Arthur Bispo do Rosario (1909-1989) was a Brazilian artist, who lived between insanity and art Interned in psychiatric institutions throughout his life, in a restricted environment he developed his creative process, but his art was kept by him, restricting access to third parties.

However, Bishop do Rosario did not consider himself an artist, saying that voices forced him to produce the works so that he could show the things on earth at the hour of its final judgment In short, their art was represented in a variety of ways, such as superimposing objects and embroidery.

His art was discovered after a report about the conditions in the psychiatric hospital where he lived, and then, for the first time, critics took him to exhibit fifteen of his banners, in 1982. But, as the artist could not accept to be away from his art, this was the only exhibition he participated in during his lifetime.

Biography of Arthur Bispo do Rosario

Born in Japaratuba, in the countryside of the state of Sergipe, Brazil, Arthur Bispo do Rosario was born in 1909, but never returned to this town. At the age of 77, he died in 1989 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Still young, in 1925, he joined the Navy, when then moves to Rio de Janeiro .

Soon after, he worked at the company "Light" as a transport vulcanizer and, in parallel, he worked as a boxer. However, he had to quit boxing after an accident at the company. In view of the accident, Arthur Bispo do Rosario filed a labor lawsuit against Light.

In the meantime, she met the lawyer Humberto Leone and started working and living in his house, with general services. In the early morning of 12/22/1938, in the house, had the revelation that changed his life when he went to the Saint Benedict Monastery and claiming to be "the one who came to judge the living and the dead".

Who was Arthur Bispo do Rosario?

As we talked about above, his life trajectory was altered when he had a revelation, when, as we reported, through messages from blue angels, he was charged with rebuilding things around the world In this sense, one of his works indicates this night through the phrase "22-12-1938: I came" .

However, in view of the then hallucination, he was considered insane, and taken to Hospício Pedro II, in Rio de Janeiro, where he stayed for a month. He was then transferred to Colônia Juliano Moreira, as he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, where he stayed for the rest of his life.

During his entire hospitalization, from 1938 until his death in 1989, he developed his works, as a mission for his life Without any financial interest, even because his works were "locked" in his room. Thus, during all these years, there were more than 800 works.

Works by Arthur Bispo do Rosario

In short, with needle and thread, he began to embroider his banners and small fabrics. Bispo do Rosario produced art by reusing materials In this sense, both for his embroidery with blue threads and for art with objects.

Raw material for Bispo do Rosario's art:

• the blue lines taken from old prison inmate uniforms;
• wires;
• pieces of wood;
• mugs;
• clothesline wires;
• bottles, among others.

Life and work of Arthur Bispo do Rosario

It was only 18 years after his revelation that the Bishop aroused the interest of the media, in an unusual way. In 1980, in an article on TV Globo's Fantástico, about the situation of the Colônia Juliano Moreira psychiatric institution, the works of Arthur Bispo do Rosario were seen.

As a result, the Arthur Bispo do Rosario have become valued, integrating into the contemporary art circuit With the publication of his "little room" with numerous artworks, his works were included in a first art exhibition.

At the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro (MAM/RJ), art critic Frederico Morais (1936), exhibited Bishop's works in 1982. In short, Bishop invented his works as things of the world, in different ways.

Works of Bispo do Rosario

However, only the above exposition during the lifetime of Bishop do Rosario. For, this r ecus himself to be identified as an artist In other words, he said that everything was the fruit of his mission, to be revealed at his final judgment.

Thus, his most varied works were practically discovered after his death, in 1989, when the institution's staff made an inventory of all his creations that were in storage. Among the numerous arts, mostly using embroidery.

Thus, the works were mostly banners, misses' sashes, domestic objects in juxtaposition, and their most famous work, the "Presentation Cloak . Bishop claimed that he would use it on his doomsday.

I want information to enroll in the Psychoanalysis Course .

Exhibition of Arthur Bispo do Rosario's works

Soon after his death, his works received national and international recognition. Thus, in posthumous exhibitions, we can highlight the following:

• 1989: Rio de Janeiro RJ - Records of My Passage through the Earth, at EAV/Parque Lage;
• 1991 - Stockholm (Sweden) - Viva Brazil Viva;
• 1995 - Venice (Italy) - Venice Biennial;
• 1997 - Mexico City (Mexico) - at Centro Cultural Arte Contemporáneo;
• 1999 - São Paulo SP - Cotidiano/Arte. 90's Object, at Itaú Cultural;
• 2001 - New York (United States) - Brazil: body and soul, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum;
• 2003 - Paris (France) - La Clé des Champs et Arthur Bispo do Rosario;
• 2009 - group exhibition "Neo tropicalia: when lives become form. Creative power from Brazil", in Hiroshima;
• 2015 - group exhibition "Work in Context Program: Contemporary Contexts," at mBrac.

Bishop of the Rosary Museum of Art Contemporary

The Bispo do Rosário Museum of Contemporary Art was created at the Juliano Moreira Colony in 1980, but it was only named after the artist in 2000. reference center for research and conservation of Bishop's work .

So, did you already know this artist? Let's talk more about his life and work Arthur Bispo do Rosario Leave your comments, share your knowledge, and also ask questions.

Also, please like and share this content on your social networks. This will encourage us to continue producing quality content for our readers.