Caminhos na paisagem - re[Descoberto]s

Abstract

This research follows routes suggested in the paintings by Francisco Severino, an artist from the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, searching for knowledge of art and land, revealed in his brushstrokes which are translated into shapes and spots in the countryside landscapes with mountains, valleys, and woods, in the city of Descoberto, Minas Gerais. The present study places the use of the term landscape in different contexts, and investigates this painting entering the building of its visuality, based on concepts developed by the semiotic plastic, to understand it as visual language. Between fantasy and reality, art and world, this study tries to seek social relationships and rural knowledge involved in the elements that Francisco Severino's work reveals. Following dirt roads and visiting rural houses suggested in the paintings, it reveals local culture learning, reflecting on cultural identity and the concept of place, intertwinement between art and life, nature and culture, tradition and modernity. It gathers facts from the artist's life trajectory, his 42-year experience of painting between Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais, and elements from the history of the city of Descoberto, from its farthest roots up to contemporaneity, when the artist acts in the preservation of the local heritage. Such studied painting unveils knowledge in the art and visual culture field of the rural world in Minas Gerais, investigating the context in which it is inserted, named Naif Art. This study discusses that field through its historiography, the emergence of the term and its presence in Brazil, academic researches, events accomplished in the area, and also conversations with curators and gallery owners.