Sandra Cinto (Santo André SP 1968)
Sandra Cinto is a sculptor, draftswoman, painter, printmaker and teacher. She graduated in art education from Faculdades Integradas Teresa D'Ávila - Fatea, in Santo André, in 1990. She worked at the Laboratory of Studies and Creation at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo - MAC/USP. In 2002, she created the trophy for the Estadão Multicultural Award, held in São Paulo.
Critical Commentary
Sandra Cinto began her career in the 1990s, producing depictions of skies and clouds contained in boxes and cabinets, as in Retábulo [Altarpiece] (1995). According to the critic Lisette Lagnado, the artist creates fantastic images that show an affinity with the work of the Belgian painter René Magritte (1898-1967). Her drawings, which stand out above all for spreading across supports combined in unpredictable ways, frequently feature stairs, bridges, abysses, chandeliers, lit candles and trees bare of leaves and fruit. In them, she reveals her admiration for the work of Leonilson (1957-1993).
Sandra Cinto often appropriates photographs, sometimes portraits of herself as a child or as an adult, which are combined with other objects, such as wooden sculptures that simulate books or beds. As the art historian Tadeu Chiarelli notes, all these supports and elements form a meeting point from which endless, never-concluded narratives spread, and they are often conceived as site-specific solutions. The artist brings to her production the dismantling of certain formalist concepts, especially the one concerned with the specificity of each medium, combining different procedures in her works, such as drawing, sculpture and photography. As Chiarelli also points out, her production includes works in which dream and reality seem to coexist in silent and contradictory harmony.
Critiques
"When she emerged on the São Paulo art scene, in the group shows of young artists organized by Sonia Salzstein at the Centro Cultural São Paulo, Sandra Cinto caused surprise. At a time when the heavily textured, brutal and chaotic painting inherited from the 1980s still prevailed, Sandra presented paintings of clouds in candid colonial blues, made with extremely thin layers of paint. Naivety or daring? The paintings also revealed an admiration for Magritte. A return to Surrealism in the 1990s? Shown by her on the same occasion, objects shaped like architectural models demonstrated an effective use of contemporary languages, conveying knowledge and expressive power. Pure daring, then.
These objects, made of two small rooms connected by a door, signaled the same poetics as the canvases: while the clouds, painted like coiled tunnels, pointed the way to transcendence, the door of the model was a metaphor for the passage into the infinite, a path between a floor of pigments and the immaterial, signaled by the smell of camphor or ether. Later, Sandra began painting the clouds red, shifting the reading of her work toward the perception of the body, the viscera and blood. 'Those born after the mid-1960s are the post-AIDS generation, and that weighs heavily', says the artist. 'Most of us began our sexual lives under this threat, with pleasure and seduction that never go all the way because of panic; our freedom is truncated.' Her artistic affiliations are many, harmoniously articulated to consolidate a personal path. One of the most evident today lies in her construction of planes, which recalls the delicate landscapes of Guignard - 'The hardest thing is to do something simple, and that is what I admire most in him', she reveals".
Angélica de Moraes
Angélica de Moraes, Sandra Cinto cria arte com a dor do mundo [Sandra Cinto creates art with the pain of the world]. O Estado de S. Paulo, n.d.
