Norberto Nicola Descobrimento, 1980s

The color palette of Descobrimento (Discovery, 1980s) is one of earthy tones, mixing brown, deep and lush green, yellow and orange ochre. The work’s surface is reminiscent of soil with interlocking roots coming in and out of its surface, a developing patch of soft moss, or a layer of dried leaves. As such, it may evoke the ecosystems of Brazil’s rainforests with their abundant flora.

In the work’s structure and careful incisions one can see Nicola’s training in abstraction, although this geometric backbone has been overgrown with the downy hairs that proliferate his later works.