[Chronology] Iberê Camargo

One of the great names of Brazilian art of the 20th century and artist of an extensive work which includes paintings, drawings, gouaches and engravings, Iberê Camargo never lined up with currents or movements, but exerted strong leadership in the Brazilian artistic and intellectual environment.

Iberê Camargo at age 6 (1920)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1914

Iberê Bassani de Camargo was born on 18 November in Restinga Seca in the state of Rio Grande do SuI, the son of Adelino Alves de Camargo, railway employee and Doralice Bassani de Camargo, telegraphist. He spent his childhood in small towns in Rio Grande do SuI: Erechim, Canela, Boca do Monte, Santa Maria, Cacequi and Jaguari.

Restinga Seca Railway Station, RS, década de 1940, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled (1927) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1920
The Camargo family was transferred to Jaguari railway station.

1922
Camargo was sent to boarding school in Cacequi, then later to Santa Maria.

1927
He began his painting studies at the School of Arts and Crafts in Santa Maria, where he lived with his grandmother.

1928
Camargo was highly productive and was awarded prize money of 50 thousand réis in the school's end-of-year exhibition.

In the Village of Boca do Monte, RS, Adelino Alves de Camargo and Doralice Bassani de Camargo, railwaymen, with the son Iberê (c.1928)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1929
He left the School of Arts and Crafts and went to Santa Maria Junior High School, thus interrupting his artistic studies. He soon had to abandon high school too, and went to live with his parents in Boca do Monte, a sparsely populated area, whose main activities revolved around the railway station.

1932
The family returned to Jaguari. Camargo was then 18 years old and got his first job as an apprentice in the engineering department of the 1st Railway Battalion. He was quickly promoted to the position of technical draftsman, designing drains, ramps, reinforcements and embankments.

Gerci (c.1940) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1934
Camargo's daughter Gerci was born after a brief romantic involvement and was taken under the wing of his mother, Doralice.

1936
Camargo moved to Porto Alegre. He worked as a draftsman for the Public Works Department and resumed his studies at night at architectural course at the Institute of Fine Arts.

Iberê and Maria Coussirat at the artist's first studio on Lima e Silva Street (1942)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1939
Camargo met Maria Coussirat, a graduate from the Institute of Fine Arts and primary school drawing teacher, whom he married on 8 November 1939.

1940
He meets an old companion, Vasco Prado, who is also a civil servant, and starts drawing with him. He draws people in the street and domestic staff in a wooden shed that Prado had built near his house.

Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1941/1942, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Self-Portrait, Iberê Camargo, 1940, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Dentro do mato (Inside the Bush) (1941/1942) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1940
Camargo starts painting and drawing regularly. He painted many landscapes along the margins of a brook running through the lower part of Porto Alegre.

1941
Camargo received a scholarship from the state government, left the public service and began to paint full time. He worked alone without a teacher or guidance.

Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1940, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Landscape, Iberê Camargo, 1941, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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This begins the story of a painter: the "Revista O Globo" reveals to Brazil the young artist Iberê Camargo (12 de setembro de 1942)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1942
During this period he receives guidance from João Fahrion, teacher at the Institute of Fine Arts. Camargo held his first solo exhibition at the government palace in Porto Alegre. He received a scholarship to study in Rio de Janeiro, where he arrived on 31 August. He was introduced to Portinari on this same night by Augusto Meyer and his wife. Maria arrived in Rio in September. They met Santa Rosa and Goeldi and became regulars at Café Vermelhinho, where they were on intimate terms with Adonias Filho, Flávio de Aquino, Milton Dacosta, Djanira and Maria Leontina.

Portrait of Maria Coussirat Camargo (1943) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1942
The couple first lived in a boarding house on Botafogo Beach, and later in another on Esteves Junior Street, where Guignard gave Camargo private classes using Maria as a model. Maria worked as an architectural draftsperson for the Construtora Pederneiras.

1943
Camargo entered the National School of Fine Arts, which he soon abandoned. He then began to attend Guignard's course at the National Students Union building in the Rio suburb of Flamengo.

