Nelson Screnci (São Paulo SP 1955)
Painter, teacher, researcher, draftsman.
Nelson Luiz Pereira Screnci earned a teaching degree in visual arts from the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado - Faap in 1982. He has taught art education and art history since 1972, giving courses at the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo - MAM/SP and the Museu Brasileiro da Escultura - MuBE [Brazilian Museum of Sculpture]. In 1988, he published the study Arte Serial, Semelhanças e Simultaneidade - Estudos de composição visual [Serial Art, Similarities and Simultaneity - Studies in Visual Composition]. One strand of Nelson Screnci's painting is the appropriation and reinterpretation of works established by art history, redefining them in a pop and sometimes conceptual aesthetic, as can be seen in the canvases O Encontro nos Espelhos [The Encounter in the Mirrors], citing the Spanish painter Diego Velázquez (1599 - 1660) and Tarsila do Amaral (1886 - 1973), from 1996, and Saudades do Brasil [Longing for Brazil], a reinterpretation of Guignard (1896 - 1962), from 1997. In 1999, he painted Os Excluídos [The Excluded], a reinterpretation of Almeida Júnior's (1850 - 1899) Caipira Picando Fumo [Hillbilly Cutting Tobacco], shown the following year in the exhibition Almeida Júnior: um Artista Revisitado [Almeida Júnior: An Artist Revisited] at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo - Pesp. In 2003, he held the solo exhibition Florestas das Cores [Forests of Colors] at Galeria Arte Aplicada, São Paulo. He took part in the group exhibitions Mostra Vladimir Herzog 30 Anos [Vladimir Herzog 30 Years Exhibition] at the Estação Pinacoteca in 2005 and Alma de Artista [Artist's Soul] at Sesc Pompeia in 2006. His works are in the collections of Brazilian and foreign museums and institutions such as: Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo Collection; Fundação Cásper Líbero, São Paulo; Fundação Alcan, Canada; Musée du Petit Format, Belgium; Museum of International Contemporary Art, Norway; Museum für Völkerkunde, Germany, among others.
Critiques
"Master of his craft, painting, he is also an excellent draftsman. In constant pursuit of technical refinement, he is always observing everything around him, lending a tone of humor and criticism to his work. Since his first exhibition, he has maintained figuration in a language bordering on hyperrealism, but, to set him apart from that tendency, a strong note of personal interpretation is added to the fidelity of representing the real. The presence of construction is noticeable in the use of collage and the layering of colors, which have remained in somber tones. The handling reveals cleanness and uniformity, and the composition is resolved as a problem prior to the conception of the canvas. (...) Everything is a source of resources for his work: documents and belongings lost by ordinary citizens downtown, objects, papers, buildings, cars, fragments of billboards, torn, fragmented and decomposed to reconstitute, in harmony with the cuisine of painting, the universe of the great metropolises, in a constant appeal to our urban memory".
Vitoria Daniela Bousso
NELSON Screnci: rasgados e construídos: fragmentos urbanos. Apresentação de Vitoria Daniela Bousso. São Paulo: Paço das Artes, 1988.
"Each time Screnci takes an image, he applies the same care and meticulousness as a monk with his illumination. Not, however, to reproduce it identically, for he does not hesitate to incorporate it into himself so that love becomes fertilization. He disdains the identical, sharpness, the original colors, creating visual and chromatic effects that are admirable in themselves and in the relations established with the whole. He understands painting not as worn-out 'essential' picturality, but as the field from which images emerge through his specific means as an artist, which are restrained and controlled, inhabited by a kind of pleasure and silent affection. In this field, images assert themselves and withdraw: the layers of pigments, paints and varnishes take on the task of concealing and thus revealing, as order does, which at once makes evident and relative"
Jorge Coli
COLI, Jorge. Imagens e Pintura. In: SCRENCI, Nelson. Rever. Texto Jorge Coli, Renina Katz. São Paulo: Ruy Sant'anna Galeria, 1997, p. 2.
"To the apparent thematic diversity of his work, which permeates his poetics over these more than twenty years, are added aspects that contain a broader reading than random contemplation might perhaps suggest. He is interested in landscape, which may emerge as the urban fabric of the metropolis and the microcosms it contains - the backdrop of As mil e uma imagens [The Thousand and One Images], (...), which starts from the compositional structure and the notion of circular reading proposed by Jorge Luis Borges in his Thousand and One Nights, to propose a game of looking in which each of the small images (exactly a thousand in all) that make up the panel takes on the reading of a window, each holding possible and diverse narratives, completed by the viewer's participation. The same landscape may also appear as a calm homage to masters of our painting, as made explicit in his passionate Guignardianas and in underlying series. In this surprising path, there also appear the personal appropriations he makes starting from the aesthetics and mechanisms of pop and conceptual art, reinterpretations that may express a critical position toward aspects of mass culture as well as toward the internal mechanisms of the art circuit itself."
