Many times, abstract art is the result of examining something tangible or conceptual, taking it apart, and presenting it in a different manner. Brazilian painter and sculpture artist José Bechara understands how to take complex, external influences from one’s life and transform them into meticulous creations that cause us to question the depth of what they may be representing. He touches on how his work engages with the space where they’re found. “Through the experimentation of different materials and territories in dimensional and three dimensional works. Along the years, I have always worked on paintings, sculptures and installations dialoguing with the space (by building or activating it), memories and time, as well as its impacts on individuals and society,” he says.

Aesthetic

Each of Bechara’s pieces are creatively planned out. The sharp edges, raw materials, geometrical conjunctions, and linear pathways show flexibility within a rigid setting. Each piece takes on such a dimensional stance that it allows viewers to contemplate its many layers and angles, even in the paintings, where the thin lines are delicate mazes that blend with the industrial-like backbone found in the background.

He explains, “Even as a fan of geometry, I like to confront its history and tradition, rejecting the idea of a “perfect form” promised by geometry as we see in art history. Geometry, in my work, celebrates failure, doubt and it hesitates against life, as I believe we do, as humans, every day.” The sculptures instigate a gravitational challenge for our perception of what we already know about art to expand. Many of these pieces act like a rebellion against what shapes should look when combined. They force you to embrace that imperfect perfection, chaos, and closely inspect each linear and material interaction within each piece.

Deeper Meaning

It is the raw elements found in Bechara’s work that makes the pieces even more engaging. The use of oxidation, wood, and subtleties of color allow the sculptures and paintings to hold a level of fragility. There’s a sense of impermanence too, as if everything could change with one touch. One that is tied to deconstructive elements of what is underneath, like looking at the structural bones of a home instead of the facade.

This narrative takes us back to the original stance of personal dialogue with the external world when looking at his work. One that speaks of looking within to discover what is underneath the surface, and then rebuilding that narrative based on what you find there, first and foremost. Bechara expands on this topic, “I am not a narrator of daily life; I am an abstract artist. However, I am always attentive to the average dramas of existence, especially of the effects social dynamics have in individuals' lives. The relationship between past and present, work and environment. In a certain way, I believe some of my main questions, described above as failure, inexorability of time, finitude, hesitation and the fragility of daily life, touch on some people’s social dramas.”

Conclusion

The way we look at Bechara’s work can provide insight on our lives’ own twists and turns. At times, things fall apart, literally or figuratively, and that is what his work is asking us to look at sometimes. That necessary curve ball that life throws at us is at times a necessity to regain perspective and rebuild in a different, better way.

All photos courtesy of José Bechara. For more about his work, please visit his website.

Today’s poem represents the multidimensional aspects of life found in José’s work:

My House is the Red Earth

BY JOY HARJO

My house is the red earth; it could be the center of the world. I’ve heard New York, Paris, or Tokyo called the center of the world, but I say it is magnificently humble. You could drive by and miss it. Radio waves can obscure it. Words cannot construct it, for there are some sounds left to sacred wordless form. For instance, that fool crow, picking through trash near the corral, understands the center of the world as greasy strips of fat. Just ask him. He doesn’t have to say that the earth has turned scarlet through fierce belief, after centuries of heartbreak and laughter—he perches on the blue bowl of the sky, and laughs.

Figure 1. One of Brugmann’s mural in Brazil.

The South American landscape is both a natural gift and a mysterious force. For many South Americans, the tropics of the rainforest represent the heart of a continent that has endured so much socially, environmentally, and politically. As each country continues to evolve from setbacks, the artists living there remind us of the beauty and resilience that’s very much present within the people, the scenery, and the culture.

Argentine artist Miriam Brugmann is part of a forward thinking sociopolitical mentality, which seeps through the messages in her work. As a resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, her main muse is the verdant landscape surrounding her. Brugmann’s ceramics and paintings connect us with a mystical and beautiful world she creates to embody the liveliness of South American life; one that is constantly immersed in the unapologetic lifestyle of the people, the music, the appreciation for nature, and the streets of Brazil.

At the beginning of her career, Brugmann focused on paintings and illustrations. She then moved on to ceramics by creating utilitarian items such as flowerpots, cups, and plates. But something changed in her imaginative process and called her to become more message/goal driven with her work.

