Sergio Camargo: Mármore

Sergio Camargo (1930-90) was a prominent artist in Rio de Janeiro, where he was born, and gained international recognition at the Venice Biennale (1966 and 1982). Working extensively in France and Europe, Camargo was a master of modular geometric constructions, made up of cuboid and cylindrical forms in wood, terracotta, stone and marble. More than 30 years since Camargo’s last London exhibition, Lisson Gallery’s head of exhibitions, Emma Gifford-Mead, talks to Studio International about the importance of bringing his work to a British audience

As the title – Mármore (Portuguese for marble) – suggests, the exhibition concentrates on Camargo’s work in this medium. The reductive nature of his work can be likened to that of Sol LeWitt, Robert Ryman and Lucio Fontana; planes of marble cut across one another, effortlessly elegant and poised with geometric and conceptual precision. The white and black marble offers densely unforgiving and pure works, both majestic and domestic in scale, that sit among wooden wall relief works.

This exhibition has been conceived in association with the artist’s estate and Galeria Raquel Arnaud, São Paulo.

Sergio Camargo: Mármore
Lisson Gallery, London
22 May – 4 July 2015

Interview by KATE TIERNAN
Filmed by MARTIN KENNEDY