The art critic Ferreira Gullar discusses the concept of the “non-object,” a kind of work of art that cannot be classified as belonging to any of the traditional genres of painting or sculpture. He chronicles the gradual disappearance of the object over the course of the history of art, from Impressionism to contemporary forms of artistic expression. According to Ferreira Gullar, only a few artists— Kazimir Malevich and Vladimir Tatlin in the Russian avant-garde, and the neo-concrete group in Brazil—have managed to create “non-objects.” He states that a “non-object” is a transparent body that cannot be perceived; a work whose meaning is embodied within itself. That is, a work that does not represent anything, it just is. The critic views dispensing with the frame and the base as a necessary step that allows the work to insert itself into real space. Resorting to an imaginary dialogue, Ferreira Gullar exposes the depth of the concept of the “non-object” by referring to its historical and philosophical roots. He concludes his essay by pointing to ways in which his theory could be applied in the fields of visual arts and poetry, and insists on the involvement of the viewer in the creation of a work of art.   

The “Theory of the Non-Object” was published in the Sunday Supplement of the Jornal do Brasil on Dec. 19-20, 1959, as a key contribution to the II Exposição Neoconcreta held in Rio de Janeiro in 1960. [José Ribamar] Ferreira Gullar (b. 1930) was a neo-concrete poet and critic who ultimately became the movement’s main theoretician. This text presents an innovative description of the nature of a work of art that was inspired by Ferreira Gullar’s experiences in constructive avant-garde circles and developed by the Brazilian neo-concrete artists of the 1950s and 1960s. In this essay, Ferreira Gullar discusses his theory concerning the specificity of the neo-concrete work of art, and raises fundamental questions regarding the art that would be produced in the years to come. In addition to reflecting on the actual idea of “art” and “viewer,” he endorses the idea of an “open work of art”—an idea suggested by the Italian semiologist Umberto Eco in a book by the same name (1962)—and the active involvement of the viewing public in the creation of the work in question.     

In reference to this matter, see by Ferreira Gullar, “Manifesto Neoconcreto”, Jornal do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, March 22, 1959; “Do quadro ao não-objeto”, Jornal do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro (1960) [doc. no. 1091272]; and “Cor e estrutura-cor”, Jornal do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro (1960) [doc. no. 1091219].

Images of the original publication of this text are accessible here: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1RFUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=24wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7075%2C3757297