Gurvich: The Creative Happiness

By Irina Leyva Pérez

The importance of José Gurvich (1927-1974) in the context of the South American Constructivist School is crucial, as he is considered one of the most significant artist of this movement. The exhibition “Gurvich: La Felicidad Creativa” (Gurvich: The Creative Happiness), at Sammer Gallery, is bringing together a selection of works by this artist aiming to give an idea of the caliber and versatility of his oeuvre. This will be the second exhibition of his work in Miami and the first one in a private gallery. Gurvich’s first show in Florida was “The Fantastic World of José Gurvich” and was presented at the Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in 2010.

José Gurvich, Blue and Orange New York, 1973, gouache on cardboard, 12, 20” x 16,14.” All images are courtesy of Sammer Gallery, Miami.

Gurvich was a member of the famous Taller Torres-García (Torres-García Studio) since 1945, influence that was evident in his work from the period. One of the distinctive elements of this group of artists was the way they used perspective in their compositions.  Gurvich’s work during the decade of the 1950s was still affiliated with the studio, but in the 1960s it evolved toward a more personal style, establishing his maturity as an artist. A good example of this period would be Forms in Perspectives (1966). It shows a distorted urban landscape were the buildings are placed at the base of the composition. Colorful abstract forms seem to link earth and sky in an ascendant vortex.

Other work from the same period, Cosmic Man in Primary Colors (1967), shows again a cityscape in which buildings are placed in rows. Over them there is a gigantic human form made out of many different faces. Here he is talking about identity and integration, most likely from his own experience as an immigrant.

José Gurvich, Forms in Perspectives, 1966, gouache on paper, 20,08” x 14,17”. Photo: Mariano Costa-Peuser.

He moved to New York in 1970, which undoubtedly marked his life and, as a consequence, his work. The effervescence of the city is reflected in the vibrant colors that he chose for pieces such as Blue and Orange New York, from 1973.

There are other pieces such as Composed Cityscape, from 1971, which shows the city as a point of encounter for many people. In this watercolor Gurvich portrays the daily life in a city such as New York, with street signs, benches and a diversity of buildings. Here he manages to capture the ebullient transit of people from multiple backgrounds engaged in diverse activities.

His son, Martin Gurvich, remembers his father as a magnificent storyteller who was able to tell him wonderful tales full of characters. He sees his father’s paintings as a graphic illustration of that marvelous world that he created through each story he told him.

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Gurvich’s life and career were very short; he died in New York when he was only 47 years old. Nevertheless, he left behind a solid body of work that has influenced many artists of generations that came afterwards. During his lifetime he devoted an important part of his career to teaching and evidence of it is the abundant number of students he had.

José Gurvich, Cosmic Man in Primary Colors, 1967, gouache on paper, 20,08” x 14,17”. Photo Mariano Costa-Peuser.

In 2001, the family established a museum and a foundation to preserve Gurvich’s work, and to promote it not only in Uruguay but internationally. Presided over by his son Martin, the foundation is actively engaged in promoting his work by exhibiting it and in publishing books and catalogues.

This year, in August, the Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, presented the exhibition “José Gurvich: Cruzando Fronteras” (José Gurvich: Crossing Borders). In November 2013, PINTA, the fair of Latin American Art in its New York edition, selected Gurvich as one of the invited artists in an exhibition curated by Edward Sullivan. Next year his work will be shown at the Ralli Museum in Caesarea, Israel.

“Gurvich: La Felicidad Creativa” is on view at Sammer Gallery. 82 NW 29th Street. Wynwood Art District, Miami, 33137. Phone 305 441 2005 / info@sammergallery.us / www.artnet.com/sammergallery.html

Irina Leyva-Pérez is an art historian and art critic. She is the curator of Pan American Art Projects in Miami, FL.