Architecture, ceramic and frames. Three case studies in the work of Jorge Barradas
Ana Almeida
Az - Rede de Investigação em Azulejo
ARTIS – Instituto de História da Arte, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa
PHD Student (Grant FCT SFRH/BD/76754/2011)
[email protected]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ABSTRACT
From the end of the 1940’s, and especially during the 1950’s and 1960’s, Portugal saw the influence of the
international modern movement in its architecture. This aspect resulted in a new way to build and
revealed, among other things, the deconstruction of the traditional façade, alongside the emergence of
new architectural typologies mostly related to public works. These changes of the architectural supports
had, inevitably, an influence on the way artists and architects conceived the azulejos covers, particularly in
a formal level, with a creative freedom on the use or absence of frames in their works.
Of the artists with ceramic work applied during these years, Jorge Barradas (1894-1971) stands out as the
first one that dedicate himself entirely to ceramics and whose work would influence other artists. Strongly
innovator in terms of technique, in a formal level his work was characterized by a marked influence of the
modernist aesthetics of the early 20th century, with references to the ceramic tradition both Portuguese
and international, and by a variety of approaches in the articulation between azulejo coating and
architecture.
Therefore, this communication aims to examine how these aspects are present in the works in which Jorge
Barradas decided to use frames and, above all, the role that they played in the relationship between his
work and architecture. To this end, we will be presenting three case studies that correspond to different
types of architectural support and ceramic covering, all significant works in the professional path of Jorge
Barradas: the Palácio Atlântico, a banking institution in Oporto designed by the studio ARS Arquitectos
(1950); the Parish Church of Parede (1952-1953) and the Justice Palace of Lisbon (1969) design by the
architects João Andresen (1920-1967) and Januário Godinho (1910-1990).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ana Almeida is researcher at ARTIS - Instituto de História da Arte |Faculdade de Letras| Universidade de Lisboa since
December 2008 and, since April 2012, holds a PHd grant (FCT) at the same institution dedicated to theme "Authors
Ceramics for Architectonical Integration. The collection of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo". Master in Museum
Studies, Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa | Universidade de Lisboa, with a thesis entitled "From the City to the
Museum and from the Museum to the City. Itinerary propose on author tiles in Lisbon (second half of the 20th
century" (March 2010). History and a Art History Degree from the Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas |
Universidade Nova de Lisboa (1989-1993). Worked at at the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (1999-2003), Direcção Geral
das Artes (2004-2008) and Câmara Municipal de Loures (1996-1997). Research interests: Contemporary Ceramic,
Public Art, Urbanism and Architecture, Museum studies.