Self-Portrait, Iberê Camargo, c.1942, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Self-Portrait, Iberê Camargo, 1942, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Guignard with his students. The master in the center and Iberê in the background (1942)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1943
Together with Geza Heller and Elisa Byinton he founded the Guignard Group, which held an exhibition of drawings at the academic directorate of the National School of Fine Arts at the end of the year, receiving a hostile reception from the students of the school. The exhibition was dismantled by force and reassembled at the Brazilian Press Association, where it received much critical acclaim. In the same year Camargo exhibited three drawings in the National Fine Arts Exhibition and was included in the Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Painting, organised in support of the Royal Air Force, in London. He and his wife moved to the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Laranjeiras.

Sketch for the invitation of the first exhibition of the Guignard Group (1943) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

Iberê painting a gateway in the Botanical Gardens (1944)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1944
The Guignard Group came to an end when Guignard departed for the city of Belo Horizonte. Camargo began to work alone in a studio in the Rio district of Largo do Machado. He held a solo exhibition at Casa das Molduras in Porto Alegre. He participated in the Modern Art division of the National Fine Arts Exhibition and a self-portraiture exhibition at the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro.

1945
Camargo participated in the Modern Art division of the National Fine Arts Exhibition, where he won a silver medal, and an exhibit entitled 20 Artistas Brasileños [20 Brazilian Artists] in Buenos Aires. After Guignard's departure, Camargo began to absorb other artistic influences, such as that of Lasar Segall and later Utrillo.

Gateway of the Gunpowder Factory, Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens, Iberê Camargo, 1944, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Lapa (1947) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1946
His first solo exhibition in Rio de Janeiro was held at the Exhibit Hall of the Ministry of Education and Health .

1947
He was awarded a trip to Europe at the National Fine Arts Exhibition (Modern Art division) for his painting entitled Lapa. This was the greatest artistic distinction awarded at the time. Pancetti was awarded the prize of a trip within Brazil.

Iberê Camargo at Lapa studio (c.1948)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1948
Ibere and Maria Camargo traveled to Europe, where they stayed for two years. In Rome Camargo studied painting with Giorgio de Chirico, printmaking with Petrucci, frescoes with Achille. He tried to see everything in Europe and copied works in museums. He visited Holland, England, Spain and Portugal.

1949
Camargo attended the André Lhote Academy in Paris, drawn both by his reading of André Lhote's essay Treatise on Landscape Painting as well his fame as a great teacher. He attended the academy in the mornings and spent his afternoons in the Louvre, where he copied masters such as Ticiano, Vermeer, El Greco and Tintoretto.

Iberê leaving away on May 31, 1948, at his studio at Lapa, before embarking to Europe, 1948, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled (belonging to the series of studies carried out in André Lhote's studio in Paris), Iberê Camargo, c.1949, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled (belongs to the series of studies conducted in André Lhote's studio in Paris), Iberê Camargo, c.1949, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê back (20 de janeiro de 1951)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1950
Back in Rome Camargo studied painting materials with Leoni Augusto Rosa. He and Maria returned to Brazil at the end of the year, on the same ship as Portinari. He began to paint his landscapes again, reacquiring the local color. The Museum of Modern Art in Resende was inaugurated with a combined exhibition organized by one of the founders, the writer Marques Rebelo, in which Camargo, Dacosta, Guignard, Pancetti and Goeldi participated. Camargo and his wife bought an apartment in Santa Teresa.

Iberê Camargo printing an engraving (1954)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1951
In his studio in Lapa, Camargo did his printmaking on his own press and taught
drawing and painting. He was invited to participate in the 1st International Biennial Exhibition at São Paulo and the Biennial Exhibition of Hispanic-American Art in Madrid. In Rio de Janeiro he was a jury member for the National Fine Arts Exhibition (Modern Art division). He returned to painting urban landscapes and painted innumerous canvases of the streets of his suburb of Santa Teresa.

Landscape, Iberê Camargo, 1953, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Artist's prints notebook (década de 1950) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1952
From this year he begins to record his print output in notebooks. Andre Lhote visited Brazil in August and Camargo was reunited with the master in the studio of his colleague Frank Schaeffer. He participated in the 1st Brazilian National Modern Art Exhibition and sat on the National Fine Arts Commission in Rio de Janeiro, remaining in the position until 1955.

1953
As a permanent member of staff, he founded the metal-plate printmaking course at the Fine Arts Institute of Rio de Janeiro. His students included Anna Letycia, Vera Mindlim, Eduardo Sued and Ítalo Campofiorito. Camargo defended the idea that printmaking should be "a common means of expression for all fine artists". This year he begins an intensive campaign for liberation of import duty on foreign paints, wich will become one of the most important political movements for the visual arts in the country.

