Marcelo Bonevardi (1929–1994) was a Latin American
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, t ...
known for his
mixed media
In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed.
Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art inc ...
pieces. A native of
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...
, Bonevardi spent the greater part of his career in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, where he absorbed avant-garde practices and influences such as abstraction and primitivism, using them to invent a pictorial and symbolic language with which to express his deep spirituality and affinity for myth and ritual. Bonevardi is best known for his
shaped canvas
Shaped canvases are paintings that depart from the normal flat, rectangular configuration. Canvases may be shaped by altering their outline, while retaining their flatness. An ancient, traditional example is the '' tondo'', a painting on a round ...
es, often employing
mixed media
In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed.
Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art inc ...
, which combine elements of painting and sculpture, reflecting his early training and lifelong interest in architecture. During his lifetime, Bonevardi received many honors, including the International Prize at the X Bienal de São Paulo, first prize in the "Ten Argentine Artists at the United Nations" permanent installation, and the Platinum Prize from the
Konex Foundation
Konex Foundation (''Fundación Konex'')is an Argentina, Argentine cultural non-profit organization created in 1980 ''to promote, stimulate, help, and participate in any form of cultural, educational, intellectual, artistic, social, philanthropic, ...
.
Bonevardi's work has been collected by many leading North American and Latin American museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City; the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Arte Moderno in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...
; the
Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade in São Paulo; and the
Museo Rufino Tamayo
Museo Rufino Tamayo is a public contemporary art museum located in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park, that produces contemporary art exhibitions, using its collection of modern and contemporary art, as well as artworks from the collection of its ...
in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley of ...
.
See also
*
Mixed media
In visual art, mixed media describes artwork in which more than one medium or material has been employed.
Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Materials used to create mixed media art inc ...
*
Shaped canvas
Shaped canvases are paintings that depart from the normal flat, rectangular configuration. Canvases may be shaped by altering their outline, while retaining their flatness. An ancient, traditional example is the '' tondo'', a painting on a round ...
References
*Bonevardi - Chasing Shadows, Constructing Art
*''The Shadow Chaser'' by Dore Ashton
*''Constructing Magic'' by Ronald Christ, Ed. John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi. University of Texas Pres
External links
marcelobonevardi.comAskart.com information on Marcelo Bonevardi
1929 births
1994 deaths
Argentine artists
Artists from New York (state)
20th-century American painters
American male painters
Argentine emigrants to the United States
20th-century American male artists
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