“There wasn’t a big creative process and it was all very basic, which wasn’t making me happy. I wasn’t conveying what I really wanted to get across. So I began creating unique ceramic pieces and I also returned to painting and making murals, leading me to the creative process again. I started finding and defining my style and focusing on what I wanted to communicate. Right now I’m between ceramics, illustrations and murals,” she explains.

Brugmann channels the spirit of her environments in her work as an avid observer of how everything represents a force beyond the ordinary; from the variety of plants to the colorful animals, to the empowered stance of Latin American women.

She adds, “Nature and the Brazilian landscape are crucial to my work, especially Bahia, which is very exuberant, and also Rio. There are a lot of mountains, trees and nature is everywhere. It’s very lavish. You’re looking at it the whole time and the images stay with me and go directly to the work I’m making.”

The rainforest elements in Brugmann’s work are a symbol of refuge that encourage viewers to connect with their roots and to embrace who they are today in relation to the culture from which their ancestors come from.

Figure 3. Ceramic pieces are part of Brugmann’s artistic talents.

Her ceramics are inspired by pre-Columbian pottery from Peru and Mexico. A style she first fell in love with at the Museo Rocsen in Córdoba, Argentina, which houses a collection of over 18,000 pieces of archaeological objects from all around the world. One can see where the inspiration emerged for her ceramics, as pieces from ancient Mexico and the Inca empire often portrayed daily details about how people lived and their environment/resources. When you observe Brugmann’s creations, you notice a sense of strength and beauty that capture the native life and its connectivity with nature and a higher ancient power. Her creations tell us that there’s so much to learn when it comes to culture, and if you look past the superficial elements you’ll find a world thriving in its organic existence beyond stereotypes and any social or political struggle.

A strong overarching theme in Brugmann’s artwork also points to female empowerment. She explains, “[In my work] the care and respect for nature are aspects that were always present. And women, well it can be translated to something feminist like a message… there’s a support and a presence for that cause in my life.”

Figure 4. Empowering messages for the people of Latin America are important in Brugmann’s work.

The women portrayed in her paintings resemble mythical beings with a strong mission to positively affect their lives and communities. Some embody a messenger or spirit animal quality to them. With angelic wings and a fierce stare, these pieces evoke strength and a connection to native cultures, including those indigenous to the rainforest. They represent women who are in touch with their inner power by fending for themselves, the animals, and nature overall in a peaceful yet assertive manner by prioritizing mother nature in a similar way the native people of South America did since pre-Columbian times.

In a way, Brugmann’s work shares the evolution of these women, who like myself, have witnessed social change that hasn’t always been in our favor. Yet thanks to these transitions, more South American women feel revolutionized to embrace their inner power while creating resistance and awareness on human rights and the rights of many generations of women to come.

Explore more of Brugmann’s work by visiting her page. All photos courtesy of the artist.

* Interview translated from Spanish.

The following prose is inspired by the strength and love of nature found in Miriam’s artwork:

at the maracuyá tree

By claudina milagros

On the left side of the maracuyá tree sits my mother,

Her face reflects anxiety of the past.

I tell her she raised two strong daughters who turned into mothers

And that painting those neon floral tablecloths at the market was her artistic gift.

She smiles and pours fresh soil at the base of the tree.

Humidity is in the air.

On the right side of the maracuyá tree sits my sister,

Her peaceful face reflects hidden fear of what’s to come.

I tell her she raised two resilient boys, and that she makes a rainy day seem sunny with her laughter.

She smiles and waters the soil all around the tree.

In front of the maracuyá tree stands my reflection

It asks, “What do you see?”

“ I see discernment in the eyes of the moon and the sun. A woman whose work has been transformed but is not yet done,” I reply.

A ripe maracuyá falls at my feet. My toes are sprinkled with soil.

I pick it up along with my shovel. I walk, dig and plant a small fig tree.

For another mother, another sister, another friend and another daughter.

The cerulean bird follows my steps as I walk towards home

My hand guided by the burning sun behind the lush trees of the rainforest.

*Note: maracuyá is passion fruit in Spanish.

There’s Freedom in Deconstruction

A Walk in the Rainforest