Guy Amado
AMADO, Guy. [Nelson Screnci]. In.: GILBERTO Mariotti; Nelson Screnci. Apresentação Guy Amado. São Paulo: Paço das Artes, 2001. folha dobrada, il. color. (Temporada de projetos 2001- 2002).
Collections
Banco Itaú S.A. Collection - São Paulo SP
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo/Brasil Collection - São Paulo SP
Sesc Pinheiros Collection - São Paulo SP
Banco Sudameris - São Paulo SP
Fundação Cásper Líbero - São Paulo SP
Fundação Alcan - Canada
Musée du Petit Format - Nismes (Belgium)
Museo Ralli - Punta del Este (Uruguay)
Museum of International Contemporary Art - Norway
Museum für Völkerkunde - Frankfurt (Germany)
Paço das Artes - São Paulo SP
Solo Exhibitions
1982 - São Paulo SP - Desenhos em Pastel [Pastel Drawings], at Biblioteca Municipal Mário de Andrade
1987 - São Paulo SP - Formas e Fôrmas [Forms and Molds], at Galeria Sesc Paulista
1988 - São Paulo SP - Rasgados e Construídos [Torn and Constructed], at Paço das Artes
1989 - São Paulo SP - AdverCidades [AdverCities], at Blue Life Galeria de Arte
1995 - São Paulo SP - Realidade Ilusória [Illusory Reality], at Ana Cláudia Roso Escritório de Arte
1997 - São Paulo SP - Rever [Revisit], at Ruy Sant'Anna Galeria
1998 - São Paulo SP - Paisagens da Memória [Landscapes of Memory], at Galeria Múltipla de Arte
2001 - São Paulo SP - Eldorado, at Paço das Artes
2002 - São Paulo SP - Contraposições [Counterpositions], at Galeria Múltipla de Arte
2003 - São Paulo SP - Florestas das Cores [Forests of Colors], at Arte Aplicada I - Galeria
2006 - São Paulo SP - Releituras [Reinterpretations], at Caixa Cultural
Group Exhibitions
1976 - Ribeirão Pires SP - Encontro Cultural de Ribeirão Pires [Ribeirão Pires Cultural Meeting] - award winner
1981 - Piracicaba SP - 8º Salão de Humor de Piracicaba [8th Piracicaba Humor Salon], at Centro Cultural de Piracicaba
1982 - Santos SP - 9º Salão de Arte Jovem [9th Young Art Salon], at União Cultural Brasil Estados Unidos - Ucbeu - award winner
1982 - São Paulo SP - 1º Salão de Arte Contemporânea [1st Contemporary Art Salon] - award winner
1983 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 6º Salão Nacional de Artes Plásticas [6th National Visual Arts Salon], at MAM/RJ
1983 - São Paulo SP - 1º Prêmio Pirelli [1st Pirelli Prize], at Masp
1983 - São Paulo SP - Avenida Paulista [Paulista Avenue], at Galeria Sesc Paulista
1984 - Santos SP - 11º Salão de Arte Jovem [11th Young Art Salon], at Ucbeu
1984 - São Paulo SP - 47º Salão Paulista de Belas Artes [47th São Paulo Fine Arts Salon], at Fundação Bienal
1985 - São Paulo SP - 2º Prêmio Pirelli Pintura Jovem [2nd Pirelli Young Painting Prize], at Masp
1985 - Piracicaba SP - Salão de Arte Contemporânea de Piracicaba [Piracicaba Contemporary Art Salon], at Casa das Artes Plásticas Miguel Dutra
1987 - São Paulo SP - A Trama do Gosto: um outro olhar sobre o cotidiano [The Fabric of Taste: Another Look at Everyday Life], at Fundação Bienal
1987 - São Paulo SP - Coletiva de Novos [Newcomers Group Show], at Espaço Cultural Cásper Líbero
1987 - São Paulo SP - Mostra Internacional de Arte Postal [International Mail Art Exhibition], at Clube de Criação
1989 - São Paulo SP - Prêmio Metropolitana: Fiat [Metropolitana Prize: Fiat], at Espaço Cultural Metropolitana
1989 - Couvin (Belgium) - 5ª Exposition Internationale Petit Format de Papier, at Cul-des-Sarts
1990 - São Paulo SP - 6º Salão Brasileiro de Arte [6th Brazilian Art Salon], at Fundação Mokiti Okada M.O.A.
1990 - São Paulo SP - 8º Salão de Arte Contemporânea [8th Contemporary Art Salon], at Fundação Bienal
1991 - Fredrikstad (Norway) - International Print Exhibition 6, at Galleri Gamlebyen
1993 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 13º Salão Nacional de Artes Plásticas [13th National Visual Arts Salon], at Fundação Nacional de Arte - Funarte
1993 - Santos SP - 4ª Bienal Nacional de Santos [4th Santos National Biennial], at Centro Cultural Patrícia Galvão
1995 - São Paulo SP - Brasilplast 95
1995 - São Paulo SP - Exposição do Acervo [Collection Exhibition], at Adriana Akel Escritório de Arte
1995 - São Paulo SP - Arte na Ferrovia [Art on the Railway], at Estação Júlio Prestes
1995 - São Paulo SP - Brasil-Japão Arte [Brazil-Japan Art], at Fundação Mokiti Okada M.O.A.