"Sandra Cinto burst onto the contemporary landscape with an anachronistic representation of celestial space, serene colors and nocturnal atmospheres. At first, she seemed to claim a place for a complacent painting of the world. But the enormous meekness of the paintings, paradoxically given their humble character, imposed itself as an inescapable force. Gradually, the palette moved away from blues and grays, and the sudden flush of the clouds might well allude to the waves of a stormy ocean, a sign of fear before the immeasurability of Nature - a theme addressed more recently in her installation for the Capela do Morumbi, transformed into a large allegorical vessel fitted with upside-down white sails.1 With this shift, the artist gains complexity by suggesting that boundless space does not lie only outside the subject. Sandra Cinto turns her gaze to the metaphor of the inner sky of redemption, giving it the body it lacked on the two-dimensional plane. Then, in a predictable ebb, the skies begin to fit inside small (unlocked) boxes, (half-open) cabinets or altarpieces of new, light-colored wood - a whole set of furniture evoking (blocked) passageways from one dimension to another, an access possible only in the fantastic imagination. The artist turns to Magritte's dreamlike style, no longer to extract his poetic enigmas, but in search of the symbolic value of the image: the cage, lamps lit in broad daylight, a strawberry or an apple in the firmament of art history. The sensual (and feminine) shape of the fruit - lush and out of proportion - shines like a 'star' at the center of her skies. Consistent with the vocabulary of the sublime, Sandra Cinto incorporates light into her sculptures.2 From that moment on, the work would follow a freer line of inquiry. A fine, careful line draws forests populated by elongated forms, stairs, trunks, tears, clouds, seagulls, chandeliers and lit candles. The ethereal quality that emanated from the thin, hazy matter of the metaphysical skies takes on a tangible aspect with the embedding, at the abdomen height of the wall, of a modified flute cast in bronze, at once assertive and 'sweet' (in both the literal and figurative sense).3 The cult of suspended forms has, at a right angle, the tension needed to counter the near dissolution of the lines".
Notes
1. São Paulo, 1997.
2. The installation consisted of three elements: a small wooden box with a painted sky, a human-scale cage and a lit chandelier hanging from the ceiling and resting on the floor. Antarctica Artes com a Folha, curated by Lisette Lagnado, Lorenzo Mammi, Nelson Brissac, Stella Teixeira de Barros and Tadeu Jungle. Pavilhão Manoel da Nóbrega, São Paulo, 1996.
3. Group show "Intervalos", curated by Daniela Bousso, Paço das Artes, São Paulo, 1997.
Lisette Lagnado
CINTO, Sandra. Sandra Cinto. Text by Lisette Lagnado; translation by Stephen Berg. São Paulo: Casa Triângulo, 1998. p.5-6.
Solo Exhibitions
1992 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Funarte. Galeria Macunaíma
1992 - São Paulo SP - Solo, Annual Exhibition Program of the Centro Cultural São Paulo, at Fundação Bienal
1992 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at CCSP
1993 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Casa Triângulo
1994 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Casa Triângulo
1997 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Capela do Morumbi
1998 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Casa Triângulo
1999 - New York (United States) - Solo, at Bonakdar Jancou Gallery
2001 - New York (United States) - Solo, at Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
2001 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Casa Triângulo
2001 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at CCSP
2003 - Belo Horizonte MG - Solo, at MAP
2003 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at MAM/SP
2005 - São Paulo SP - O Retrato como Imagem do Mundo [The Portrait as Image of the World], at MAM/SP
Group Exhibitions
1988 - São Paulo SP - 4th University Salon of Visual Arts, at Faculdade Santa Marcelina - honorable mention
