Édgar Negret

By LatAm ARTE

Edgar Negret (Colombian, b.1920) is a Geometric abstraction sculptor who works primarily with metal. The artist is known for his industrial sculptures that represent nature. Negret grew up in a military family in Popayán, Colombia, and later moved to California to attend the Escuela de Bellas Artes. While studying there, he corresponded with sculptor Jorge de Oteiza (Spanish, 1908–2003), who was living in Popayán at the time. Oteiza became the primary influence on Negret’s art practice. Like many other South American Constructivist artists, he was influenced by the Modern Art movements happening in Europe and the United States. In 1949, Negret temporarily lived in New York and studied at the Clay Club Center (presently known as SculptureCenter). While there, he began working with metal and met artists like Louise Nevelson (American, 1899–1988) and Ellsworth Kelly (American, b.1923). In 1957, Negret was invited in to participate in the São Paolo Biennial, where he exhibited Aparatos Mágicos (Magical Apparatuses). This series became known as the definitive representation of Negret’s work; the works consisited of fictional mechanical items that are meant to be artifacts of Modernism. Negret believes mechanical forms free of function become magical. The artist’s recent works have involved themes of pre-Columbian symbolism, which is paralleled with the late 20th-century rise of Colombian pride in its indigenous cultures. In 1968, he was awarded the David E. Bright International Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennial. The former home of Negret’s family was converted into a museum on March 30, 1985. La Casa Museo Negret in Popayán houses Negret’s sculptures and decorative art items belonging to the family.

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