The carefully executed, almost “amonocrométrico” *, geometry that was executed and made famous by the Argentine painter Brizzi, has attracted followers even in Brazil, and Gilda Basbaum is among them. In reality I don’t even know if the influence was direct or if it was a mere coincidence in styles. It is not important the arrival, the culmination, and the approaches used to arrive there.

Gilda Basbaum has always shown a dedication to her work, an effort to put her own hallmark on the technique that she chose to follow.

Early on, she has demonstrated a respect for the importance of technique – or even before the domination of technique – a respect for perfect detail in finishing her work, in the incorporation of the geometric and constructive elements which compose her work. And so, little, step by step, experimenting and discovering, she arrived at the result which we can now appreciate; an artist who has matured, who has fulfilled her ambitions, who projects her intimacy.

Her painting is still in a developmental process, one which will manifest many changes in the future, but will obviously keep faith with itself throughout.

The Simplistic “degradée” approach is giving way to more complex applications, be they in color or in shape. Finding a “third dimension”, the canvases begin to be folded, almost sculptured. New creative approaches appear, but they are peaceful and coherent, the control of her expression apparent. These are indeed new approaches, but Gilda Basbaum has obviously known how to choose them – the correct ones.

 

This commentary was written during the exhibit that took place in “Galleria D’Arte San Marco”, Rome, Italy on October 11, 1984

* amonocrométrico = Chromatic composition performed departing from one color and one point