Oswaldo Vigas

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Oswaldo Vigas
Universidad Central de Venezuela
Movementlate Modernism

Oswaldo Vigas (August 4, 1923 – April 22, 2014)

painter and muralist. His work includes paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, ceramics and tapestries. He worked in France and Venezuela
. He had over one hundred solo exhibitions, and is represented in numerous public institutions and private collections around the world.

Early life and education

Oswaldo Vigas was born in

Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela on August 4, 1923. He identified as mestizo, a term used to describe a person of mixed indigenous and Spanish heritage.[2] He started painting the human body at the age of 12, when his father died.[3]

He went to college and studied medicine at the

Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, hoping to be a pediatrician. He received a degree in 1951.[4] While studying, he took several art classes at the Taller Libre de Artes and attended the Escuela de Artes Plásticas Cristóbal Rojas, where he became acquainted with painters such as Manuel Cabré
and Pedro Ángel González, among others.

His early paintings focused on the human figure, mostly the female form, and a theme that would remain a constant throughout his career: witches (brujas). He became interested in

pre-Columbian culture and pottery, specifically Venus de Tacarigua figurines.[2][4]

Amidst some controversy, his witch paintings were awarded three art prizes in Venezuela.[3] He won the National Visual Arts Award in 1952 for his painting La gran bruja (1951) and also had a major solo exhibition at the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts) in Caracas.[2][4] In 1952 these successes allowed Vigas to move to Paris.[2][3]

Work

Paris

After moving to

Universidad Central de Venezuela, later declared a World Heritage Cultural Site by UNESCO
in 2000.

During most of the 1950s, his works shifted away from the human figure and towards constructivism and abstraction. In 1953, he participated in the São Paulo Biennial and in a group show at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, among other exhibitions. Between 1953 and 1958, the artist exhibited regularly in France and Venezuela. In 1954, he represented Venezuela at the XXVII Venice Biennale, and was part of the Painters of Venezuela traveling exhibition at the Pan-American Union, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution.

During the late 1950s to mid-1960s, while still living in

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. He also had exhibitions at the Slater Memorial Museum of Norwich, Connecticut and the University of Nebraska Art Gallery, and participated in the Contemporary Drawings from Latin America show at the Pan-American Union in Washington, D.C. He was included in another large survey exhibition, South American Art Today, curated by José Gómez Sicre at the Dallas Museum of Fine Art
.

Influenced by a visit to

Picasso in 1955 and by an interest in anthropology and so-called "primitive cultures", Vigas channeled his works of the 1950s into a search for an authentic language, combining gestural, geometric and figurative
paintings. This led him to progressively explore connections with early cultures and the notion of a personal identity marked by telluric, magical and personal imaginative resources, which can be found in his works from the 1960s onward.

He lived in Paris for twelve years where he met his wife Janine and was associated with Fernand Léger, Max Ernst, and Wifredo Lam.[3] In 1964, he moved back to Valencia, Venezuela and continued to exhibit his work thoroughly throughout the country. In 1967, his son Lorenzo was born, and in 1970, he relocated to Caracas.

Venezuela

The 1960s marked the artist's informalism period; his thick black lines dissolved the figure into abstract volumes and shapes. Soon after his arrival in Venezuela, he was named Cultural Director of the Universidad de Los Andes. He simultaneously accepted an appointment as artistic director of the Instituto Nacional de Cultura y Bellas Artes (INCIBA), promoting the work of artists and exhibitions, as well as contributing to the creation of national Salons and awards to help artists from around the country. He remained in office until 1972.

From the mid 60's onwards, Vigas' work progressively shifted back from informalism to a new figurative phase. During the 1980s, Vigas produced a series of tapestries and ceramic works, and his first bronze-cast sculptures.

In 1990, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Imber organized a major retrospective of his works, showcasing not only paintings and sculptures but also tapestries, ceramics and jewelry. Lagoven, the oil company and subsidiary of PDVSA, produced a documentary film about his work.[when?]

