Beleza Pura 2006

Curator: This is "Beleza Pura," a mixed-media piece created by Beatriz Milhazes in 2006. She combines painting and collage, among other techniques, to create something that is both visually arresting and incredibly complex. Editor: My immediate response is, it’s dazzling. There is an exuberant layering of circular forms. It's as though geometry and botany are engaged in a dance, flirting with a certain organized chaos. Curator: Indeed. Milhazes employs a labor-intensive process that involves painting on plastic sheets, then transferring and collaging those elements onto the canvas. It blurs boundaries; the initial creation versus its ultimate location. Editor: Absolutely, and it is through this method, the build-up, that the optical effect becomes so potent. The eye never rests, constantly finding new focal points. Note the recurring motif of circles. They feel like lenses that let us see layer after layer of color and pattern. Curator: She often references Brazilian culture, particularly the Baroque ornamentation of churches and the vibrant energy of Rio's Carnival. But it goes deeper than iconography; Milhazes challenges preconceived notions about cultural and aesthetic hierarchies. Editor: Her palette sings, doesn’t it? You have the bold vibrancy alongside pastel calmness, the matte opposing the gloss. Then these swirling tendrils reaching into and around the space... I’m struck by how those juxtapositions create a push and pull effect on the composition. Curator: Consider too, the work's engagement with a broader art market that prioritizes "high" art. By incorporating elements traditionally associated with craft, she questions value systems within art production and consumption. Editor: It’s more than simple appropriation, though. Milhazes’ work, even when engaged in dialogue with other cultural productions, constructs its own powerful visual vocabulary. And within that vocabulary is the sheer pleasure in looking, that formal joy which allows for endless interpretations. Curator: Well said. By considering the art making process and its social dimensions we've deepened our understanding of "Beleza Pura," it also opens a fascinating dialogue about the very nature of artistic labor. Editor: I couldn't agree more. Analyzing the artwork, engaging in a deep conversation that brings you a profound sense of accomplishment. I find the visual symphony Milhazes conducts simply breathtaking.