The Nucleus of Color: Analysis of Hélio Oiticica’s Studio Materials

ABSTRACT A collection of studio materials belonging to the Brazilian neo-concrete artist Hélio Oiticica (1937–1980) was analyzed to identify the pigments and binding media present in paint mixtures created by the artist and in Brazilian house, artist, and craft paints. The labels on some of the paint mixtures link them to specific artworks, including Invenções 6, 12, 23, and 34 (1959–1962), and Penetrável 1 (1961), and although the artworks themselves were not available for analysis, Oiticica’s methodical journals include paint recipes for these objects. The findings reveal that Oiticica used a relatively narrow range of red and yellow pigments in the mixtures, and the majority of the paint mixtures appear to be oil or oils mixed with alkyds, sometimes with additional additives, including fungicides and extenders. The journal notes are often brief and incomplete, listing only a few paint mixtures for a given work, although many more paint mixtures exist in the collection. These samples, the only physical legacy remaining for much of Oiticica’s work that was destroyed in a 2009 fire, offer an unparalleled glimpse into the materials used by this seminal artist and suggest a greater complexity to his works than has thus far been appreciated. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT