Antonio Berni(1905-1981)

One of the Argentinian most remarkable artists, Antonio Berni was born in Rosario in 1905 and began his studies in that city. In 1925, he obtained a scholarship that allowed him to travel to Europe and to attend workshops given by André Lhote and Othon Friesz. In Paris he got in touch with metaphysical painting and surrealism, besides adhering to the idea of artistic action committed to political and social reality. On his return to Argentina in 1930, he worked on surrealist paintings and collages. The international and, particularly, the national crisis influenced his poetic which turned to critical realism, showing his social concerns. His work as a painter, engraver, sketching artist, muralist, illustrator and most notably a series of collages based on the characters of Juanito Laguna and Ramona Montiel, depicting poverty and the effects of industrialization in Buenos Aires, has been exhibited around the world.