In 1992 the city of Monte Carlo honored him with the Prince Rainier Grand Prize, and the Monnaie de Paris organized a retrospective from 1952 to 1993 showcasing one hundred and thirty-two works comprising paintings, ceramics and sculptures.

In 2008, he was designated Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France.

During his later years, Vigas continued to work and exhibit worldwide, gaining further international recognition. In 2012 he was invited to participate in the Un Coeur, un Monde group show that traveled through France, the United States, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Japan. He was also invited to exhibit at The Latin American & Caribbean Contemporary Art Today survey at the Miura Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan.

Death and legacy

Vigas died on 22 April 2014 in Caracas, at the age of 90.[5] His wife Janine Vigas and his son Lorenzo (director, screenwriter and film producer) outlived him.[5]

The Oswaldo Vigas Foundation (Fundación Oswaldo Vigas) was created to continue to expand his art legacy worldwide.[3][6] A major anthological exhibition travelled throughout the Americas to Peru, Chile, and Colombia, titled Oswaldo Vigas Anthological 1943-2013.

His son, the filmmaker Lorenzo Vigas, with his first feature film From Afar, won the Golden Lion for best film of the 2015 Venice Film Festival.

Awards and honors

Vigas received a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from the Universidad de Los Andes in 1999, and from the Universidad Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho (UGMA), in Barcelona, Venezuela.

Vigas received the International Association of Art Critics Award twice, in 2008 and 2014; in 2004, he was the recipient of the Latin Union Award in Washington, DC.

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

A major anthological exhibition of Vigas' work traveled throughout the Americas. The first installment of Oswaldo Vigas Anthological: 1943- 2013 was held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lima, Peru; the show then traveled to the National Museum of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile, and it will open in Bogotá, Colombia in July 2015.[4]

This is a listing of select exhibitions of Vigas.

