Monteiro D'Barros – "Art is a reunion with life", by Edmundo Cavalcanti

Edmundo Cavalcanti é Artista Plástico, Colunista de Arte e Poeta. — Edmundo Cavalcanti is a Visual Artist, Art Columnist and Poet.

1- Where did you born? And what is your academic training?

I was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1957, at the age of 16 years already graduated as a mechanical draftsman, followed a career in the project area, I'm graduated in Physics.

2- How and when you give your first contact with the Arts?

I understand that being in contact with my maternal grandparents, because my grandfather was a poet with published books and listened to classical and classical music, my grandmother pianist. In their house they had numerous canvases of landscapes and personalities from the artistic world, which I was admiring.

Monteiro D' Barros é Artista Plástico. — Monteiro D’ Barros is Plastic Artist.

3- How did you find this gift?

Effectively in 2012 in Belo Horizonte at the exhibition by Caravaggio and his followers. I realized I had the talent for painting, when I made observations during the exposure of lights and shadows. There was an enormous desire to paint like the followers of Caravaggio.

4- What are your main influences?

My influences are the classic realistic paintings, known by the artistic milieu as academic painting.

5- What materials do you use in your works?

I basically use oil paint on cotton canvas, properly prepared with acrylic plaster.

6- What is your creative process itself? What inspires you?

My inspiration comes from observations of nature, I believe because I was a Boy Scout and as a teenager we used to carry out countless expeditions in forests, peaks and hills, but as an adult, the breeding of Arabian horses is my biggest inspiration in the arts.

7- When you started effectively to produce or create your works?

My first screen was an Arabian thoroughbred horse at the beginning of 2017, a head where I showed the refinement of the race: small ears, concave profile, prominent eyes, wide nostrils and the famous swan neck.

8- Art is an intellectual production exquisite, where emotions are embedded in the context of creation, but in art history, we see that many artists are derived from other, following technical and artistic movements through time, you own any model or influence of any artist? Who would be?

As I mentioned earlier the Caravaggio school, due to its detail and realism of its screens, but I also painted honoring our great Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral the famous canvas: Abaporu.

9- What does art mean to you? If you were to summarize in a few words the meaning of Arts in your life…

The poet Vinicius de Moraes wrote: "Life is the art of meeting…”, in a nutshell for me:

Art is a reunion with life.

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10- What techniques do you use to express their ideas, feelings and perceptions about the world? (Whether it is through painting, sculpture, drawing, collage, photography… or uses several techniques in order to make a mix of different art forms).

Painting associated with photography itself, seeking angles and positions that will compose the screen. Sometimes the communion of drawing and photo creating a composition.

11- Every artist has his mentor, that person whom you mirrored that encouraged and inspired you to follow this career you, going ahead and taking your dreams the other expression levels, who this person is and how it introduced you in the art world?

My recognition to Artist and Profª Joelma Pinheiro that with a lot of wisdom and competence made my initiation in the universe of painting already with professional characteristics, I went with her through all the preparation steps, creation and finishing.

12- You have another activity beyond art? You teaches classes, lectures, etc..?

Yes, through the Artmovement group I conduct interviews with visual artists at instagram, I am a consultant in cultural projects and recently I am pursuing postgraduate studies in visual arts with the aim of adding knowledge.

13- Its major national and international exhibitions and their awards? (Mention 5 most recent)

Cultural Knowledge – Plastic Arts Exhibition Christmas Holidays – Rio de Janeiro – RJ. Honor to Merit;
Exhibition Consulate General Geneva – Switzerland;
IX International Visual Arts Exhibition held at ALESP – Assembléia Legislativa do Estado de São Paulo. Honorable Mention in Painting;
XXXIII Salon of Plastic Arts in Arceburgo – MG;
64º Plastic Arts Salon of the Military Club Rio de Janeiro. ArtWork: San Francisco Meditation (Rereading of Caravaggio). Award: Special Guest Jury;
Virtual Collective Exhibition Raphael Art Gallery – Organization Edmundo Cavalcanti.

14- Your plans for the future?

Improve techniques in realistic painting, increase the interaction with established artists and be an instrument in the participation of the inclusion of new artists in the Brazilian market.

15- In your opinion what is the future of Brazilian art and its artists? (in the general context) and why so many artists are giving preference to show their work in international exhibitions despite high costs?

I believe that our decade 20 (year 2020), it will be a resumption of an artistic and cultural movement, we will be celebrating the centenary of the week of modern art in 1922. A pandemic (covid 19) surprised, because it provided a growth in artistic activities, especially in the fine arts. New groups of artists on social media have been created, the number of virtual exhibitions grew exponentially, as well as new opportunities for interaction, courses, videos and interviews on facebook, YouTube, instagram among others. I realize that Brazil was asleep and has now awakened to a new phase of resumption of respect and appreciation of art with art. The market will likely react, I believe that in the economic scenario with low interest rates, art will become an interesting asset as an investment, as we had in the decade 60, 70 and beginning of 80.

The artists who were traveling and exhibiting in international salons did so as a way of showing their art and naturally finding a fair value for the work produced, with the resumption of values leveraged by society itself, artists will find in their land the appreciation and recognition of the work done.