José Antônio da Silva Survey at MAC-USP Explores Rural Modernism and Political Voice

The Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP presents "José Antônio da Silva: Pintar o Brasil," featuring 142 works by the artist. Curated by Gabriel Pérez-Barreiro, the exhibition is organized into eight thematic sections rather than a chronological survey, highlighting Silva's spontaneous approach to subjects like rural life, religious scenes, and social transformations. The show includes 119 works from the MAC-USP collection, which holds the largest public collection of Silva's work, plus 23 additional pieces not seen in prior iterations at the Museu de Grenoble and Fundação Iberê Camargo. A significant inclusion is the complete set of 75 drawings for his first book "Romance da Minha Vida," with 35 previously unpublished. Silva, often labeled as "naïf" or "primitivo," is reframed by curators as a conscious artist who engaged with formal resources and political debates. His work documents 20th-century Brazilian changes, including agricultural expansion and industrialization. The exhibition reveals his critical stance, exemplified by the painting "Enforcamento" (1967), which depicts critics who excluded him from the 1957 Bienal de São Paulo. Silva's career included seven solo shows at MAC-USP since 1963, participation in the Bienal de São Paulo, and a special room at the 1966 Venice Biennale. The show runs with an accompanying publication featuring insights from curator Pérez-Barreiro and art historian Fernanda Pitta.