Year Title Location Notes
2019 Oswaldo Vigas: Transformations Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, Florida, United States [7]
2018 Oswaldo Vigas: Transformations Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States [2][8]
2016 Oswaldo Vigas Antológica 1943–2013 Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of São Paulo (Museu de Arte Contemporânea), São Paulo, Brazil [4][9]
2015 Oswaldo Vigas Antológica 1943–2013
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
, Santiago, Chile
2015 Donación Oswaldo Vigas Museo Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine (Jean-Lurçat Museum and Contemporary Tapestry), Angers, France [10]
2014 Oswaldo Vigas: transfigurations Dillon Gallery, New York, New York, United States [11]
2014 Homenaje a Oswaldo Vigas Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
2014 Oswaldo Vigas Antológica 1943–2013 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima [es], Lima, Peru [3]
2014 Oswaldo Vigas Antológica 1943–2013
Museo de Arte Moderno
, Bogotá, Colombia 		This was the first location of the traveling exhibition.[6]
2012 El dibujo en la obra de Oswaldo Vigas, 1940-2012 Gabinete del Dibujo y la Estampa de Valencia, Venezuela. Retrospective exhibition that included 100 works.
2012 Feria Iberoamericana de Arte de Caracas, FIA 2012 Galería de Arte Ascaso, Galería Medicci and 700 Arte of Maracaibo.
2012 Exposición de arte iberoamericano Madrid, Spain Exhibition to mark of the celebration of the two hundred years of the establishment of the Supreme Court of Spain.
2011 Oswaldo Vigas. Mérida, Paris, Caracas. Peintures Centre d´Art Villa Tamaris, La Seyne-sur-mer, France Retrospective exhibition that included 170 works.
2011 Feria Iberoamericana de Arte de Caracas, FIA 2011 Galería de Arte Ascaso and Galería Medicci
2010 Oswaldo Vigas. De brujas a curanderas Parque Fernando Peñalver, Valencia, Carabobo, Venezuela
2009 Mujeres, mujeres y mujeres, Alianza Francesa based in La Castellana Caracas, Venezuela
2009 Oswaldo Vigas en InterValores InterValores, Chacao, Caracas, Venezuela
2007 Oswaldo Vigas: pasión por la creación, (March) Galería Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF), Caracas, Venezuela
2007 Tierra y fuego Fundación Banco Provincial, Caracas, Venezuela
2005 Oswaldo Vigas: grabados recientes French Alliance (Alianza Francesa), Caracas, Venezuela
2005 Oswaldo Vigas: sortilèges des tropiques Museo Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine, Angers, France
2004 Ideografías de Paris, 1952–1957, Oswaldo Vigas Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela
2003 Oswaldo Vigas, recuerdos del presente Galería de Arte Ascaso, Caracas, Venezuela
2002 Ideografías de Paris, 1952–1957, Oswaldo Vigas Tenji Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
2002 Ideografías de Paris, 1952–1957, Oswaldo Vigas Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela
1998 Oswaldo Vigas, painting and sculpture Aldo Castillo Gallery, Chicago, USA
1997 Vigas en Maracaibo Galería 700 Arte, Maracaibo, Venezuela
1997 Oswaldo Vigas. Obras clave de 1952 a 1997 Comandancia General de la Aviación, Caracas, Venezuela tribute of the Venezuelan Air Force to Oswaldo Vigas
1996 Oswaldo Vigas, un hombre americano Casa de Las Américas, Havana, Cuba
1995 Oswaldo Vigas. Mutants, pélélés, contorsionnistes et autres zigotos Galerie La Tour des Cardinaux, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France
1995 Oswaldo Vigas. La obra reciente Grupo Li-Centro de Arte, Caracas, Venezuela
1993 Vigas, de 1952 a 1993 Museum Monnaie de Paris, Paris, France
1993 Oswaldo Vigas, la obra reciente Grupo Li-Centro de Arte, Caracas, Venezuela
1990 Retrospectiva Vigas: lo figurativo y lo telúrico
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas
Sofía Imber, Caracas, Venezuela
1989 Ceremoniales Centro Armitano Arte, Caracas, Venezuela
1987 Paisajes andinos, with Marius Sznajderman Galería Los Espacios Cálidos, Ateneo de Caracas, Venezuela
1981 Tapicería de Oswaldo Vigas Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
1979 Antológica Ritos elementales, dioses oscuros Instituto de Arte Panameño, Panama
1979 Antológica Ritos elementales, dioses oscuros
Galería de Arte Nacional
, Caracas Venezuela
1977 Oswaldo Vigas, imagen de una identidad expresiva Galería del Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Museo de Arte Italiano, Lima, Peru
1973 Retrospectiva Oswaldo Vigas: 1943–1973, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia
1970 Mitificaciones Fundación Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela
1970 Tapicerías Galería Antañona, Caracas, Venezuela
1967 Venezuelan witches Galería del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, Washington, DC, United States
1967 Vigas: pinturas 1965-1967 Fundación Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela
1966 Retrospectiva Las brujas, árbol genealógico: 1941-1952 Galería 22, Caracas, Venezuela
1964 Oswaldo Vigas: pinturas de los años 1960-1964 Fundación Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela
1964 Vigas: grabados, dibujos, gouaches Ateneo de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela
1964 Oswaldo Vigas: retrospectiva: 1941-1964 Ateneo de Valencia, Valencia, Venezuela
1963 Vigas Galería Neufville, Paris, France
1961 Vigas, peintures recéntes Galerie La Roue, Paris, France
1958 Oswaldo Vigas of Venezuela Pan American Union, Washington, DC, United States
1958 Blancos y negros Fundación Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela
1957 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Madrid, Spain
1957 Oswaldo Vigas: 1953-1957 Fundación Eugenio Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela
1956 Blanc et noir Galería La Roue, Paris, France large-format drawings were on display
1952 Retrospectiva Oswaldo Vigas: 1946-1952 Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
1942 Ateneo de Valencia Valencia, Venezuela first painting exhibition.

