Constructivo con objectos
During the years Torres-García lived in Paris (1926–32), he developed the concept of Universalismo constructivo (Universal Constructivism), a visual vocabulary aimed at representing both the real world and the abstract universe through symbols inserted into a structure. Torres-García’s fertile period in Paris anticipated his active role as theorist, teacher, and editor upon his return to his native country of Uruguay in 1934, where he founded the Asociación de Arte Constructivo and the magazine Círculo y Cuadrado (1936–43). Torres-García painted Constructivo con objetos in Montevideo at this time. The work, which exemplifies the artist’s signature style, captures the everyday life of the city by depicting the objects found in a typical grocery store or almacén. The words "ALMACEN" and "LATURI," the name of the shop, inserted into the gridded composition indicate that the artist may be referring to a real deli he knew in town. Featuring an inventory of bottles, packages, fruit boxes, a coffee grinder, a wine decanter, a copper milk can, a lamp, a mechanical balance, a man with a hat, and a ladder, the painting offers a constructive yet lyrical portrait of a vernacular urban experience.
Artwork Details
- Title: Constructivo con objectos
- Artist: Joaquín Torres-García (Uruguayan, Montevideo 1874–1949 Montevideo)
- Date: 1936
- Medium: Oil on paperboard, mounted on plywood
- Dimensions: 19 5/8 × 12 15/16 in. (49.8 × 32.9 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of the Maria and Conrad Janis Estate, 2024
- Object Number: 2024.88.22
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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