Sérgio Milliet e o abstracionismo no Diário crítico

Abstract

Sérgio Milliet da Costa e Silva (1898-1966) was a writer, poet, sociologist, art and literature critic. Best known for his literary criticism, he has carried out important work in the visual arts criticism - subject of this thesis. From the publication Diário Crítico, which covers Milliet's production between the 1940s and 1956, we approach relevant themes in his work and in the artistic scene of the time. Among them, the topics of “nationalism” in Brazilian art and the relationship between public and artwork occupy important positions. Milliet's approach to abstractionism - a controversial issue at the time - receives additional attention. To carry out the study, we address the historical context in Brazilian art and its historiography, Milliet's trajectory, his thinking and his production both in theoretical texts and in critics of artists. Changes in the author's critical approach were detected and two distinct phases were set: one more directed to the relationship between art and public and another that intensifies the focus on formal issues. Milliet presents a unique point of view in Brazilian art criticism, eventually adopting divergent positions in relation to the themes being debated at the time.