Matrix for the print Nanny Goat, Iberê Camargo, 1952, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Cabrita (Nanny Goat), Iberê Camargo, 1952, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Art and their materials; Black and White Salon: III National Salon of Modern Art, 1954 (1985) by FUNARTEIberê Camargo Foundation

1954
Camargo held his first solo exhibition after returning from Europe at the Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos gallery in Rio de Janeiro. The National Fine Arts Commission used testing to prove the poor quality of Brazilian Paints. Together with Djanira and Milton Dacosta, Camargo led demonstrations to reduce import tariffs on paints and organized the Black and White Exhibit at the 3rd Moderns Art Exhibition as a form of protest, in which artists presented works in black and white, attracting a great deal of attention, even overseas.

Protest against taxes on imports of international paints: Iberê and Maria Camargo with Sônia Ebling in the Miniature Salon (Salão Miniatura) (1955)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1955
Camargo wrote a printmaking manual in the form of a booklet. He participated in the III Biennial Exhibition in Madrid. In Porto Alegre he held a solo exhibition and gave a course in metal-plate printmaking at the Clube da Gravura. He organises the first meeting in his studio for planning the Miniature Salon - another protest against the high prices of foreign paints and art materials in general - reducing the size of the artworks.

Study for Mesa com espelho (Table and Mirror), Iberê Camargo, c.1953, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Mesa com espelho (Table and Mirror), Iberê Camargo, 1953, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê Camargo and students in the course of the Engraving Club, 1955, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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The case (23 de maio de 1956)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1956
One of his prints was approved by the jury of the 5th National Modern Art Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, but considered immoral by the organizing committee. The episode caused a great deal of controversy and the print ended up on public display. He is included in the Prix Guggenheim, in Paris. Camargo and Maria moved to the Rio de Janeiro district of Botafogo, where they remained until they returned to Porto Alegre in 1982.

Study for Man, Woman and Nanny Goat, Iberê Camargo, c.1956, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê, Goeldi, Antônio Olinto, Adonias Filho, Jorge and James Amado at the inauguration of the exhibition at GEA Galeria de Arte (1958)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1957
Camargo participated in the exhibition entitled Arte Moderno en Brasil held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires and the combined exhibition of Brazilian printmaking in Montevideo.

1958
He was on the jury of the 7th National Modern Art Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, and resigns due to differences with the selection criteria adopted by the other panel members. The Fine Arts Institute was made official, gaining headquarters in the Rio district of Praia Vermelha, where Camargo taught Carlos Zílio and Carlos Vergara in the 1960s.

Painel com garrafas (Panel with Bottles), Iberê Camargo, 1957, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for Painel com garrafas (Panel with Bottles), Iberê Camargo, c.1957, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê Camargo in his studio in Joaquim Silva Street, at Lapa (1959)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1958
Due to a herniated disk, he was unable to paint streetscapes and had to remain in his studio full time. He did his first works from his Carretéis [Spools] phase, which later led him to abstraction. He also wrote a series of short stories in Italian, which he published almost thirty years later.

Carretéis (Spools), Iberê Camargo, c.1958, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled, Iberê Camargo, c.1959, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Backdrop study for the ballet As Icamiabas (c.1959) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1959
He held a solo exhibition at the Pan American Union in Washington, then directed by the Brazilian writer Erico Verissimo. His work also traveled with an exhibition of Brazilian printmakers, organized by the Brazilian Cultural Commission and the Smithsonian Institute of Washington. He designed the sets and costumes for the ballet Rudá (1951) written by Villa-Lobos. He participated in the 5th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo.

Costume study for the role of Izí in the ballet As Icamiabas, Iberê Camargo, c.1959, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Costume study for the role of man in the ballet As Icamiabas, Iberê Camargo, c.1959, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Painting course titled Meeting with Iberê (Encontros com Iberê), which gives rise to the Atelier Livre of Porto Alegre. Iberê and her student of painting, the artist Regina Silveira (dezembro de 1960)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1960
He participated in the exhibition Latin American Painters and Painting at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, in the 9th National Modern Art Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro and the Biennial Exhibition of Prints in Tokyo. He was awarded the printmaking prize at the Biennial Exhibition in Mexico. He held solo exhibitions at the Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre and the Center of Arts and Letters in Montevideo, where he taught a course in metal-plate printmaking. His work was also shown in the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Buenos Aires. He taught a painting course at the Porto Alegre City Hall, which was later to become the town's open workshop. He bought a studio on Rua das Palmeiras in Rio. He began what was called his abstract phase with his Núcleos [Nuclei] and Desdobramentos [Developments] series.

Lygia Clark and Iberê Camargo during the inauguration of the VI International Biennial of São Paulo (1961) by Autor não identificadoIberê Camargo Foundation

1961
Camargo was voted Best Brazilian Painter in the 6th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo, whose general director was Mário Pedrosa, for his works Fiada de Carretéis [String of Spools] 1, 2, 3, 4 e 5. Lygia Clark was also recognized for her work in the category of sculpture. He participated in the 10th National Modern Art Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro and Biennial Exhibition of Tokyo in Japan.

Fiada de carretéis 2 (Row of Spools 2), Iberê Camargo, 1961, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for Fiada de carretéis 2 (Row of Spools 2), Iberê Camargo, 1961, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Estrutura em movimento 1 (Structure in Motion 1) (1962) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1962
The Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro held a retrospective of his oeuvre. He participated in the Biennial Exhibition of Venice with the works Estrutura [Structure] I and II, Estrutura Dinâmica [Dynamic Structure] I and II, Construção [Construction] and Movimento [Movement], as well six prints Estruturas em movimento [Strictures in movement] I, II, III, IV, V and VI. The exhibition also showed works by Alfredo Volpi, Ivan Serpa, Rubem Valentim and Lygia Clark. He participated in the combined exhibition New Art of Brazil at the Walker Art Center of Minneapolis in the United States.

Estrutura em movimento 3 (Structure in Motion 3), Iberê Camargo, 1962, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Estrutura em movimento 5 (Structure in Motion 5), Iberê Camargo, 1962, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê and Mário Pedrosa at the individual exhibition of the artist at Petit Galerie (1963)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1963
Camargo was honored with a Special Room at the 7th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo. He exhibited his work at the Petite Galerie in Rio de Janeiro and was included in two combined exhibitions: A paisagem como tema [Landscapes as a Theme] at Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos and Resumo de Arte do Jornal do Brasil [Jornal da Brasil Summary of Art]. He painted the series Núcleos em Expansão [Nuclei in Expansion], the strongest expression of his abstract work.

1964
He held a solo exhibition at the Bonino Gallery in Rio de Janeiro. Cadernos Brasileiros published his study A gravura [The Technique of Printmaking], written in 1955. He reincorporated color into his work.

Roberto Burle Marx and Eneida in exhibition of Iberê in Petite Galerie, 1963, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Núcleo (Nucleus), Iberê Camargo, 1963, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Maria Coussirat and the painting "Space with Figure IV", on the terrace of the studio (1965)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1965
Camargo was invited to teach painting at the Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul. He participated in the exhibits Brazilian art today at the Royal College of Art Galleries in London, Salon Comparaisons, at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris and Ocho Grabadores Brasileños, at the René Mentras Gallery in Barcelona. He held a solo exhibition at the Bonino Gallery in Rio de Janeiro, where he began to teach painting at the Municipal Institute of Fine Arts.

Núcleo (Nucleus), Iberê Camargo, 1965, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê Camargo observing your painting production in Luiza Prado Studio, 1961, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1961, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê Camargo and the sketches for the World Health Organization panel (1966)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1966
He created a panel for the World Health Organization in Geneva. Participated in the exhibition The emergent decade. Latin american painters and painting in the 1960's at Guggenheim Museum of New York and combined exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico and Buenos Aires. He inaugurated a solo exhibition at the Bonino Gallery in Rio de Janeiro.

1967
He participated in the exhibition Brazilian printmakers in Washington and the fifth annual exhibition Resumo de Arte do Jornal do Brasil at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. He participated in the second exhibition in a series organized by Grupo Diálogo and Macunaíma Gallery in Rio de Janeiro.

1968
Some of Camargo's works are purchased by the New York Museum of Modern Art. Camargo was a jury member for the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. He also participated in the International Biennial Exhibition in Tokyo.

