The author praises Fernando de Szyszlo’s first exhibition (May 1947) for breaking with the “imitative painting” practiced by other young [artists] “who adhere to the dead formulas of the Escuela de Bellas Artes.”  Identifying “two views of form,” Juan Barreto declares that the painter —following the example of “the greatest contemporary masters”—rejects the naturalistic attitude in order to pursue the “abstract, creative” [impulse]; which belongs “fundamentally to the domain of the arts.” The author argues that this solid grounding in theory does not in practice culminate in a personal style, but rather represents a comprehensible and sound effort. Given the artist’s youth, [the author] recognizes the need for Szyszlo to take a daring bet, but unavoidable, [in his development as an artist].

Commentary by Juan Barreto, painter and art critic, regarding Fernando de Szyszlo’s first exhibition at the ICPN (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano) (Lima, May 1947).

In May 1947 the publication of the Expresión de principios [Expression of Principles] of the Agrupación Espacio ---the group composed of Peruvian architects, artists, writers and intellectuals--- marked the symbolic beginning of artistic and architectural modernism in Peru by offering a generational outlet that had been lacking in prior attempts at renewal [in the arts]. [See in the ICAA digital archive the text by Luis Miró Quesada Garland et al., “Expresión de principios de la Agrupación Espacio” (doc. no. 1126309)]. A short time later, some members demonstrated the radical nature of [the group’s] proposals, which sought to overcome the stricture of the local arts scene through the example of the great modern masters. The same month that Expresión de principios appeared one of its signatories, Fernando de Szyszlo (n. 1925), held his first individual exhibition at the ICPN (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano) of Lima, where he showed works that had clearly been influenced by Pablo Picasso and Rufino Tamayo. The show was praised by progressive critics such as Juan Barreto (1913-91) —a painter affiliated with the formalist modernism of “retour à l’ordre”—and Jorge Eduardo Eielson (1924-2006), one of the most talented of the young artists and poets of the time [see Jorge Eduardo Eielson “Primera exposición de Fernando de Szyszlo (doc. no. 1151211)]. In 1948, Eielson and Szyszlo presented a joint exhibition at the Galería de Lima characterized by the same experimental stance that sought to incorporate the pre-Colombian elements taken up by the European avant-garde trends. [see Antonio Flórez Estrada, “Exposiciones de Szyszlo y Eielson” (doc. no. 1151263)]. Their stance was promoted by critic and journalist Samuel Pérez Barreto (1921-2003) as a way to escape the dichotomy between modernity and localism. That same year Eielson left for Europe on a scholarship from the French government, where he had a distinguished career as a poet and visual artist. In 1949, before he traveled to Paris, Szyszlo presented his final individual show; once abroad, he subscribed to the cosmopolitan trend of abstraction [see the review by Guido Strazza and Samuel Peréz Barrreto “Dos notas sobre Szyszlo” (doc. no. 1151228)]. This show provoked a sharp critique by Carlos Raygada (1898-1953), a prestigious local critic, who attacked [the artist’s] heavy dependence on models that had at that time only been known through reproductions [see Carlos Raygada “Exposición Szyszlo” (doc. no. 1151246)]. Through these commentaries (either positive or negative), Peruvian critics took up intransigent positions regarding the rise of experimental languages that would alter the format and path of “serious” art.