Carlos Cairoli Argentinian, 1926-1995

Overview

Becoming increasingly interested by the effects of light on material, he joined briefly the experimental group on spatial research directed by Lucio Fontana.

Carlos Cairoli (b. 1926 Buenos Aires, Argentina - d. 1995 Chartres, France) studied Fine Arts in Buenos Aires. At the end of the 1940s he met artist Torres Garcia who familiarised him with theories of constructivism and the art of Mondrian (ref. Arte Constructivo he wrote in 1933 dedicated to Mondrian). Becoming increasingly interested by the effects of light on material, he joined briefly the experimental group on spatial research directed by Lucio Fontana, who had returned to Buenos Aires (1946-47). 

 

Cairoli moved to Paris in 1952 and, from 1955 started exhibiting regularly at the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles, Comparaisons and Grands et Jeunes d’Aujourd’hui. His first influence in Europe, visible in his complex Plexiglas constructions, came from his many visits to the artist Vantongerloo, founding member of De Stijl. Cairoli participated in Groupe Espace created in 1951 by André Bloc and Félix Del Marle, both followers of De Stijl. This new group aimed to pursue in a less utopic approach the neo-plastic ideal of the synthetisation of the arts (painting, sculpture and architecture) within an architectural space.  Believing in a purer ideology and more universal form of constructivism, Cairoli joined in 1959 the Groupe Mesure founded by Georges Folmer, along with the painters Jean Gorin and Luc Peire with François Morellet and Aurelie Nemours also taking part. 

 

Cairoli organised the exhibition Constructivism: Festival 1962 in Paris at Galerie Dautzenberg, pursuing his own ideas with a new group he named Centre International des recherches Spatiales Formelles and participated in the international exhibition at the Stedelijk Amsterdam Experiment in Constructie in 1962 regrouping the followers of De Stijl: Jean Gorin, Anthony Hill, Joost Baljeu, Mary Martin, Charles Biederman, John Ernest and Dick Van Woerkom.

Works
  • Carlos Cairoli, Translation VI, 1980
    Carlos Cairoli
    Translation VI, 1980
    Altuglas and steel, base in white enamel
    70 x 93 x 36 cm
    27 1/2 x 36 5/8 x 14 1/8 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Translation II, 1975
    Carlos Cairoli
    Translation II, 1975
    Plexiglas and aluminium base
    49 x 35.5 x 16 cm
    19 1/4 x 14 x 6 1/4 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Untitled, 1970
    Carlos Cairoli
    Untitled, 1970
    Plexiglas, steel and marble base
    18 x 26.8 x 19 cm
    7 1/8 x 10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Untitled, 1970
    Carlos Cairoli
    Untitled, 1970
    Plexiglas, steel with marble base
    21.5 x 31.3 x 5.6 cm
    8 1/2 x 12 3/8 x 2 1/4 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Spatialisme Orthogonal, 1967
    Carlos Cairoli
    Spatialisme Orthogonal, 1967
    Altuglas, anti-oxide treated mild steel on aluminium base
    35.5 x 90 x 14 cm
    14 x 35 3/8 x 5 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Rythme spatial, 1959
    Carlos Cairoli
    Rythme spatial, 1959
    Plexiglas, aluminium and wood assemblage
    56 x 72 x 24 cm
    22 1/8 x 28 3/8 x 9 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Grand Bas-Relief, 1958
    Carlos Cairoli
    Grand Bas-Relief, 1958
    Painted wood relief
    45 x 378 cm
    17 3/4 x 148 7/8 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Composition, 1957
    Carlos Cairoli
    Composition, 1957
    Collage
    50 x 65 cm
    19 3/4 x 25 5/8 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Structure spatiale, 1957
    Carlos Cairoli
    Structure spatiale, 1957
    Altuglas and steel, base in white enamel
    100 x 72 x 24 cm
    39 3/8 x 28 3/8 x 9 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Spatialisme contrasté, 1956-57
    Carlos Cairoli
    Spatialisme contrasté, 1956-57
    Altuglas and steel, base in white enamel
    77 x 100 x 29 cm
    30 1/4 x 39 3/8 x 11 3/8 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Contraste, 1956
    Carlos Cairoli
    Contraste, 1956
    Collage
    65 x 50 cm
    25 5/8 x 19 3/4 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Structure spatiale suspendue, 1956
    Carlos Cairoli
    Structure spatiale suspendue, 1956
    Painted wood and steel
    200 x 31 x 9 cm
    78 3/4 x 12 1/4 x 3 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Untitled, 1954
    Carlos Cairoli
    Untitled, 1954
    Oil on canvas
    21 x 117 cm
    8 1/4 x 46 1/8 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Untitled, 1954
    Carlos Cairoli
    Untitled, 1954
    Oil on canvas
    29.3 x 70 cm
    11 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches
  • Carlos Cairoli, Espace ligne, 1953
    Carlos Cairoli
    Espace ligne, 1953
    Wood, paint and Plexiglas assemblage
    25 x 100 x 15.2 cm
    9 7/8 x 39 3/8 x 6 inches
Exhibitions
Publications
News