Study for World Health Organization panel, Geneva, Iberê Camargo, 1966, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for World Health Organization panel, Geneva, Iberê Camargo, 1966, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê in front of the panel of the World Health Organization with sketch of the painting, 1966, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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The panel of the World Health Organization in the process of production, 1966, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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The panel, produced by Iberê Camargo, in the building of the World Health Organization, 1966, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Drawing of Iberê in which idealizes the table of support for the German automatic press that will import in 1969 (c.1969) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1969
He participated in two combined exhibitions in the United States: one at the Art Gallery Center for Inter-American Relations in New York, and the other at the Confianza Gallery, Barnegat Light, New Jersey. He held two solo exhibitions in Rio Grande do Sul: at the Yázigi Gallery in Porto Alegre and the Municipal Library of Santa Maria. He taught painting to prisoners at the Penitentiary Prison of Porto Alegre and metal-plate printmaking at the Federal University of Santa Maria and a course in printmaking in Montevideo. He imports a new automatic printing press from Germany, allowing him to make larger prints.

Iberê and inmates at the Penitentiary of Porto Alegre during paint course teaching by the artist, 1970, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Panel "Circus" elaborated during the course given at Central Prision of Porto Alegre, Iberê Camargo, 1970, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1970, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Desdobramento II (Unfolding II) (1972) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1970
He held a solo exhibition at the Barcinski Gallery in Rio de Janeiro. In Porto Alegre he taught metal-plate printmaking at the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. He was awarded the title Citizen of Porto Alegre by the city council.

1971
He was honored with a Special Room in the 11th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo and a catalogue text written by Joaquim Cardoso. He participated in the exhibit IX Resumo de Arte do Jornal da Brasil at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro.

1972
After eight months of renovations, Camargo inaugurated his studio in Rio de Janeiro with an exhibition of paintings and drawings. With the assistance of architect Jorge Moreira, the studio was insulated so that it became a truly "soundproof fortress".

Entrance of the individual exhibition of Iberê Camargo at O'Hana Gallery (1973)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1973
He held a solo exhibition at the famous O'Hanna Gallery in London, where he was highly acclaimed by the local press. He participated in the International Print Exhibition in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia and the exhibit A Gravura Brasileira no Século XX [20th Century Brazilian Printmaking] at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro. He studied print-making at Atelier Lacourière in Paris.

1974
He participated in the Arte Grafico Brasileño de Hoy in Madrid, Barcelona, Vienna, Paris and Lisbon. He exhibited gouache paintings at the gallery of the Alliance Française and prints at a combined exhibition at the Goethe Institut in Rio de Janeiro. The academic directorate of the Federal University of Santa Maria paid homage to Camargo with the inauguration of the Iberê Camargo Gallery.

In the exhibition of O'Hana Gallery: Antônio Olinto, cultural attaché in Great Brittain and the ambassador Sérgio Corrêa da Costa, 1973, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Ascensão I (Ascension I), Iberê Camargo, 1973, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Sérgio Camargo, Iberê Camargo, Ana Letycia, Edson Motta and Jaime Maurício clarifying about the import of artistic material to the Committee on Culture of the Chamber (1976)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1975
He held a solo exhibition at the Luiz Buarque de Hollanda e Paulo Bittencourt Gallery in Rio de Janeiro. He participated in the 2nd Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan, in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, and a combined exhibition from the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. A Gravura [The Technique of Printmaking], originally written in 1955, is published.

1976
Camargo, Anna Letycia, Sérgio Camargo, Jayme Maurício and the restorer Edson Motta attend a meeting at the Câmara dos Deputados in Brasília, about the need for deregulation of imported paints for artists. He held a solo exhibition at the Bonino Gallery in Rio de Janeiro and was a jury member of the National Modern Art Exhibition, together with Flavio de Aquino and Walmir Ayala.

Iberê Camargo and artists clarifying about the import of artistic material to the Committee on Culture of the Chamber, 1976, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Signo branco I (White Sign I), Iberê Camargo, 1976, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Tatata Pimentel, Iberê Camargo, Maria Coussirat and friends in exhibition "Abstraction" at Oficina de Arte gallery (1977)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1977
Camargo inaugurated solo exhibitions at the Oficina de Arte Gallery in Porto Alegre and the Iberê Camargo Gallery at the Federal University of Santa Maria. He participated in the X Quadrienalle Nazionale d'Art di Roma, the 3rd Exhibition of Fine Arts Brazil-Japan and the combined exhibition V Salão Global de Inverno, which traveled to Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

1978
He participated in the exhibition held at the 1st Iberian-American Meeting of Art Critics and Artists at the Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas, and has his first solo show in the city of São Paulo, at Cristina Faria de Paula Gallery.

