geometric abstraction in bright red, bright blue, and yellow-gold; vertical column of three biforked symbols with one tri-forked symbol at the top; symbols are yellow-gold on a red ground; yellow-gold border across bottom; on both sides is wider outer border of blue and thin inner border of yellow-gold; simple brown stained wood frame

Emblema - 1972, 1972

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Rubem Valentim’s artistic practice can be read within two distinct canons: as an arrangement of geometric forms in an abstract composition or as representa- tions of a spiritual world in which deities manifest as geometric forms. Those forms derive from Yorubá religious practices—predominant within the African diaspora in Brazil—in which deities are recognized by attributes expressed in geometric symbols. The symmetry and ascending aspect of the composition reinforces the idea of looking at an altarpiece. Paying tribute both to ancient religiousness and to modern aesthetics, Valentim explores the tides that connect the Americas, Africa, and the Western world.

Details
Title
Emblema - 1972
Artist Life
1922 - 1991
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2023.35
Curator Approved

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geometric abstraction in bright red, bright blue, and yellow-gold; vertical column of three biforked symbols with one tri-forked symbol at the top; symbols are yellow-gold on a red ground; yellow-gold border across bottom; on both sides is wider outer border of blue and thin inner border of yellow-gold; simple brown stained wood frame
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