WC 56 3, 2015

Brazilian artist Waltercio Caldas is an award winning sculptor and graphic artist. On some occasions he has produced sketches, paintings, installation art exhibits and public works. He also for a short time influenced the Brazilian art scene by working for the art magazine Malasartes, who's focus was on providing information on "art and visual perception" to its readers. Waltercio Caldas was the son of a civil engineer which is highly reflected in his work. In the early 60's he was a pupil of avant-garde Brazilian artist Ivan Serpa, who was a professor at the Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro at the time. Caldas' main claim to fame is his participation in the short-lived Neo-Concretism movement that was based in Brazil from the years 1959 to 1961. The goal of Neo-Concretism was to undermine propaganda muralist art which was often used as a political tool in Central and Southern America. Waltercio Caldas's tutor Serpa, was also an active and well known participant of the movement. Waltercio Caldas has worked with many mediums such as glass, metal and even yarn, with which he forms works that are made of simple outlines of objects and shapes. His style takes minimalism to the extreme and studies space while at the same time creates simple yet charming works. Waltercio Caldas's imagery of outlines are used to create both realistic and abstract designs. One famous work titled Como Imprimir Sombras (How To Print Shadows) is a transparent sculpture of a book that has a ghostly aura. Another of his well known sculptures that is of a more abstract persuasion is the 1994 piece titled Omkring (Around), which is a metal sculpture that Waltercio Caldas used to make a statement about Norwegian architecture's relation to space. It is on permanent display near Leirfjord, Norway. Waltercio Caldas has earned a Brasilia Art Award and a Mario Pedrosa Award for the exhibit The Finest Air which was named Best Show of The Year in Brazil. He has shows in many notable art museums worldwide and has been commissioned to create public works as well.Today he resides and works in Rio de Janeiro.