1979
He participated in the 15th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo. A retrospective of Camargo's drawings from 1940 to 1970 was organized by the Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul. He held a solo exhibition at the Ipanema Gallery in Rio de Janeiro and at the Debret Gallery in Paris.

Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1978, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Desdobramento (Unfolding), Iberê Camargo, 1978, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Spools with Figure (1984) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1980
The Guido Viaro Museum of Curitiba held a retrospective of Camargo's drawings. He participated in a combined exhibition to pay homage to Mário Pedrosa at the Jean Boghici Gallery in Rio de Janeiro. In December, after being attacked near his studio, he fatally shoots the engineer Sérgio Areal. The tragedy left profound marks on the artist's life and work.

1981
He was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. He held a solo exhibition at the Acervo Gallery in Rio de Janeiro of paintings and drawings done during the month he was held at the Caetano Farias military barracks. Camargo held a solo exhibition of paintings and drawings at the gallery of the Centro Comercial of Porto Alegre. He participated in the exhibition Arte latinoamericano contemporáneo y Japón at the National Museum of Art in Osaka. His painting returned to figuration and he began to paint large canvases.

Pintor e signos (Painter and Signs), Iberê Camargo, 1981, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Eu (Me), Iberê Camargo, 1981, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê in your studio at Lopo Gonçalves Street (1982)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1982
Camargo and Maria returned to Porto Alegre to live. The Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre organized the exhibition Homenagem a Iberê Camargo [Homage to Iberê Camargo]. He received the Diploma of Cultural Merit from the Porto Alegre City Council. In Rio de Janeiro he participated in the exhibit Entre a Mancha e a Figura [Between Blotch and Figure] held at the Museum of Modern Art, and inaugurated a solo exhibition at the Claudio Gil Art Studio. The banning of the importation of paints caused artists to form another commission, in which Camargo participated, to discuss the problem.

Billboard of Iberê Camargo, part of the Rede Brasil Sul project at New Year celebrations (1983)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1983
The short film Iberê Camargo: Pintura, Pintura [Iberê Camargo: Painting, Painting], directed by Mário Carneiro, with text and voice over by Ferreira Gullar, was presented with the solo exhibition of paintings, drawings and tapestries from the series Carretéis [Spools] e Dados [Dice] at the Tina Presser Gallery in Porto Alegre. In Rio de Janeiro, he participated in the combined exhibition 3 x 4 - Grandes Formatos [3 x 4 - Large Formats] at the Centro Empresarial Rio and Autorretratos Brasileiros [Brazilian Self-Portraits] presented by Antonio Bento at the Banerj Gallery. He integrates the Brazil South Network project, in New Year’s celebrations, producing a painting for a billboard.

Study for billboard commemorating the New Year, Iberê Camargo, c.1983, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for billboard commemorating the New Year, Iberê Camargo, c.1983, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Maria and Iberê Camargo in the retrospective exhibited at the Rio Grande do Sul Art Museum (MARGS) in honor of the artist's 70th birthday (1984)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1984
Various exhibits were organized throughout Brazil to celebrate Camargo's 70th birthday. The Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre presented a retrospective of his work. In Rio de Janeiro, in addition to the exhibition Viva a Pintura [Long Live Painting] at the Petite Galerie, solo exhibitions were held at the Thomas Cohn Gallery and Cláudio Gil Art Studio. Camargo donated two panels inspired by the theme of Diretas Já - nationwide protests calling for immediate direct elections - to the National Art Foundation (Funarte), where he participated in the combined exhibition Intervenções no Espaço Urbano [Intervention in Urban Space]. In São Paulo, he held a solo exhibition at the Luisa Strina Gallery.

Maria Coussirat, Iberê autographing the book "Iberê Camargo" (the first released on his life and work) and Pietro Maria Bardi (1985)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1985
The Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre organized the retrospective Iberê Camargo: Trajetórias e Encontros [Iberê Camargo: Trajectories and Encounters] with the launch of the book Iberê Camargo, the first about his life and work. The following year the retrospective is shown at the Museum of Art of São Paulo, the Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro and the Gallery of the National Theater of Brasilia. He received the Golden Dolphin Award from the Rio de Janeiro State Government for his artist work in 1984. He is included in the special room Expressionismo no Brasil: Herança e Afinidades [Expressionism in Brazil: Heritage and Affinities] at the 18th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo.

