In this introductory essay, “La huelga del color” (The Color Strike), Glória Ferreira includes an article that had appeared in the newspaper Correio da Manhã on May 16, 1954. The article described the third Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna, which came to be known as the  Salão Preto e Branco (Black-and-White Salon), as a “landmark event for Brazilian artists in their struggle to have good quality art materials at their disposal.” Ferreira explains that artists were critical of the government’s import policies that classified ink and paint as luxury items and taxed them accordingly (together with cars, fine liquor, and perfume). The members of the Comisión Nacional de Bellas Artes, which sponsored the Salon, were duly inspired to organize this exhibition-protest that would only display black-and-white works. Led by Iberê Camargo, Djanira, and Milton Dacosta, the artists sent a letter—signed by over six hundred creators from almost every state in Brazil—to the Ministério da Educação e Saúde (MES), the Ministry of Education and Health in the Getúlio Vargas administration. The Salon attracted a greater number of participating artists that year, exhibiting 323 works, compared to 203 the previous year.      

The Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna was presented for the first time in 1952 in the wake of the División Moderna (Modern Division) at the Salão Nacional de Belas Artes. The third edition, which came to be known as the Salón Blanco y Negro (Black-and-White Salon), opened on May 15, 1954. Participating artists protested against the poor quality of available art materials (mainly substitutes for imported products) due to import restrictions imposed by the Brazilian government. Led by Iberê Camargo, Milton Dacosta, and Djanira, six hundred artists from all over the country signed a manifesto addressed to the Ministério da Educação e Saúde (MES), the Ministry of Education and Health in the Getúlio Vargas administration, objecting to any restrictions on the import of paint, items used for printmaking and sculpture, paper, and other basic materials [see, in the ICAA digital archive: (doc. no. 1307648">1307648)]. According to Ferreira, the spirit of protest that defined the Salón Blanco y Negro (Black-and-White Salon) continued as artists rallied around the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes to address the problems caused by speculation and price fluctuations, which led to the organization of the Salón Miniatura (Miniature Salon) in 1955.  

The essay introduces the book A Arte e seus materiais: Salão Preto e Branco, 3º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna, 1954 (Art and its Materials: Black and White Salon, Third National Modern Art Salon, 1954), published on the occasion of the 1985 exhibition at the Galería Especial del Salão Nacional de Artes Plásticas. According to the book, the situation recalled the famous Black-and-White Salon in 1954 where works by Camargo, Aluísio Carvão, Anna Letycia, Aldo Bonadei, Ivan Serpa, Lygia Clark, Maria Helena Andrés, Maria Leontina, Tarsila do Amaral, Ubi Bava, and many others were shown. The publication includes primary and secondary sources that refer to the 1954 exhibition, as well as interviews with contemporary artists and critics.

[Maria da] Glória Ferreira (born 1947) is a professor, art critic, and curator; she lives in Rio de Janeiro. She has written and organized various publications, including an anthology of Mário Pedrosa and the catalogue Mapa do agora: arte brasileira recente na coleção João Sattamini do Museu de Arte Contemporânea de Niterói [see (doc. no. 1110931)].

[For complementary reading on the subject of the Salão Preto e Branco (Black-and-White Salon), see: “Memorial dos artistas ao Ministro da Educação e Cultura” (doc. no 1307648">1307648); “Mensagem do Ministro da Educação e Cultura ao artistas” (doc. no. 1307663); “Entrevista com Djanira no programa clube da crítica” (doc. no. 1307678) by Pascoal Longo; “Depoimentos: Aluisio Carvão” (doc. no. 1307694) and “Depoimentos: Ferreira Gullar” (doc. no. 1307732) by Glória Ferreira and Luiza Interlenghi; “O Salão Preto e Branco” (doc. no. 1307599) by Paulo Herkenhoff; the five following testimonials conducted by Luiza Interlenghi: “Depoimentos: Décio Vieira” (doc. no. 1307712); “Depoimentos: Ione Saldanha” (doc. no. 1307774); “Depoimentos: José Silveira D’Ávila” (doc. no. 1307791); “Depoimentos: Sérgio Camargo” (doc. no. 1307831); “Depoimentos: Ubi Bava” (doc. no. 1307851); and “Depoimentos: Iberê Camargo” (doc. no. 1307754) by Evelyn Yoschpe.]