Group exhibitions

Year Title Location Notes
2013 Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas (CUC): síntesis de las artes mayores seis décadas 1953–2013, Fundación BBVA Provincial University City of Caracas (Spanish: Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas), Caracas, Venezuela Became a UNESCO Heritage site in 2000, and features contributions from Calder, Lam, Hans Arp, Victor Vasarely and more.[3]
2011 IV Bienal de Esculturas Galería de Arte Trazos, Caracas, Venezuela
2010 Galería de Arte Parque Negra Hipólita, Valencia, Venezuela
2010 Honored Artist at the XV Salón Cabriales de Pintura XV Salón Cabriales de Pintura, University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela [12]
2010 Chicago ARTEahora Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, Florida, United States
2009 Honored Artist at the FIAAM Maracaibo, Venezuela
2008 Artistes de l’Atelier 3 Jean-Lurcat Museum and Contemporary Tapestry (Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine), Angers, France
2008 Art Nocturne Knokke Cultuurcentrum Scharpoord, Knokke, Belgium
2008 Atelier 3 Transpositions. Tapisseries, 1972-2008 Jean-Lurcat Museum and Contemporary Tapestry (Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine), Angers, France
2006 Le Musée de la Tapisserie a 20 ans, Jean-Lurcat Museum and Contemporary Tapestry (Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine), Angers, France
2006 Iberoamérica University of Saint Francis, Joliet, Illinois, United States
2004 Caracas à Paris French Alliance of Paris (Alianza Francesa de Paris), Paris, France Exhibition to mark his thirty years in Venezuela.
2003 La Megaexposición 1900-2000 Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
2003 Arte venezolano del siglo XX. Colección PDVSA Museo de Arte Contemporáneo del Zulia, Maracaibo, Venezuela
2002 Geometría como vanguardia. Colección Banco Mercantil Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, Venezuela
2002 Abstracción geométrica en Venezuela Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
2002 Latinamerican & Caribbean Art Today Miura Museum of Art, Miura, Japan
2002 Reacción y polémica en el arte venezolano Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
2001 I Salón de Arte Exxon Mobil de Venezuela Museo Sacro de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela
2000 Un coeur, un monde (one heart, one world) Maison de la Culture du Japon, Paris, France
2000 Peinture et Sculpture d’Amérique Latine Festival La Cita, Biarritz, France
2000 Colección del Museo Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
2000 Etats d’un temps, Colección Fonds Départemental d’Art Contemporain (FDAC) Centre Culturel de Paris Sucy, Sucy-en-Brie, France
1998 Obras de la colección del FDA Maison du Citoyen, Fontenay-sous-bois, France
1997 El Taller Libre de Arte, 1948-1952 Museo Jacobo Borges, Caracas, Venezuela
1997 Tapisseries de l’Atelier 3 Auditorium de Lyon, Lyon, France
1995 Salon de Mai Espace Eiffel-Branly, Paris, France
1995 XXIX Prix International d’Art Contemporain de Monte Carlo Monte Carlo, Monaco Special guest
1995 El arte venezolano en los años 60. La década prodigiosa Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
1995 Venezuela, de l’art populaire à l’art contemporain Centre Culturel de Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France
1994 Adquisitions 1993 Fonds Départemental d’Art Contemporain (FDAC), Paris, France
1994 Tapisseries d’aujourd’hui sur murs d’autrefois Château des Adhémar, Montelimar, France
1992 From Torres-García to Soto Art Museum of the Americas, Organization of American States (OEA), Washington DC, United States
1992 XXVII Prix International d’Art Contemporain de Monte Carlo Monte Carlo, Monaco
1990 LatinArtCa 90 La Galerie d’Art Lavalin, Montreal, Canada
1990 Reencuentro, Premios Arturo Michelena 1943-1989 y Premios Andrés Pérez Mujica 1951-1989 Galería de Arte Ascaso, Valencia, Venezuela
1990 Latin American drawings today San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California, United States
1989 Arte de los países bolivarianos Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
1981 Omaggio a Picasso, Palazzo Robellini, Erba, Italy
1981 Pro-Posición 20 Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
1980 El arte constructivo venezolano Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
1980 Segunda Bienal Iberoamericana de Arte Instituto Pedro Domecq, Mexico City, México
1980 Chicago International Art Exhibition Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois, United States
1980 Indagación de la imagen Galería de Arte Nacional, Caracas, Venezuela
1979 El arte figurativo en América Latina Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas, Venezuela
1976 Latin Excellence, Contemporary Hispanic Art, Xerox Corporation Center, Rochester, New York, United States
1975 Panorama de la pintura venezolana Casa de Las Américas, Havana, Cuba
1974 Ocho artistas venezolanos Galería Aele, Madrid, España
1973 World Print Competition San Francisco, California, United States
1972 La Colección de Ewa Gartztecka
National Museum of Wroclaw, Wrocław
, Poland
1965 Venezolanische Malerei von Heute, Alemania, traveling exhibition of Venezuelan artists
1964 Casa de Las Américas, Havana, Cuba
1963 Musée Maison de la Culture, Le Havre, France
1962 XXXI Bienal de Venecia, Italia Venice, Italy
1962 Instituto Cultural Venezolano-Israelí New York, New York, United States
1962 Venezuelan painter, Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, Paris, France
1962 Museum of Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
1962 Pintores venezolanos de la Escuela de París
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
, France
1959
Palacio de la Inquisición
, Cartagena, Colombia
1959 Arte latinoamericano contemporáneo
Pan American Union
, Washington DC, United States
1959 Paintings and drawings from Latin America
Dallas Museum of Fine Arts
, Dallas, Texas, United States
1958 Carnegie International Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
1956 Musée de Picardie Amiens, France
1956 Permanence de l’Art Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Geneva, Switzerland
1956 Picasso y el arte contemporáneo hispanoamericano Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, United States
1956 Homenaje a Paul Klee Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City, México
1956 Bienal Internacional de Pintura y Grabado
1955 Bienal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brasil
1955 Carnegie International Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
1954 Works for the University City of Caracas
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
, Paris, France
1954 XXVII Bienal de Venecia Italia y
Pan American Union
 Washington DC, United States
1953 Bienal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brasil
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1963, 1978, 1980 Salon de Mai
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
, France

