Background
Ivan Serpa was born on April 6, 1923 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
designer draftsman educator painter printmaker
Ivan Serpa was born on April 6, 1923 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
From 1946 to 1948, Serpa studied printmaking with printmaker Axl Leskoschek in Rio de Janeiro. Serpa was also mentored by the art critic Mário Pedrosa. But in general terms, Serpa did not have much formal training in art.
In 1947 Ivan for the first time exhibited in the modern division of the National Salon of Fine Arts. In the early 1950s, his work was already identified with geometric abstraction and his participation in the First São Paulo Biennial, held in 1951, reiterated this option. On occasion, he received the Young National Painter Award. From 1952 onwards, he began to dedicate himself to didactic activities with children in courses of painting at the Museum of Modern Art, an activity that he would not leave for the rest of his life. In 1953 he participated in the First National Exhibition of Abstract Art held in the city of Petrópolis. The following year, together with other artists, he created the Frente Group, assuming his leadership throughout his two years of life. Participated in 1957 of the First National Exhibition of Concrete Art in Rio de Janeiro, year in which received the prize of travel abroad of the National Salon of Modern Art. He lived in Europe between the years of 1958 and 1959, when he returned to Brazil. He participated next of the I Exhibition of Art Neoconcreta realized in Rio de Janeiro.
At the beginning of the 1960s he carried out some experiments in the field of figuration, including the so-called "black phase", with an expressionist tendency, which developed in a moment of political crisis, culminating with the military coup of March 1964. From 1965 Ivan returned to the geometric abstractionism, introducing elements more linked to the sensuality of the forms, which did not exist in the work of its concrete phase developed throughout the years. Then he participated in the most important exhibitions occurred throughout the decade of 1960 like Opinion 65, Opinion 66 and New Brazilian Objectivity, which brought together the great names of the generation that emerged in the plastic arts at that time. Still in the decade of 1960 and in the beginning of 1970 he developed works together with Lygia Pape and Antonio Manuel, and also with Dionísio del Santo, who reproduced them in the technique of serigraphy.
Moreover, Serpa received several awards in Brazil and participated in several biennials held in São Paulo, in addition to Venice and Zurich, when he was also awarded. The Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro held some retrospectives of his work in the years 1965, 1971 and 1974. In 1973, Serpa died at the age of 50 from a heart attack and stroke.
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Série Geomântica
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Collage
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Gouache
Goauche
Série Amazônica nº 14
Composição
Série Mangueira
Tinta automotiva sobre madeira
Figura (Fase Negra)
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Bichos
Boneca
Figuras e bichos
Homage to Volpi
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Geometric Composition
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Figura (Fase Negra)
Gouache
Figura (Fase Negra)
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Bichos
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Série Geomântica
Faixas Ritmadas
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Geometric Composition
Formas
Figura
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Série Amazônica n° 27
Bichos
Figura (Fase Negra)
Op-Erotica
Outubro
Faixas Ritmadas
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Bichos
Série Amazônica nº 8
Formas diferenciadas
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Ivan was interested in the structure of composition and the rhythm of forms. The artist recomposed the traditional themes of painting, such as still life, using pure colors and organic forms. In other works, he decomposed figurative references into geometric patterns.
In 1954 Serpa co-founded Grupo Frente, which included artists Aluísio Carvão, Lygia Clark, Helio Oiticica, among others.
In 1949, Serpa married Lygia Serpa. They had a son, Yves Serpa, who was born in 1951; a daughter, Leila Serpa, born in 1955; and a son, Heraldo Serpa, born in 1958.