1995 - São Paulo SP - Filhos do Abaporu [Children of Abaporu], at Galeria de Arte do Brasil
1995 - São Paulo SP - Realidade Ilusória [Illusory Reality], at Anna Cláudia Roso Escritório de Arte
1996 - Fredrikstad (Norway) - International Print Exhibition 8, at Galleri Gamlebyen
1996 - São Paulo SP - Mostra do Acervo Sudameris [Sudameris Collection Exhibition], at Sudameris Galleria
1997 - São Paulo SP - 2ª Mostra do Acervo Sudameris [2nd Sudameris Collection Exhibition], at Sudameris Galleria
1997 - São Paulo SP - Rever/Nelson Screnci, at Ruy Sant'anna Galeria
1997 - Vancouver (Canada) - New International Artists, at Lewarne Galleries
1998 - São Paulo SP - A Biblioteca Ideal [The Ideal Library], at Livraria Cultura
1998 - São Paulo SP - Paisagens da Memória [Landscapes of Memory], at Múltipla de Arte Galeria
1999 - São Paulo SP - Coletiva de Abertura [Opening Group Show], at Paulo Prado Galeria de Arte
1999 - São Paulo SP - 31ª Exposição de Arte Contemporânea Brasileira [31st Brazilian Contemporary Art Exhibition], at Chapel School
2000 - Couvin (Belgium) - Exposition Internationale Petit Format de Papier, at Cul-des-Sarts
2000 - São Paulo SP - A Figura Humana na Coleção Itaú [The Human Figure in the Itaú Collection], at Itaú Cultural
2000 - São Paulo SP - Almeida Júnior: um artista revisitado [Almeida Júnior: An Artist Revisited], at Pinacoteca do Estado
2000 - São Paulo SP - Brasil + 500 Mostra do Redescobrimento [Brazil + 500 Rediscovery Exhibition], at Fundação Bienal
2000 - São Paulo SP - Obra em Contexto: A Negra e o Caipira [Work in Context: A Negra and O Caipira], at Galeria de Arte do Sesi
2000 - São Paulo SP - Dois Olhares sobre a Natureza [Two Views of Nature], at Museu do Club Atlético Paulistano
2001 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - O Negro de Corpo e Alma [Black in Body and Soul], at Fundação Casa França-Brasil
2002 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo dos Modernistas - 22 Antes Depois [The Modernists' São Paulo - 22 Before After], at Sesc Ipiranga
2002 - Viroinval (Belgium) - Exposition Internationale Petit Format de Papier
2002 - São Paulo SP - APAP 2002, at Espaço Cultural DDI Mezanino
2002 - São Paulo SP - 1ª Mostra Caixas Assinadas [1st Signed Boxes Exhibition], at Casa da Bola
2003 - San Sepolcro (Italy) - Exposition Piero della Francesca - Sessione
2003 - São Paulo SP - 2ª Mostra dos Ateliês [2nd Studios Exhibition], at MuBE
2004 - São Paulo SP - Exposição de Artistas Contemporâneos [Exhibition of Contemporary Artists], at Esporte Clube Sírio
2004 - Viroinval (Belgium) - Exposition Internationale Petit Format de Papier
2004 - São Paulo SP - 22ª Exposição de Artistas Contemporâneos [22nd Exhibition of Contemporary Artists], at Sociarte
2004 - Atibaia SP - 13º Encontro de Artes Plásticas de Atibaia [13th Atibaia Visual Arts Meeting], at Secretaria da Cultura de Atibaia
2004 - Atibaia SP - Pequenas Grandes Obras [Small Great Works], at Pinacoteca Municipal de Atibaia
2004 - São Paulo SP - Arte & Artistas 2004 / Grupo Guanabara, at Masp - Galeria Prestes Maia
2005 - São Paulo SP - Pequenas Grandes Obras [Small Great Works], at Cultural Blue Life
2005 - São Paulo SP - Mostra Vladimir Herzog 30 Anos [Vladimir Herzog 30 Years Exhibition], at Estação Pinacoteca
2005 - Santos SP - 3ª Mostra Darcy Penteado de Arte [3rd Darcy Penteado Art Exhibition], at Museu do Café Brasileiro
2006 - São Paulo SP - Alma de Artista [Artist's Soul], at Sesc Pompeia
2006 - São Paulo SP - 14 Bis: 100 anos - A Evolução [14 Bis: 100 Years - The Evolution], at Museu da Energia de São Paulo
2007 - São Paulo SP - Itaú Contemporâneo: arte no Brasil 1981-2006 [Itaú Contemporâneo: Art in Brazil 1981-2006], at Itaú Cultural
2007 - São Paulo SP - Pequenas Grandes Obras [Small Great Works], at Sesc Santana
2008 - Belo Horizonte MG - Paisagens [Landscapes], at AM Galeria
Source: Itaú Cultural
