Luís Noronha da Costa (1942-2020) was a Portuguese artist, considered one of the most important representatives of Portuguese contemporary art of the 20th century. He stood out in the artistic panorama of contemporary art for his experimentalist paintings of the sea, for his constant study of image, perception, dialectic, blurring and spray. His artistic production was marked by the questioning of perception, with dualities always existing, between real or virtual, duplication or blurring. know more about Noronha da Costa, a disruptive, romantic, tragic, solitary and experimentalist artist in this article.
Noronha da Costa: Spray Gun, Collages and "Screen Effect"
Luís Noronha da Costa born in Lisbon, in 1942, he graduated in architecture at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes, in Lisbon, having his first exhibition at just 20 years old. From the late 1960s onwards, he devoted himself fully to painting. Initially, he began by exploring collages and the "screen effect" using mirrors and frosted glass. Also in this decade, he created his emblematic technique with the spray gun. From this method, Noronha da Costa created images that are close to us — however, they remain in another room, giving us the perception that there is a frosted glass to be divided. In addition to painting, he also performed artistic works at the level of experimental cinema. Noronha Costa's artistic production was marked by the questioning of perception, with dualities always existing, between real or virtual, duplication or blurring. His work is recognized for the play of light and shadow, surprising and suggestive diffuse figures, transposing the canvas three-dimensionally. Before the age of 30, he won over critics and was patronized by figures such as José Augusto França and Ernesto de Sousa, having represented Portugal at the São Paulo (1969) and Venice (1970) biennials.
the oblivion of Luís Noronha da Costa
The paradigm shift that took place in the mid-1980s contributed to its oblivion. Pinto de Almeida stated: “My generation was dazzled by Portugal's opening to Europe. And he neglected to defend artists of prime importance. not only Noronha da Costa, but also Helena Almeida (1934-2018) or Ângelo de Sousa (1938-2011)", rediscovered or rescued much later. However, there was a tragedy that is not normally talked about: the death of the artist's muse. Noémia Cacho Rodrigues, he died in 1990, aged just 48. The artist was never the same after this tragedy. Noronha da Costa say about their oblivion: “There are those who today regret the tragic mantle of oblivion that descended over Noronha da Costa too soon."
Recognition of Noronha da Costa
Among the various awards and distinctions, he was selected by the Portuguese Section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) in 1971. In 1999 he was invited to hold the inaugural exhibition at the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto. In the same year he was awarded the “European Painting Prize” awarded by the European Parliament, thus having the well-deserved international recognition. At the end of 2003, it was the subject of a vast Retrospective at the Centro Cultural de Belém, supported by the publication of an extensive monograph entitled “Noronha da Costa revisited 1965-1983”, Edições Asa. This year, 2012, he was awarded the title: Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique, by the Presidency of the Republic, on the 10th of June. His work is part of important collections and institutions such as Banco Espírito Santo and CAMJAP/Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and is also part of the Buckingham Palace Collection – in 1985 the President of the Republic, General Ramalho Eanes offered a painting of Noronha da Costa Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of England, during her official visit to Portugal.
