Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo - MAC/USP - São Paulo SP
Collection Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo - MAM/SP - São Paulo SP
Individual exhibitions
1967 - Corumbá MS - Individual, at the Regional Museum of the Pantanal Matogrossense
1969 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Individual, at the Goeldi Gallery
1971 - Campo Grande MS - Individual, at the Hotel Campo Grande
1972 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Individual, at the Ipanema Art Gallery
1972 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at the Portal Art Gallery
1977 - Brasília DF - Individual, at the Cultural Foundation of the Federal District
1977 - Campo Grande MS - Individual
1977 - Cuiabá MT - Individual, at the Museum of Popular Art and Culture
1977 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at MAB/FAAP
1978 - Cuiabá MT - Individual, at the Museum of Art and Popular Culture
1979 - Campo Grande MS - Humberto Espíndola: Paintings, in the Municipal Palace
1980 - Curitiba PR - Individual, at MAC/PR
1982 - Campo Grande MS - Individual, at Parque Laucídio Coelho
1983 - Porto Alegre RS - Individual, at the Modus Vivendi Gallery
1983 - São Paulo SP - Humberto Espíndola: Recent Paintings, at Paulo Figueiredo Art Gallery
1984 - Campo Grande MS - Individual, at Itaugaleria
1986 - Campo Grande MS - Individual, at the Artcon Gallery
1987 - Campo Grande MS - Humberto Espíndola: 20 years of cattle farming, at the Cultural Foundation of Mato Grosso do Sul
1987 - São Paulo SP - Individual, at Sadalla Galeria de Arte
1990 - Curitiba PR - Individual, at the Guido Viaro Museum Library
1991 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Panorama of the mythical aspects of the ox in Humberto's painting Espíndola: 1968-1988 A Farra do Boi, at Fundição Progresso
1998 - Campo Grande MS - Humberto Espíndola: Paintings, at Sesc
2000 - Curitiba PR - Humberto Espíndola: Retrospective Panorama 1967-1999, at Casa Andrade Muricy
2000 - Curitiba PR - Humberto Espíndola: Bovinocultura 1967-1999, at Casa Andrade Muricy
Collective exhibitions
1966 - Campo Grande MS - 1st exhibition of artists from Mato Grosso
1967 - Brasília DF - 4th Salon of Modern Art of the Federal District, at the National Theater Cláudio Santoro
1967 - Curitiba PR - 24th Salão Paranaense de Belas Artes, at the Paraná Public Library
1967 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 16th National Salon of Modern Art
1968 - Belo Horizonte MG - 23rd Salon of Fine Arts of the City of Belo Horizonte
1968 - Campinas SP - 4th Contemporary Art Salon of Campinas, at MACC - 1st Prize in Painting
1968 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 17th National Salon of Modern Art, at MAM/RJ
1968 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 2nd Esso Salon of Young Artists, at MAM/RJ
1968 - Salvador BA - 2nd National Biennial of Plastic Arts, at MAM/BA
1968 - Santo André SP - 1st Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Santo André, at the City Hall - Santo André Grand Prix
1968 - Santos SP - 1st Official Hall of Modern Art of Santos - Acquisition Award
1968 - São Caetano do Sul SP - 2nd Contemporary Art Salon of São Caetano do Sul - City Hall Award
1968 - Vitória ES - 3rd National Salon of Plastic Arts of Espírito Santo
1969 - Belo Horizonte MG - 1st National Salon of Contemporary Art in Belo Horizonte, at MAP - City Hall Award
1969 - Belo Horizonte MG - 2nd National Art Exhibition
1969 - Curitiba PR - 26th Salão Paranaense, at the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná
1969 - Paris (France) - 6th Bienal de Paris
1969 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 18th National Salon of Modern Art
1969 - São Paulo SP - 10th São Paulo International Biennial, at the Bienal Foundation
1969 - São Paulo SP - 3rd Young Contemporary Art, at MAC/USP - Acquisition Award
