Uma ponte para o sagrado: análise da imagem não-figurativa na obra de Rubem Valentim entre as décadas de 1960-1980

Abstract

This work was developed in the line of research History and Theory of Art and aims to revisit the signographic universe of the visual artist Rubem Valentim (1922-1991) and contribute to theoretical studies of Brazilian art. The general objective was to analyze the non-figurative image present in Valentim's works produced between the 1960s and 1980s through genetic criticism and thinkers who focus on the issue of Afro-Brazilian art. As specific objectives, an analysis of primary sources such as diaries, drafts and sketches was developed, creating a reading of the signs proposed by the artist in his works through the comparative method mainly with the symbology of religions of African origin. The analysis of Valentim's critical fortune also directed the research to dimension the characteristics addressed pertinent to the artist's universe. There was also the mapping of the elements that point to the presence of the concept of decoloniality in Rubem Valentim's work, believing that the result of this research will be a contribution to the development of Afro-Brazilian art. The research covers three axes to support the discoveries and possible new paths to understanding Brazilian art: the appropriation of the popular and its transformation into an erudite discourse by the artist; a genetic critique that delves deeper and reveals other aspects of the body of work, especially between the 1960s and 1980s, when the artist moved away from Bahia. Finally, we propose a reflection through a theoretical framework that includes authors who wrote about Rubem Valentim, such as: Fonteles and Barja, who deal with the artist's biography; Roberto Conduru, who demonstrates that Afro-Brazilian art is not about style or movement, but rather about aesthetic and artistic problematizations, essential for understanding the union that Rubem Valentim creates in his works between the popular and the erudite by bringing elements of African-based religions to the field of visual arts; Aníbal Quijano, whose work gives us an understanding of the decolonial concept; Kabengele Munanga, which discusses the issue of Africanness in Brazil, encompassing the visual arts. And finally, the documentary analysis that applies the genetic criticism proposed by Cecília Salles, a methodological resource that allows us to go back to the past to understand the present through diaries, images and letters. The analytical and comparative analytical methods are used for this research, and the methodological procedures are the documentary investigation of the artist's private collection, consisting of letters, diaries and texts written by the artist, newspaper clippings and photographs, as well as documents originating from research in a public archive whose material is unpublished. The research concludes that the set of Afro-Brazilian works by Rubem Valentim and his theoretical thinking constitute a political act against cultural racism.