1989 - São Paulo SP - Group show, at MAM/SP - 1st Canson Prize for Art on Paper
1991 - Belo Horizonte MG - 23rd National Salon of Contemporary Art, at MAP
1991 - Campinas SP - Group show, at MACC
1991 - São Paulo SP - 23rd National Salon of Art on Paper, at MAM/SP
1992 - Piracicaba SP - 24th Contemporary Art Salon: Installations, at Engenho Central
1992 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Projeto Macunaíma, at Funarte. Centro de Artes
1992 - São Paulo SP - Annual Visual Arts Exhibition Program, at CCSP
1993 - Santo André SP - Razão e Mistério [Reason and Mystery], at Paço Municipal de Santo André
1993 - São Paulo SP - 2 x 365 = 4, at Fundação Mokiti Okada
1993 - São Paulo SP - Group Painting Show, at Espaço Namour
1993 - São Paulo SP - Cristina Agostinho & Sandra Cinto, at Galeria Casa Triângulo
1994 - Santo André SP - Santo André Contemporary Art Salon - acquisition prize
1994 - São Paulo SP - Acervo 94, at Galeria Casa Triângulo
1994 - São Paulo SP - Imagem Não Virtual [Non-Virtual Image], at Galeria Casa Triângulo
1995 - São Bernardo do Campo SP - São Bernardo do Campo Contemporary Art Salon, at Espaço Henfil, acquisition prize
1995 - São Paulo SP - Amanhã, Hoje [Tomorrow, Today], at Salão Cultural da Faap
1996 - São Paulo SP - Ouro de Artista [Artist's Gold], at Casa Triângulo
1996 - São Paulo SP - Projeto Antarctica Artes com a Folha, at Pavilhão Manoel da Nóbrega
1997 - Belém PA - Sete Artistas Emergentes [Seven Emerging Artists], at Galeria Theodoro Braga
1997 - Curitiba PR - A Arte Contemporânea da Gravura [The Contemporary Art of Printmaking], at MuMA
1997 - Florianópolis SC - Victor Meirelles Contemporary Art Salon, at Masc - acquisition prize
1997 - Madrid (Spain) - Arco 97
1997 - Santos SP - 10th Santos Biennial, at Centro Cultural Patrícia Galvão
1997 - São Paulo SP - Group Sculpture Show, at Galeria da Casa Triângulo
1997 - São Paulo SP - Fora de Registro [Out of Register], at MAB/Faap
1997 - São Paulo SP - Intervalos [Intervals], at Paço das Artes
1997 - São Paulo SP - Exhibition Celebrating the Ninth Anniversary of Galeria Casa Triângulo
1997 - Salvador BA - 4th Salão da Bahia, at MAM/BA
1998 - Curitiba PR - Group show, at Memorial da Cidade de Curitiba
1998 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Albano Afonso, Rosana Monnerat and Sandra Cinto, at Espaço Cultural dos Correios
1998 - São Paulo SP - 24th São Paulo International Biennial, at Fundação Bienal
1998 - São Paulo SP - A Linha [The Line], at Casa Galeria Triângulo
1998 - São Paulo SP - Fronteiras [Frontiers], at Itaú Cultural
1999 - Boston (United States) - Contemporary Collect Collectors: 1900-1999, at The Institute of Contemporary Art
1999 - Curitiba PR - Inventário do Presente [Inventory of the Present], at Galeria Casa da Imagem
1999 - Madrid (Spain) - Arco 99, at Parque Ferial Juan Carlos I
1999 - Porto Alegre RS - 2nd Mercosul Visual Arts Biennial, at Fundação Bienal de Artes Visuais do Mercosul
1999 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - EXTRA LARGE extra-small, at Espaço Cultural dos Correios
1999 - San Diego (United States) - Contemporary Collectors, at the Museum of Contemporary Art
1999 - São Paulo SP - Sob Medida: a Figura na Fotografia Contemporânea [Made to Measure: the Figure in Contemporary Photography], at Espaço Porto Seguro de Fotografia
1999 - São Paulo SP - Território Expandido [Expanded Territory], at Sesc Pompéia
2000 - Belo Horizonte MG - Investigações: São ou Não São Gravuras [Investigations: Are They or Are They Not Prints], at Itaú Cultural
2000 - Brasília DF - Investigações: São ou Não São Gravuras [Investigations: Are They or Are They Not Prints], at Galeria Itaú Cultural
2000 - Caxias do Sul RS - Contemporary Art Exhibition, at Universidade de Caxias do Sul
2000 - Curitiba PR - 12th Mostra da Gravura Cidade de Curitiba. Marcas do Corpo, Dobras da Alma [Marks of the Body, Folds of the Soul]
2000 - Guadalajara (Mexico) - Fotografía no Fotografía [Photography Not Photography], at Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara
