Fernando Calhau

 

	Créditos fotográficos / Photographic credits: Julião Sarmento

He started his artistic career from an early age. He was 20 years old when he had his first individual exhibition. He completed engraving courses at London's Slade School, and continued to use the technique in his work both formally and conceptually. This also draws attention to the two decisive traits of his career: the recurrence of series and a monochromatic proclivity. ¶ The synthesis between Minimalism and Conceptualism was clear right from the start, with his first works depicting monumental rigueur and formal depuration. The theme of this author is the void, or better still, the framing thereof, whether we're dealing with his "monochromes", repeated to obsession, or with his beach polaroids. To the latter he adds an imaginary square, which he draws over them, as if mimicking his own gestures that try to draw a frame in thin air and in which the horizon is placed. ¶ Another conceptual art-inherited problematic in Calhau's work is the continuous reference to language and to the problem of enunciation. In all his choices, he has searched for the right "support", that is to say, the implicit form that makes possible and produces the explicit form. ¶ His artistic development is very diverse where disciplines are concerned, for he has worked on drawing, video and super-8 film. These comprise processes and materials that are nonetheless typical of conceptual and post-conceptual art. Photography and the text-image combination reveal an analytical concern with the breakdown of a work in its minor components. ¶ He started his series Night Works in the 70s, making use of neon and iron as support. ¶ By bringing to light the lunar heat of graphite and neon, as well as the silent resonance of words such as "dark", "blue", "endless" and "timeless", Fernando Calhau expresses a romantic disrobement, as it were connected to a subtle sensuality. ¶ There is a somewhat monastic-like nature shining through his work, that is not devoid of humour, but that nevertheless asserts itself first and foremost by way of its focus, its discipline and its detailed quality.

 

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Ficha Técnica | Credits