Front of the artist's last residence and studio, in Alcebíades Antônio dos Santos Street (c.1987)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1986
He bought land in the district of Nonoai, in Porto Alegre, where he began building his studio-residence, designed by the architect Emil Bered. Camargo lived there for the rest of his life. He began to publish political cartoons in the magazine Pasquim under the pseudonym Maqui. He presented an exhibit of drawings entitled As Criadas de Genet [The Maids of Genet] at the Usina Gallery in the city of Vitória, and exhibited oils, paintings and silk screen prints Manequins [Mannequins] at the Max Stolz Gallery in the city of Curitiba. He received the title of honorary doctor from the Federal University of Santa Maria.

1987
He held solo exhibitions at the Cultural Department Exhibition Center in Montevideo, the Paulo Klabin Gallery in Rio de Janeiro, the Luisa Strina and Montesanti galleries in São Paulo, and the Tina Presser Gallery in Porto Alegre.

Iberê drawing a mannequin in front of a shop window, 1986, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for Phantasmagoria IV, Iberê Camargo, 1987, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Finalization of the studio at Alcebíades Antônio dos Santos Street, the last artist's studio (1988)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1988
He moved into his new studio and transferred his press, which was still in Rio de Janeiro, to Porto Alegre. He brought out the book of short stories No Andar do Tempo [In the Passing of Time], with recent texts and translations of his stories in Italian written at the end of the 1950s. He worked on his Ciclistas [Cyclists] series. He took part in the exhibit Modernidade: Arte Brasileira no Século XX [Modernity: Brazilian Art in the 20th Century] at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris and the Museum of Art of São Paulo, and the exhibition Os Ritmos e as Formas da Arte Brasileira Contemporânea [The Rhythms and Forms of Contemporary Brazilian Art] at the Sesc Pompeia in São Paulo, which later traveled to the Scharlottenborg Museum in Copenhagen.

Ciclistas (Cyclists) (1989) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1989
Camargo participated in combined exhibitions in São Paulo: Gesto e Estrutura [Gesture and Structure] at Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud, whose curator was Ronaldo Brito, Panorama de Arte Atual Brasileira/Pintura [Panorama of Contemporary Brazilian Painting] at the Museum of Modern Art, and Jogo da Memória [Memory Game] at the Montesanti Galleries in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Recife. He participated in the 20th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo. In Porto Alegre, he held solo exhibitions at the Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul and the Tina Zappoli Gallery, in recognition of his 75th birthday.

Tina Zappoli with the work "Cyclists", in the Iberê Camargo studio's, 1989, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Ciclista (Cyclist), Iberê Camargo, 1990, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Ciclista (Cyclist) (1990) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1990
The Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo, the National Museum of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro and the Banco Francês e Brasileiro in Porto Alegre organized a retrospective of Iberê Camargo’s prints. He presented work from the Ciclistas [Cyclists] series at the Montesanti-Roesler Gallery in São Paulo, Parque Lage School of Visual Arts in Rio de Janeiro. He held a solo exhibition of paintings at the inauguration of the Mário Quintana Cultural House in Porto Alegre. He took part in the Brazil-Japan Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Osaka and the exhibit Rio Hoje [Rio Today] at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro.

Study for the series Ciclistas (Cyclists), Iberê Camargo, 1990, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1990, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Missa do pedido [...] (Mess to Order [...]) (1992) by Iberê Camargo, sob o pseudônimo MaquiIberê Camargo Foundation

1991
Camargo participated in the combined exhibition Sobre o Branco [On White] at São Paulo Gallery, and ran a five-day workshop at the São Paulo Cultural Center. In Rio de Janeiro, he took part in the exhibit Mário Pedrosa: Arte, Revolução, Reflexão [Mário Pedrosa: Art, Revolution, Reflection] at the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center. He published political cartoons in Terceira Margem under the pseudonym Maqui, in Porto Alegre.

A idiota (The Idiot), from the Cyclists series, Iberê Camargo, 1991, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Minha gente (My People), Iberê Camargo, c.1991, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Iberê producing one of the gouaches of the series "The Man with the Flower in his Mouth", in studio at Alcebíades Antônio dos Santos Street (1992)Iberê Camargo Foundation

1992
In 1992 Iberê was involved in the filming for Renato Falcão’s short film Presságio. In one of the scenes the actor Manuel Aranha plays the part of the leading character in Luigi Pirandello’s play The Man with the Flower in his Mouth, while Iberê draws him. Working on the film led to a series of gouache works which the artist donated to the campaign for prevention of AIDS – An act of love and life.

