Marta Freire

MARTA FREIRE (Montevideo, 1917 - 2015).
"7 de noviembre", 1956.
Pyroxylin lacquer on wood.
Presents author's label on the back.
Provenance: Jorge Mara- La Ruche (Buenos Aires).
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 50 x 50 cm; 51 x 51 cm (frame).
The artist explores here the interaction between lines, planes and chromatic rhythms with a constructive clarity that reflects the spirit of plastic renewal that marked the Uruguayan art of the mid-twentieth century. The work is fully inscribed in Latin American geometric abstraction, a trend in which Marta Freire stood out for the solidity of her formal language and the precision of her compositions. In this particular work, the imprint of Uruguayan constructivism can be perceived, especially the inheritance of the Torres-García Workshop, in the rational organization of the plane and in the use of modules and structured rhythms. At the same time, the artist incorporates principles of international geometric abstraction, close to concretism and the Latin American optical-constructive currents of the mid-twentieth century.
Marta Freire developed a singular trajectory within the Rio de la Plata modernity, being linked to the formal research circles that promoted abstraction in Uruguay during the fifties and sixties. Throughout his career, he exhibited in institutions of reference such as the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales (Uruguay), the São Paulo Biennial, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santiago, as well as in outstanding galleries in Montevideo and Buenos Aires. His work is part of relevant collections such as the MNAV itself, the Torres García Museum, and several private collections specialized in Latin American abstract art.