Publications

  • Oswaldo Vigas: antológica 1943 - 2013 (Exhibition catalog). Venezuela: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. 2015.
    ISBN 9789807690003
    .
  • Oswaldo Vigas, Sortilèges des Tropiques: peintures, tapisseries, sculptures, céramiques 1950-2005 [Oswaldo Vigas, Charm of the Tropics: paintings, tapestries, sculptures, ceramics 1950 – 2005] (Exhibition catalog). Angers, France: Musée Jean Lurçat et de la Tapisserie Contemporaine. 2005.
    ISBN 9782901287902
    .
  • Oswaldo Vigas: ideografiás de Pariś, 1952-1957 (Exhibition catalog). Caracas, Venezuela: Embajada de Francia in Venezuela, Museo de Arte Contemporańeo de Caracas, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas Sofía Imber. 2002.
    ISBN 9789802722266
    .

References

  1. ^ "Visual Art Encyclopedia". Wiki Art.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "A Towering Figure of Venezuelan Modernism Gets His First Solo North American Exhibition". Hyperallergic. 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Binlot, Ann. "Oswaldo Vigas: The Venezuelan Painter Whom History Should Remember". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  4. ^ a b c d e Bentley, Kyle (2016-05-26). "Oswaldo Vigas". Art in America. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  5. ^ a b "Falleció el artista plástico carabobeño Oswaldo Vigas" (in Spanish). El Universal'. 2014-04-22. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  6. ^ a b "A moment for Oswaldo: Bogotá's Museo de Arte Moderno hosts seven-decade Vigas retrospective". Wallpaper* Magazine. 2015-07-20. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  7. ^ "Oswaldo Vigas: Transformations". tampamuseum.org. 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  8. ^ "Oswaldo Vigas: Transformations". Grand Rapids Art Museum. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  9. ^ "Venezuelan Oswaldo Vigas in from the Cold". artnet News. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  10. ^ "Sortir à Angers : Le Vénézuélien Oswaldo Vigas au musée Jean-Lurçat". angers.maville.com (in French). Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  11. ^ "Oswaldo Vigas – Transfiguration". File Magazine. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  12. ^ "XV SALON CABRIALES DE PINTURA FIGURATIVA 2010". saloncabriales.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
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