Cecilia Brunson Projects brings Volpi: at The Crossroads of Brazilian Modern Art, an exhibition of paintings by Alfredo Volpi (1896 – 1988) curated by Dr Michael Asbury. The presentation is the second in the gallery’s series of shows which aim to introduce London audiences to some of the major figures of modern and contemporary Brazilian art, presented in association with Almeida e Dale Art Gallery, São Paulo.
Although set to be a new discovery for most London audiences, Alfredo Volpi is rightly regarded as one of the most influential figures in 20th century Brazilian art. A painter whose work articulated popular themes with a sophisticated use of geometry and colour, Volpi stands at the crossroads between the Brazilian modernismo of the 1920s and 30s and the experimental art that would emerge in the late 1950s and 60s.
Few artists in Brazil have received such universal acclaim and recognition, demonstrated through multiple retrospectives and books devoted to his work, as well as the legion of ‘volpistas’ who followed and championed his painting during his lifetime. Volpi was considered one of the pillars of Brazilian Modernism, admired by the concrete movement and lauded by the pre-eminent critics of the day Herbert Read and Mário Pedrosa.
Although Volpi has exhibited widely since his first solo exhibition in 1944 – participating in an exhibition of Brazilian art which toured the UK at venues that include the Royal Academy (1944), the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennial, in addition to numerous museum exhibitions around the world – this will be Alfredo Volpi’s first solo show in the UK.
When: 11 June to 29 July (Tuesday-Friday: 2-6pm, Saturday: 12-4pm)
Where: Cecilia Brunson Projects (Royal Oak Yard, Bermondsey Street)
Entrance: Free
Info: www.ceciliabrunsonprojects.com