2000 - Guadalajara (Mexico) - America Foto Latina: la Fotografía en el Arte Contemporáneo, at Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara
2000 - Madrid (Spain) - Armory Art Fair
2000 - New York (United States) - Summer Group Exhibitions, at Paula Cooper Gallery
2000 - Paris (France) - Elysian Fields, at Centre Georges Pompidou
2000 - Paris (France) - Arts dans le Monde, at Pont Alexandre III
2000 - Pontevedra (Spain) - 26th Pontevedra Biennial, at Facultade de Ciencias Sociais
2000 - Porto (Portugal) - Group show, at Galeria Canvas
2000 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - A Imagem do Som de Gilberto Gil [The Image of Sound of Gilberto Gil], at Paço Imperial
2000 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection: New Acquisitions, at MAM/RJ
2000 - São Paulo SP - Contemporary Drawing Module I, at MAM/SP
2000 - São Paulo SP - Fim de Milênio: os Anos 90 [End of the Millennium: the 1990s], at MAM/SP
2000 - São Paulo SP - Obra Nova [New Work], at MAC/USP
2000 - São Paulo SP - Passagens [Passages], at Centro Universitário Maria Antonia
2000 - Valencia (Spain) - Mujeres de las Dos Orillas, at Centre Valencià de Cultura Mediterrània La Beneficència
2001 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - Rediscovery Exhibition: Contemporary Module, at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires
2001 - Campinas SP - Deslocamentos do Eu: o Autorretrato Digital e Pré-Digital na Arte Brasileira 1976 - 2001 [Displacements of the Self: the Digital and Pre-Digital Self-Portrait in Brazilian Art 1976 - 2001], at Itaú Cultural
2001 - Caracas (Venezuela) - 4th Bienal del Barro de América
2001 - Madrid (Spain) - Arco 2001
2001 - New York (United States) - Armory Art Fair
2001 - São Paulo SP - 4th Bienal Barro de América, at Fundação Memorial da América Latina
2001 - São Paulo SP - Arco das Rosas: Marchand como Curador [Arco das Rosas: the Dealer as Curator], at Casa das Rosas
2001 - São Paulo SP - Autorretrato, Espelho de Artista [Self-Portrait, Artist's Mirror], at Centro Cultural Fiesp
2001 - São Paulo SP - Fotografia/Não Fotografia [Photography/Not Photography], at MAM/SP
2001 - São Paulo SP - Museu de Arte Brasileira: 40 Anos [Museum of Brazilian Art: 40 Years], MAB/Faap
2001 - São Paulo SP - Trajetória da Luz na Arte Brasileira [The Trajectory of Light in Brazilian Art], at Itaú Cultural
2001 - Washington (United States) - Virgin Territory: Women, Gender, and History in Contemporary Brazilian Art, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
2002 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Caminhos do Contemporâneo 1952-2002 [Paths of the Contemporary 1952-2002], at Paço Imperial
2002 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Sandra Cinto, José Rufino, at Espaço Cultural Sérgio Porto
2002 - São Paulo SP - Albano Afonso, Ricardo Carioba, Sandra Cinto, Laura Lima, Rubens Mano, Mário Ramiro, Mauro Restiffe, Márcia Xavier, at Galeria Casa Triângulo
2002 - São Paulo SP - Photographs in the Collection of the Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo, at MAM/SP
2002 - São Paulo SP - Insólitos [Uncanny], at MAM/SP
2002 - São Paulo SP - Nefelibatas [Daydreamers], at MAM/SP
2002 - São Paulo SP - Paralela, in the warehouse at Avenida Matarazzo, 530
2003 - Iowa City (United States) - Layers of Brazilian Art, at Faulconer Gallery
2003 - São Paulo SP - A Subversão dos Meios [The Subversion of Media], at Itaú Cultural
2003 - São Paulo SP - Casa Triângulo, at Casa Triângulo
2003 - São Paulo SP - Metacorpos [Metabodies], at Paço das Artes
2003 - São Paulo SP - Meus Amigos [My Friends], at MAM/SP
2003 - São Paulo SP - Ordenação e Vertigem [Order and Vertigo], at CCBB
2004 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - New Acquisitions 2003: Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection, at MAM/RJ
2004 - São Paulo SP - A Foto Dissolvida [The Dissolved Photo], at Sesc Pompéia
2004 - São Paulo SP - Contemporary Art in the Municipal Collection, at CCSP
2004 - São Paulo SP - New Acquisitions: 1995 - 2003, at MAB/Faap
2004 - São Paulo SP - Photography and Sculpture in the MAM Collection - 1995 to 2004, at MAM/SP
Source: Itaú Cultural
