In this essay, Walter Zanini expresses his opinion of Carmela Gross’s work, highlighting that after supporting in spirit a precise constructive phase, her artistic research has come to a threshold between sign and writing. In her previous works, Gross had achieved graphic and textural solutions through her exploration of space. What is now predominant in her current phase is the repetition of identical graphic signals (produced with stamps) that comprise the reading area. Zanini posits this work as a reflection of art and design through a poetic symbolism regarding language and, in his opinion, Gross works in the field of multimedia. He also considers that her proposal of an aesthetic sensitization is capable of arousing new discoveries in the recipient’s mind.

This essay by the art critic and art historian Walter Zanini is on the Carimbos [Stamps] exhibition that took place at Gabinete de Artes Gráficas in São Paulo. The artist, Carmela Gross (b. 1946), had participated in her first collective exhibition linked to the group Rex in 1967. She started teaching in 1972 at the ECA-USP (Escola de Comunicações e Artes da Universidade de São Paulo), which brought together artists and critics such as Regina Silveira, Julio Plaza, and Zanini himself. In her work there is a starting point: the deconstruction of drawing codes, and the creation of sensible gestures through mental and technical movement.

[As a supplementary reading on Gross’ work, see in the ICAA digital archive by Miguel de Almeida “Carmela, projeto para novo céu” (doc. no. 1110663); by Ana María de Moraes Belluzzo “Quasares: quase estrelas” (doc. no. 1110716); and by Sheila Leirner “O traço, sob uma visão radical” (doc. no. 1110673)].

In addition to being one of the curators of the Primera Bienal de São Paulo (1951), Walter Zanini (1925–2013) was also the first director at the MAC-USP (Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo), a position he held from 1963 to 1978, where he did a great deal to encourage the work of new artists and marginalized forms of artistic expression, from technological and conceptual approaches to multimedia works that made use of visual poetics. Zanini also served as the director of the ECA-USP (Escola de Comunicações e Artes da Universidade de São Paulo).

[For further reading, see in the ICAA digital archive the following texts by Zanini: “A arte de comunicação telemática, a interatividade no ciberespaço”(doc. no. 1111028); “A arte postal na busca de uma nova comunicação internacional” (doc. no. 1110591); “Bienal: renovação crítica e riscos” (doc. no. 1111346); “A colônia japonesa e as artes” (doc. no. 1111409); (untitled) [Em 1973 pensávamos numa JAC futura de etapas constantes ao longo dos meses...] (doc. no. 1110584); (untitled) [Entrevista – depoimento] (doc. no. 1111244); (untitled) [Incontáveis artistas cuja produção se inclui... ] (doc. no. 1110891); “Introdução” (doc. no. 1110588); “Mudar o intercambio cultural entre a Europa e o Brasil: uma necessidade” (doc. no. 805766); “As novas possibilidades = The new possibilities” (doc. no. 1110585); (untitled) [O MAC acolheu o público...] = [The MAC has welcomed the public...] (doc. no. 1110662); “Primeiros tempos da arte / tecnologia no Brasil” (doc. no. 1111029); and “Vídeo-arte: uma poética aberta” (doc. no. 1110892)].