For several days, while I was thinking
about this article, the question I had in my head was how to describe
Odamar Versolatto, because there are so many things to say.
Many approaches were possible: the painting career, the different
professions, the family artist vein, the foundation, the origins, but
what first pleased me in this man is how "simpatico" (gentle) he is.
After 10 minutes of conversation with him I had the impression that I
knew him for years, and what's more entriguing, isn't this
'empathy-full-ness' a Brazilian characteristic?
It
is not the first time that Odamar is showing his work in
Europe. His work has already been exhibited at the Nesle Gallery
and the Châtelet Victoria Gallery in Paris, France, and at the
Brazilian Institute of Milan, Italy, in 2000; on display was
the expo "Três Gerações Brasileiras" (Three Brazilian Generations).
A
part of his exposition "Transparências brasileiras" (Images of Brazil)
is on exhibit in Lyon, France, as of May 31st until the 16th of
September at the beautiful travel agency Voyageurs du Monde.
From the 18th until the 30th September it will be in another office of
the same agency at Marseille.
The work shown in "Transparências Brasileiras" - which means Brazilian
Images - is the result of accumulated research around the Brazilian
popular culture and a panorama of Odamar's painting career.
The variety of material, portfolio and technique is large; we can see
canvas and drawings, watercolours and collages; the sizes of his
art-pieces are also very diverse - ranging from 1 1/2 meter canvases
to 20 centimetre drawings. But what catches the eye of the viewer when
attending an exhibit is the scope and brilliance of the colours, which
is rare in Europe - as if Europeans did not have the confidence to do
so nowadays. The most impressive canvas figures represent Indians and
Bahianas (see above), and people from the Northeast in traditional
scenes.
But ask Odamar if the theme of his work is "Brazilianism" and
he will tell you, "not at all". He will gently explain that his theme
is the universality of the air that people breath all over the world.
However, for him, Brazil is the only place he is at ease to talk about
his work, without discounting the source of his inspiration. He
continues by saying that there is poetry in the contrasting attitudes
of the images of the black woman carrying a pot on top of her head, as
opposed to the "malandro" (thief) walking down the hill of a "favela"
(slum). His own work resounds the Brazilian cultural aptitude to mix
traditional and modern influences.
On
September 13th, 2002 he will publish a book of art in 3 languages
about dancing as part of the Brazilian culture; a subject he has been
working on since 1998. The book will document his preliminary
findings, results of a year of research travelling around the
Brazilian "Nordeste" in 2001. The publishing launch will happen the
day before the biannual International Dance Festival of Lyon,
in France, where two Brazilian dance companies are invited this year.
Odamar Versolatto was born in São Paulo. He is 42 years-old and
lives in Santo André, one of the biggest cities of São Paulo state,
and was a pupil of the São Paulo Fine Arts School from where he was
since dispelled, by the way. His artistic veins come from his Italian
family, which has also given birth to a major haute-couture designer,
Ocimar Versolato, his brother, who keeps his own "maison"
(house) in Paris.
Odamar has done many different things in the course of his
professional life, but he doesn't talk much about that. He prefers to
focus the conversation on his current work.
Recently he directed the production of an original idea that consisted
of assembling Brazilian common everyday women and featuring them with
the diverse and beautiful ethnical faces of our people's origins. To
find out more about this project you can check out the following
website:
http://www.grafbandeirantes.com.br/aldus_especial.htm He also uses
his talent to decorate a variety of objects, from simple metal boxes
to big trucks, just for the fun of doing it. He is always inventing
something different. For instance, one thing that he likes to do is to
paint while attending a music concert.
Odamar Versolatto has started a foundation at Santo
André where he gives art lessons for destitute children. The
foundation has a large library, encourages other artists to
participate, and provides different types of cultural and artistic
programs. The Espaço Cultural Odamar Versolatto is located in
São Paulo on Rua da Palmeiras, 290, Bairro Jardim, Phone:. XX 55 11
4436 2487.
By
the way, Odamar never uses green color, but this will be the subject
for another article.
