The critic Mirko Lauer interviews Fernando de Szyszlo, the Peruvian painter, who reminisces about his formative years in Europe after the Second World War. De Szyszlo mentions his decision to return to Peru “to contribute in any way to help things change in this country” in terms of the visual arts and whatever lay beyond figuration. He talks about his relationships with Latin American and Peruvian intellectuals in Paris and Lima during the 1950s. When the interview was published, the transcript of the conversation was interspersed with excerpts from statements made by Szyszlo on previous occasions and with comments about his work.    

This is an advance copy of a chapter of Mirko Lauer’s book Szyszlo: indagación y collage (Lima: Mosca Azul Editores, 1975) that appeared in Mundial, a magazine published as a supplement by the Lima newspaper La Crónica. A Czech-born poet, art critic, and essayist, Lauer was on staff at the magazine. He began his long conversation with the painter by quoting from an article in the local newspaper Expreso (April 1967) in which abstract art was described as a “con job.”  

Fernando de Szyszlo (1925–2017) played a leading role in the debate about abstract art that erupted in Peru in the 1950s, when he returned from Europe. During the following decade his abstract work (inspired by Pre-Columbian art, according to him) gained recognition when he joined the pantheon of great names in Latin American modern art.

[For more information concerning the debate about abstract art that erupted in Peru in the 1950s, see the following articles in the ICAA digital archive: “Pintores peruanos hay, lo que aún no hay es pintura peruana: dice Juan Ríos y agrega que la pintura abstracta es pobre e inhumana” (anonymous) (doc. no. 1137808); “Cristina Gálvez opina que sí hay pintores en el Perú: citó a cuatro: ‘Hay que ser muy intelectual para ser abstracto’ dijo y añadió luego ‘Szyszlo no es intelectual’” (anonymous) (doc. no. 1150897); “Qué arte abstracto ni que nada, el arte es esencialmente uno...”: lo que debe hacer el pintor es ‘pintar,’” by Sérvulo Gutiérrez (doc. no. 1150851); “Gran problema del arte peruano es la falta de críticos: "Xanno": Alejandro Romualdo Valle agregó que los que escriben sobre arte son improvisados o huachafos” (anonymous) (doc. no. 1150928); “La ‘polémica de los pintores,’” by Federico Costa y Laurent (doc. no. 1150866);  “‘Julia Codesido y Sabogal son buenos pintores’: Aquilles Ralli cree, además, que muchos sólo buscan la fama por medio de la publicidad” (anonymous) (doc. no. 1150882); “El debate sobre pintura: carta del Sr. Juan Ríos R.” (doc. no. 1150912) and “Balance de una polémica: cuatro preguntas fundamentales” (doc. no. 1137882), both by Juan Ríos; and “A los pintores peruanos” by Ángel Guido (doc. no. 1150943)].