In our showroom, we present works in which the line plays a central role as the defining visual element. As early as the theoretical art writings of the Renaissance, a distinction was made between line and color—Disegno e Colore—with color being associated with emotion and Venetian painting, whereas the line was associated with the intellect and linked to the art of Florence. However, rather than going back to the 16th century, we focus on artists from the late 20th century, along with a 2012 work by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota. She has woven a network of lines using wool threads within the steel frame of an iron cube, where a silver sphere embodies the state of being.
The earliest works in the space are etchings by American artist Fred Sandback from 1975 and 1976. His works on paper show similarities to his sculptural pieces, in which he transformed spaces into poetic installations using the simplest means. From Tom Wesselmann, we feature a 1990 multiple of a reclining nude named Rosemary. American artist Al Taylor has captured simple chopsticks and a tin can as a sculptural installation using pencil, correction fluid and gouache. While reframing the drawing, we discovered an inscription on the back reading "Tatlin and Malevich." This reference points to Russian Avantgarde and opens a conceptual dialogue with Russian Formalism.
We also present a series of four etchings by Brice Marden, titled Suzhou, whose execution suggests his engagement with Japanese calligraphy. Pierre Haubensak is represented by a delicate charcoal drawing featuring a grid pattern. Additionally, we showcase a sketch by Barry Le Va, created during a performance in Porto. Next to the Museu Serralves, designed by architect Álvaro Siza, stands an Art Deco building often made available to artists for interventions. There, the American artist installed a composition of randomly broken glass panels.
The collection of works in the showroom illustrates the diverse manifestations of line drawing in artistic practice.