Iberê producing the series "The Man with the Flower in his Mouth", studio of Alcebíades Antônio dos Santos Street, 1992, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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The Man With the Flower in His Mouth - An Act of Love and Life, Iberê Camargo, 1993, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Tudo te é falso e inútil III (Everything is False and Useless to You III) (1992) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1992
In Rio de Janeiro, he took part in the exhibit De Debret a Iberê [From Debret to Iberê], which celebrated the reopening of the City Museum. The Castro Maya Foundation's Chácara do Céu Museum reprinted one of his prints, whose original plate was acquired by the Amigos da Gravura society. He launched the book A Gravura [Printmaking], which he had written and illustrated in 1953, with an exhibition of metal-plate prints in the Porto Alegre Municipal Cultural Center. He began to write and organize his memoirs. He produces the iconic series Tudo te é falso e inútil [Everything is False and Useless to You].

The artist Carlos Zilio next to the painting "Everything is False and Useless to You III", in the process of production, in studio at Alcebíades Antônio dos Santos Street, 1992, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Study for the series Tudo te é falso e inútil (Everything is False and Useless to You), Iberê Camargo, 1992, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled (1993) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1993
Camargo presented solo exhibitions at the Camargo Vilaça Gallery in São Paulo, the Escritório de Arte da Bahia in Salvador, and metal-plate prints at the Museum of Art of Ribeirão Preto. The artist’s final solo show opens at the Museum of Art of Santa Catarina. He took part in the combined exhibitions Poética [Poetics] at the Gabinete de Arte Raquel Arnaud in São Paulo and Emblemas do Corpo [Emblems of the Body] at the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center in Rio de Janeiro. The Porto Alegre Municipal Department for Culture inaugurated the Iberê Camargo Gallery at the Usina do Gasômetro, with an exhibition of the artist’s gouache paintings.

Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1991, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Untitled, Iberê Camargo, 1992, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Solidão (Solitude) (1994) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

1994
Camargo finished the painting Solidão [Solitude] on 31 July. He is included in the 22th International Biennial Exhibition of São Paulo. The exhibition curator, Nelson Aguilar, invites Iberê to take part as artist of honour. He took part in the exhibition Bienal Brasil Século XX, wich is a major overview of Brazilian art produced in the 20th century. After a long fight against cancer, already on his deathbed, he painted his last works. He died of lung cancer at the age of 79 on 8 August in Porto Alegre. He left an oeuvre of 7.500 works. The books Iberê Camargo, Modern Master, with texts by Ronaldo Brito, and Conversações com Iberê Camargo [Conversations with Iberê Camargo], by Lisette Lagnado, were published.

Study for Solidão (Solitude) (1994) by Iberê CamargoIberê Camargo Foundation

The painting "Solitude", last art work painted by the artist, in process of production, 1994, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Self-Portrait, Iberê Camargo, 1994, From the collection of: Iberê Camargo Foundation
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Maria Coussirat Camargo holding a self-portrait of Iberê in her residence (2006)Iberê Camargo Foundation

Established in 1995, the Iberê Foundation was created as a private non-profit cultural organization in October with the aim of preserving, studying and disseminating the artist's work.

In 2008, the new building was inaugurated, designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. The project won the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2002 and the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize in 2014.

The project was materialised through the wishes of his widow Maria Coussirat, based on the collection assembled over more than 50 years of their life together. The Foundation today houses more than than 5,000 artworks and 20,000 documents which present the artist's production.

Credits: Story

Organized by
Gustavo Possamai


Trainees
Charlene Cabral
Suzana Witt


Based on the chronologies written by Margarida Maria Sant'Anna de Oliveira, Paulo Venâncio Filho and Luiza Mello, available at the catalogues Iberê Camargo: XXI Century (2014) and Iberê Camargo: Before the Painting (2003), respectively.


Every effort has been made to acknowledge the moral rights and copyright of the images in this edition. The Iberê Foundation welcomes any information concerning authorship, ownership, and/or other data that may be incomplete, and is committed to including them in future updates.
acervo@iberecamargo.org.br


© Fundação Iberê Camargo

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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