Rubén Santantonín (1919-1969) coined the term “cosas” [“things”] for his artistic production. He used the term to refer to cardboard reliefs, which were meant to be exhibited on supporting walls, as well as to hanging objects, created with rudimentary materials such as plaster, cloth, cardboard and wire.
In 1965 Rubén Santantonín burned all his works—there remain a few reproductions—and, as such, the photographic records within catalogs and brochures acquired special significance.
Ver y estimar [See and Consider magazine] (1948 – 1955) was created by Jorge Romero Brest in collaboration with his students. The Asociación Ver y Estimar was founded in 1954; a few years later it gave rise to the Premio [Prize] Ver y Estimar (Buenos Aires, 1960-1968). In addition to Rubén Santantonín, the following artists participated in the 1962 Premio de Honor Ver y Estimar: Luis Fernando Benedit, Inés Blumencweig, Osvaldo Borda, Ary Brizzi, Juana Bullrich, Delia Sara Cancela, Pier Cantamessa, Luis Miguel Castelo, Oscar Curtido, Jaime Davidovich, Francisca Ramos de los Reyes, Noemí Di Benedetto, Roberto Luis Duarte, Sergio Ferraro, Orlando Gianferro, Carmen Gómez, Mina Gondler, Roberto González, Berta Guido, Luis Grosclaude, Horacio Grosso, Roger Haloua, Osami Kawano, Pablo Lameiro, Carmen Laprida, Nelia Licenziato, Olga López, Lea Lublin, Alisa Luzzati, Oscar César Mara, Federico Martino, Marta Minujín, Noé Nojechowiz, Noemí B. Paviglianiti, Pérez Celis, Delia Puzzovio, Ileana Rabin, Raquel Rabinovich, Berta Rappaport, Emilio Renart, Jorge Roiger, José Santiso, Carlos Silva, Elsa Soibelman, Pablo Suárez, Néstor Tere, Ileana Vegezzi, María Isabel Villegas and Luis Alberto Wells.
