Carlos Cairoli
Tribute to H. Vernon-Duverneuil
Artist
Carlos Cairoli
(1926, Buenos Aires - 1995, Chartres), Argentinean
Original Title
Tribute to H. Vernon-Duverneuil
Date1973
Mediumacrylic glass (Altuglas) and steel
Dimensions80 × 108 × 35 cm
Classificationssculpture
Credit LineKunsthalle Praha
DescriptionCarlos Cairoli is known for his abstract geometric collages, reliefs, and sculptures. An important aspect of Cairoli’s constructivism is its connection to natural forces and an apt sensitivity for the spatial characteristics of light. Beginning in 1950, his work adopted a clear spatial dimension. His curveless spatial constructions explore the relation between vertical and horizontal lines, most commonly thematized through compositions made of thermoplastic boards. Caroli’s use of industrial materials (e.g., metal, transparent thermoplastic) as well as techniques of surface alteration (e.g., welding, screwing, polishing, spray painting) evidence a close link to architecture, further manifest in his work with space and light/shadows. While his earlier pieces were more complex, often incorporating metal rods, his later works, created from 1971 onward, are subtler and more muted in their expression, comprising fewer metal elements and focusing on the linear composition of transparent boards. They often explore questions of decentralization and the right angle, resulting in an appearance of visual discontinuity.
This sculpture titled Hommage á H. Vernon-Duverneuil (1973) is Cairoli’s personal tribute to the renowned constructivist critic and theorist. In this constructivist piece, Cairoli set transparent plates of acrylic glass into a metal board, achieving a visual effect of dematerialization which spotlights an intricate material harmony and evokes the retreat of matter in favor of light, which illuminates the spatial relations and transforms them into a contemplative visual experience.
Carlos Cairoli (1926, Buenos Aires ─ 1995, Chartres) received his artistic education in Argentina, but his work is closely linked to the Parisian art scene. During the late 1940s, he met Joaquín Torres-García who further exposed him to constructivist theory (in 1994, inspired by the art of Piet Mondrian, Torres-García had published Arte Constructivo and dedicated the title to the Dutch artist). In 1950, Cairoli began to analyze three-dimensional space, examining the principles of rhythm, repetition, and their perception. He was interested in the effects of light, which led him to join a research group led by Lucio Fontana. In 1952, he moved to Paris where he regularly partook in the Salon des Reálistes Nouvelles from 1955 onward. Later, he joined the art group Espace, which adopted a less idealistic approach to the neoplasticist ideal of synthesizing art and architectural space. In the early 1960s, Cairoli joined the art group Mesure founded by Georges Folmer and Jean Gorin. To further pursue his own interests, he founded a new group known as the Centre International des Rechers Spatiales Formelles (“The International Center for Formal Spatial Research”). Cairoli’s work was also featured in exhibitions at the Amsterdam (Experiment in Constructie, 1962) and Zurich (Experiment in Flasche und Raum), which explored various avantgarde movements, particularly from the field of research on space and time. Cairoli was critical toward the popularization of his movement, leading him to distance himself from its commercialization.
This sculpture titled Hommage á H. Vernon-Duverneuil (1973) is Cairoli’s personal tribute to the renowned constructivist critic and theorist. In this constructivist piece, Cairoli set transparent plates of acrylic glass into a metal board, achieving a visual effect of dematerialization which spotlights an intricate material harmony and evokes the retreat of matter in favor of light, which illuminates the spatial relations and transforms them into a contemplative visual experience.
Carlos Cairoli (1926, Buenos Aires ─ 1995, Chartres) received his artistic education in Argentina, but his work is closely linked to the Parisian art scene. During the late 1940s, he met Joaquín Torres-García who further exposed him to constructivist theory (in 1994, inspired by the art of Piet Mondrian, Torres-García had published Arte Constructivo and dedicated the title to the Dutch artist). In 1950, Cairoli began to analyze three-dimensional space, examining the principles of rhythm, repetition, and their perception. He was interested in the effects of light, which led him to join a research group led by Lucio Fontana. In 1952, he moved to Paris where he regularly partook in the Salon des Reálistes Nouvelles from 1955 onward. Later, he joined the art group Espace, which adopted a less idealistic approach to the neoplasticist ideal of synthesizing art and architectural space. In the early 1960s, Cairoli joined the art group Mesure founded by Georges Folmer and Jean Gorin. To further pursue his own interests, he founded a new group known as the Centre International des Rechers Spatiales Formelles (“The International Center for Formal Spatial Research”). Cairoli’s work was also featured in exhibitions at the Amsterdam (Experiment in Constructie, 1962) and Zurich (Experiment in Flasche und Raum), which explored various avantgarde movements, particularly from the field of research on space and time. Cairoli was critical toward the popularization of his movement, leading him to distance himself from its commercialization.
