Lygia Clark (Belo Horizonte, October 23, 1920 – Rio de Janeiro, April 25, 1988) was a Brazilian artist best known for her painting and installation work. She was often associated with the Brazilian Constructivist movements of the mid-20th century and the Tropicalia movement. Even with the changes in how she approached her artwork, she did not stray far from her Constructivist roots. Along with Brazilian artists Amilcar de Castro, Franz Weissmann, Lygia Pape and poet Ferreira Gullar, Clark co-founded the Neo-Concretist art movement. The Neo-Concretists believed that art ought to be subjective and organic. Throughout her career trajectory, Clark discovered ways for museum goers (who would later be referred to as “participants”) to interact with her art works. She sought to redefine the relationship between art and society. Clark’s works dealt with inner life and feelings.

In 1920, Lygia Clark was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais Brazil. Clark became an artist in 1947. In this year, she moved to Rio de Janeiro to study with Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx.^[1] Between 1950-52, she studied with Léger and Arpad Szenes in Paris. In 1953, she became one of the founding members of Rio’s Frente group of artists. In 1957, Clark participated in Rio de Janeiro‘s first National Concrete Art Exhibition.^[1] This would be one of Clark’s frequent trips to Brazil in order to exhibit her artwork.

In the first decade of her career, Clark devoted her time to painting and sculpture. In the early 1970s, Clark taught art at the Sorbonne. During this time, Clark also explored the idea of sensory perception through her art. Her art became a multisensory experience in which the spectator became an active participant. Between 1979 and 1988, Clark moved more toward art therapy than actually creating new works. She used her art therapy to treat psychotic and mildly disturbed patients. Clark returned to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1977. In 1988, she died of a heart attack in her home.^[1]

Some critics say her artwork pre-aged the modern digital information era. Her later works were more abstract and holistic with a focus on psychotherapy and healing.

VIDEO http://youtu.be/7Cq2OVD7dvA

 

ENHIBITIONS

 

1959 – Bienal, São Paulo

1960 – Venice Biennale, Venice

1960 - Konkrete Kunst, Zürich

1961 – Bienal, São Paulo

1962 – Venice Biennale, Venice

1963 – Bienal, São Paulo

1964 – Signals Gallery, London

1964 - Mouvement II, Paris

1965 – Signals Gallery, London

1965 – Paco Imperial, Rio de Janeiro

1967 – Bienal, São Paulo

1968 – Retrospective, Venice Biennale, Venice

1986 – Retrospective (with Hélio Oiticica), Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro

1987 – Retrospective, Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo

1997 - Documenta, Kassel

2000 – Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA

2001 - Brazil: Body and Soul, New York, Guggenheim Museum

2001 – 7th International Istanbul Biennial – Sala especial, Istanbul

2002 - Brazil: Body and Soul, Guggenheim Museum, New York

2003 - Pulse: Art, Healing and Transformation, ICA, Boston,

2004 – Pensamento Mudo, Dan Galeria

2004 - Artists’ Favourites, ICA – London

2005 - 50 Jahre/Years DOCUMENTA: 1955-2005, Kunsthalle Fridericiaum Kassel

2005 - Lygia Clark, da obra ao acontecimento: somos o molde, a você cabe o sopro…, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nantes

2005 - Tropicália: a revolution in Brazilian Culture, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

2006 – Barbican, London

2006 - Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, SP, Brasil

2006-07 – Bronx Museum of the Art, New York

2007 - WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution, MOCA, Los Angeles

2010 - elles@centrepompidou, the Pompidou Centre, Paris

TEXT SOURCE:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lygia_Clark