1969 - São Paulo SP - Painters of Brazil, at Paço das Artes
1970 - Belo Horizonte MG - 4th Salon of French Culture
1970 - Campo Grande MS - 1st Panorama of Plastic Arts in Campo Grande, at Associação Matogrossense de Arte
1970 - Porto Alegre RS - 25 paintings from the MAC/USP collection, at UFRGS. Institute of Arts
1970 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 19th National Salon of Modern Art, at MAM/RJ
1970 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 7th Art Summary of Jornal do Brasil, at MAM/RJ
1970 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1970 - São Paulo SP - 4 groups of recent acquisitions and donations from the International Society of Plastic and Visual Art, at MAC/USP
1970 - São Paulo SP - Pre-Bienal de São Paulo, at the Bienal Foundation
1971 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 20th National Salon of Modern Art
1971 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 5 artists from Mato Grosso, NA Galeria Ibeu Copacabana
1971 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Multiple Exhibition, at Petite Galeria
1971 - São Paulo SP - 11th International Biennial of São Paulo, at Fundação Bienal - Prize for travel abroad
1972 - Medellín (Colombia) - 3rd Bienal de Medellín, at the Antioquia Museo
1972 - São Paulo SP - Art/Brazil/Today: 50 years later, at the Galeria da Collectio
1972 - São Paulo SP - Sesquicentennial Art Exhibition of Independence and Plastic Brazil - 72, at the Bienal Foundation
1972 - Venice (Italy) - 36th Venice Biennial
1973 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Multiples, at Petite Galerie
1974 - Cuiabá MT - Inaugural Exhibition of the Museum of Popular Art and Culture, at the Museum of Popular Art and Culture
1974 - São Paulo SP - Café, Pollution, oxen and bandits, at the Pendulum Art Gallery
1975 - Cuiabá MT - Panorama of the Plastic Arts of Mato Grosso, at the Museum of Popular Art and Culture
1975 - Goiânia GO - 2nd National Contest of Plastic Arts of Caixa Econômica do Estado de Goiás - Acquisition Award
1975 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 24th National Salon of Modern Art, at MNBA
1976 - Campinas SP - 10th Contemporary Art Salon of Campinas, Macc
1976 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 1st Art Agora, at MAM/RJ
1976 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 25th National Salon of Modern Art
1976 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 1st Art Now I/Brasil 70-75, at MAM/RJ
1976 - São Paulo SP - Brazilian Art in the 20th Century: Paths and Trends, at Galeria Arte Global
1977 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 2nd Art Now: Vision of the Earth, in the MAM/RJ
1978 - Belo Horizonte MG - Brazilian artists, at the Clóvis Salgado Foundation. Palace of the Arts
1978 - Mexico City (Mexico) - 1st Ibero-American Biennial of Painting
1978 - Corumbá MS - Artists from Mato Grosso do Sul
1978 - São Paulo SP - 1st Latin American Biennial of São Paulo, at Fundação Bienal
1979 - Belo Horizonte MG - 11th National Salon of Contemporary Art in Belo Horizonte
1979 - Curitiba PR - 36th Salão Paranaense, at the Guaíra Theater
1980 - Belo Horizonte MG - 1st Salon of Montes Claros
1980 - Cuiabá MT - Commemorative Exhibition 10 years of the Federal University of Mato Grosso, at the Museum of Popular Art and Culture
1981 - Brasília DF - 5th Brazil-Japan Fine Arts Exhibition
1981 - Brasília DF - Brazil/Cuiabá: Cabocla painting, at the Cultural Foundation of the Federal District
1981 - Goiânia GO - 1st Regional Arts Hall of the Municipality of Goiânia
1981 - Kyoto (Japan) - 5th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan
1981 - Nekai (Japan) - 5th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 4th National Salon of Plastic Arts, at MAM/RJ
