Luís Noronha da Costa (Lisbon, 1942 - Lisbon, 2020), graduated in Architecture at the Superior School of Fine Arts of Lisbon, showing an early interest in plastic arts, and had his first solo exhibition in 1962. In his work, he continuously worked on the potentials of image and perception, destabilizing the way the observer assimilates image. He then explored the notion of transparency, which he achieved through collages of magazines. He also used several other techniques, materials and media - such as vinyl tempering and cellulosic paints - to build his objects, or silhouettes of characters, which among reflections and blurs propose alternatives to the static meaning of image. To this investigation of the phenomena of the image, and its relationship with the observer, he called “anti-painting”. In 1966, he exhibited at the May Salon of the National Society of Fine Arts, and in 1967 at the Quadrante and 111 Galleries. As a result of the favorable criticism, which acclaimed him as one of the great painters of his time, he would represent Portugal at the 20th São Paulo Biennial (1969) and at the 30th Venice Biennale (1970). In 1969, he received the Soquil Prize. In the 70s he dedicated himself to some works in the cinematographic field which reflected in his paintings, that he treated as «screens» - a central idea in his work. In 1977, he was present at the famous Exhibition Alternatiza Zero, representing his country once again the following year at the 34th Venice Biennale. In the same decade, he also began experimenting with spray guns, which would become a distinctive mark of his work. In 1983, his work was the object of a retrospective exhibition at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, and in 2003 at the Belém Cultural Centre He was awarded the European Painting Prize (1999) and the AICA Prize (2003). His works are part of the collections of some of the most important museums in Portugal. Throughout his career the artist was also present abroad, with exhibitions in Paris, Munich, London and Madrid.
FVM, April 2020
