O interior da matéria em 1975: gravuras, poemas e crítica de arte

Abstract

The editio princeps of O interior da matéria (1975) will be considered the central axis of the ongoing study due to its unique characteristic of being the only edition that brings together the twenty engravings by Roberto Burle Marx which correspond to the twenty poems by Joaquim Cardozo. This dialogue between the two artists is not accidental and will therefore be traced, taking the poem “Terra do mangue” as the first record of the interaction between pictorial production and its poetic approach. Since Joaquim Cardozo’s art criticism was not practiced solely through poetry but also through prose texts, three of these prose writings will be selected as an illustrative counterpart to the author's artistic understanding, which is expressed through twenty poems in the work under study. Furthermore, the handcrafted configuration of the 1975 edition is essential for a full appreciation of the work. As an illustration, an assessment of the paratextual elements will be conducted to better specify the particularities of this first edition. In addition to the comparative perspective between poem and engraving, it is also necessary to examine the variations the poems have undergone throughout subsequent editions, in order to guide a detailed analysis of each poem and its corresponding engravings. With this approach, the aim is to measure the value of this editorial artifact, considering not only its artistic, poetic, and pictorial ambivalence but also the verbal materiality that has been altered from edition to edition