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 5th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brasil-Cuiabá: Cabocla painting, at MAM/RJ
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Pablo, Pablo!: A Brazilian interpretation of Guernica, at Funarte
1981 - São Paulo SP - 5th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan
1981 - São Paulo SP - Brazil-Cuiabá: Cabocla painting, at MAM/SP
1981 - Tokyo (Japan) - 5th Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japão
1982 - Cuiabá MT - 4 artists from Mato Grosso
1982 - Recife PE - 1st Exhibition of Latin Art, at Galeria Lula Cardoso Ayres
1982 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Entre a Mancha and the Figure, in the MAM/RJ
1983 - Belo Horizonte MG - Brasil Painting, at Fundação Clóvis Salgado. Palácio das Artes
1983 - Campo Grande MS - Inaugural Exhibition of the Referential Culture Center of Mato Grosso do Sul, at the Centro de Cultura Referencial de Mato Grosso do Sul
1983 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 30 years of art in Brazil, in the Petrobras
1983 - São Paulo SP - 14th Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1984 - Fortaleza CE - 17th National Salon of Plastic Arts
1984 - Havana (Cuba) - 1st Bienal de Havana, at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 27 Brazilian landscapes, at Funarte. Arts Center
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 7th National Salon of Plastic Arts, at MAM/RJ
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Acting Brazilian painting, at Espaço Petrobras
1984 - São Paulo SP - Tradition and rupture: synthesis of Brazilian art and culture, at the Bienal Foundation
1986 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Ecology-Tradition and Current Affairs, at Espaço Petrobras
1987 - Campo Grande MS - Retrospective 20 years of Bovine farming, at the Mato Grosso do Sul Culture Foundation
1987 - São Paulo SP - The craft of art: painting, at SESC
1988 - Posadas (Argentina) - Art of Mato Grosso do Sul
1988 - São Paulo SP - Pantanal references in the painting of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in the Paço das Artes
1989 - Cuenca (Ecuador) - 2nd International Biennial of Cuenca
1989 - Havana (Cuba) - 3rd Havana Biennial
1989 - Juiz de Fora MG - Each head a sentence, at the Mariano Procópio Museum
1989 - Porto Alegre RS - Paintings in Mato Grosso do Sul, at the Caixa Econômica Federal Museum
1990 - Caracas (Venezuela) - Contemporary painting of Brazil, at Casa Rómulo Gallegos
1991 - Curitiba PR - 48th Salão Paranaense, at MAC/PR
1991 - São Paulo SP - What makes you Now Generation 60?: Young Contemporary Art of the 60s Revisited, at MAC/USP
1992 - Campinas SP - Awarded in the Contemporary Art Salons of Campinas, at MACC
1992 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Eco Art, at MAM/RJ
1992 - Santo André SP - 20th Contemporary Art Salon of Santo André, at the Municipal Palace
1993 - São Paulo SP - 23rd Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1994 - São Paulo SP - Bienal Brasil Século 20th, at the Bienal Foundation
1995 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salon in Black and White, at MNBA
1996 - Campo Grande MS - ExpoBrasil 96, at Galeria Art-Con
1996 - Santiago (Chile) - Viva Brasil, at the Contemporary Art Museum
1996 - São Paulo SP - Brazilian art: 50 years of history in the MAC/USP collection: 1920-1970, at MAC/USP
1997 - Cochabamba (Bolivia) - 6 Brazilian artists: dimensions of being and time
1997 - La Paz (Bolivia) - 6 Brazilian artists: dimensions of the Ser and Time
1997 - Quito (Ecuador) - 6 Brazilian artists: dimensions of being and time
1997 - São Paulo SP - Dimensions of Contemporary Art, at MAC/USP
2003 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Project BrazilianArt, at Almacén Art Gallery
2003 - São Paulo SP - The Art behind the Art: Where Artworks Stayed and How They Travel, at MAM/SP
Source: Itaú Cultural
