Neoconcretism is an artistic movement that emerged in Brazil in the 1950s. The peak of the movement occurred in 1959, when Ferreira Gullar published the Neoconcrete manifesto.
Neoconcrete works have an interactive and abstract character. And they oppose the excessive rationalism of Concretism. Two important names in Neoconcretism are Ferreira Gullar and Lygia Clark.
Read too: Neorealism — artistic movement of European origin whose works denounce social problems
Topics in this article
- 1 - Summary about neoconcretism
- 2 - What was neoconcretism?
- 3 - Historical context of neoconcretism
- 4 - Characteristics of Neoconcretism
- 5 - Neoconcrete manifesto
- 6 - Main artists of neoconcretism
- 7 - Works of Neoconcretism
- 8 - Differences between Neoconcretism and Concretism
- 9 - Solved exercises on neoconcretism
Summary about neoconcretism
Neoconcretism is an artistic movement that emerged in the late 1950s.
The main characteristic of neoconcrete works is their interactive character.
O Neoconcrete manifesto it was published in 1959 by Ferreira Gullar and criticizes concrete rationalism.
Ferreira Gullar, Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica are the main representatives of the movement.
Neoconcretism tends towards abstraction, as opposed to concrete rationality.
What was neoconcretism?
Neoconcretism was a artistic and literary movement that emerged in Brazil in the late 1950s. It is an offshoot of the concretist aesthetic. And its main founder is the poet Ferreira Gullar, who wrote the Neoconcrete manifesto, in 1959.
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Historical context of neoconcretism
In 1959, when Neoconcretism reached its peak, the world was under threat from Cold War (1947-1981). This political conflict between capitalist and socialist countries began in 1947 and would last until 1991. During this period, humanity was on alert, fearful of the outbreak of a nuclear war.
In Brazil, the capitalist regime predominated developmentalist government of Juscelino Kubitschek (1902-1976), when Brasília, the seat of state power, was built. It was a period marked by industrialization and the stimulus to consumption. In this context, valuing the participation of the receiver-reader-consumer was relevant.
Characteristics of Neoconcretism
Neoconcretism has the following characteristics:
multiplicity of meanings;
interactive nature;
apoliticality;
visual-semantic character;
geometricism;
sensory aspect;
experimentalism;
subjectivism.
In addition to these, Neoconcretism poetry also presents these particularities:
folds and cuts on the page;
verb in the imperative;
symbolic word.
Neoconcrete manifesto
O Neoconcrete manifestowas written by the author Ferreira Gullar and published in 1959 in Brazilian newspaper. In addition to Gullar, the following artists signed the manifesto: Franz Weissmann, Lygia Clark, Reynaldo Jardim, Lygia Pape, Amilcar de Castro and Theon Spanudis. In this document, the principles of the movement are explained.
The text criticizes concrete art, “taken to a dangerous rationalist exacerbation”. The manifesto was written on the occasion of the 1st Neoconcrete Exhibition, held in 1959. And it proposes “a reinterpretation of neoplasticism, constructivism and other related movements, based on their achievements in expression and giving prevalence to work over theory”.
Neoconcrete, therefore, is contrary to scientism and positivism in art. For Gullar, “rationalism robs art of all autonomy and replaces the non-transferable qualities of the work of art with notions of scientific objectivity”. So that concrete art, in relation to reception, would be based only on “stimulus and reflection” and not on the participation of the receiver or reader.
According to the manifesto, neoconcrete art values “expressive space”. Furthermore, it also defends “the independence of creation in the face of objective knowledge (science) and practical knowledge (morals, politics, industry, etc.)”. Finally, the manifesto states that the participants of the 1st Neoconcrete Exhibition are not a “group”, but just people who share an artistic “affinity”.
Therefore, in the manifesto, the following ideas stand out:
opposition to rationalism and, consequently, Concretism;
visibility of the work to the detriment of theory;
praise of expression and subjectivity;
appreciation of the recipient's interaction with the work of art;
defense of art independent of science and of moral, political and commercial values.
Main artists of neoconcretism
Franz Weissman (1911-2005).
Lygia Clark (1920-1988).
Wyllis de Castro (1926-1988).
Lygia Pape (1927-2004).
Ferreira Gullar (1930-2016).
Hélio Oiticica (1937-1980).
Works of Neoconcretism
Neoconcrete column (1957), by Franz Weissman.
Buried poem (1959), by Ferreira Gullar.
Book of creation (1959), by Lygia Pape.
Active Objects (1959), by Wyllis de Castro.
The animals (1960), by Lygia Clark.
Bólides (1963), by Hélio Oiticica.
Differences between Neoconcretism and Concretism
The main difference between Neoconcretism and Concretism is the role of the receiver in front of the work. Thus, it is the interaction of the receiver, with the artistic or literary object, that will be responsible for the meaning of the work. Therefore, neoconcrete works exist as a function of interaction with the reader or receiver.
Concretism is more rational, while Neoconcretism tends towards abstraction, imagination. Concretism values the space of the sheet, while Neoconcretism seeks three-dimensional work. Concretism opposes the symbolic character of the word, but Neoconcretism values it. To find out more details about Concretism, a movement that Neoconcretism opposes, click here.
Solved exercises on neoconcretism
Question 1
(And either)
The sculptural object produced by Lygia Clark, representative of Neoconcretism, exemplifies the beginning of an important aspect in contemporary art, which expands the functions of art. With reference to the work pocket animal, this aspect is identified by (a)
A) effective participation of the viewer in the work, which determines the proximity between art and life.
B) perception of the use of everyday objects to create a work of art, bringing art and reality closer together.
C) recognition of the use of artisanal techniques in art, which determines the consolidation of cultural values.
D) reflection on the artistic capture of images with optical means, revealing the development of its own language.
E) understanding of the use of mass production methods to create works of art, which updates artistic languages.
Resolution:
Alternative A.
The main characteristic of Neoconcretism is the interaction between the recipient and the work of art, which is stimulated by the work of Lygia Clark.
Question 2
Remember is a space poem by Ferreira Gullar. The work consists of a cube that, when lifted by the reader, makes the verb REMEMBER visible. Thus, this neoconcrete poem presents:
A) semantic limitation.
B) interactive nature.
C) sociopolitical aspect.
D) rationalism.
E) anti-sensory character.
Resolution:
Alternative B.
Gullar's work demands the participation of the reader/receiver. Therefore, it has an interactive character. Such action is sensorial and subjective, and generates a multiplicity of meanings.
Image credits
[1]Lygia Clark / Wikimedia Commons (reproduction)
[2]elefteria1 / Hélio Oiticica / Wikimedia Commons (reproduction)
Sources
ABAURRE, Maria Luiza M.; PONTARA, Marcela. Brazilian literature: times, readers and readings. 3. ed. São Paulo: Editora Moderna, 2015.
GERHEIM, Fernando. Crossings between word and image in three moments of Brazilian art. ARS, São Paulo, v. 18, no. 39, May/Aug. 2020.
LYGIA CLARK. Manifesto of neoconcretism. Available in: https://portal.lygiaclark.org.br/acervo/5741/manifesto-do-neo-concretismo.
SALZSTEIN, Sonia. Construction, deconstruction: the legacy of neoconcretism. New CEBRAP Studies, São Paulo, v. 90, Jul. 2011.
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Warley. "Neoconcretism"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/artes/neoconcretismo.htm. Accessed on October 10, 2023.
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