Vik Muniz (b.1961, Brazil)
In 1988, Muniz explored the memory, perception, and images represented in arts and communication. He created The Best of Life, the series of drawings in which he reproduced from his memory some of the famous photographs he saw in the magazine Life. He then photographed his drawings to give more reality to his memories. In the mid-1990s, in order to create witty, bold, and often deceiving images based on photojournalism and art history, Muniz began to incorporate unusual and everyday materials into his photographic process. These materials included dust, diamonds, sugar, dry pigment, ketchup, caviar, and wire. In 1997, Muniz became well-known for his Pictures of chocolate series, in which he used chocolate syrup to create his works. The artist borrowed from popular culture and Old Masters artists such as Georges Seurat and Vincent Van Gogh to make his works more familiar. He called this approach the “worst possible illusion.”
In 1998, he participated in the 24th International Biennale in São Paulo, and in 2001, he represented Brazil at the 49th Biennale in Venice, Italy. In 2006, Muniz created the series Pictures of Junk. In 2010, the documentary Waste Land, directed by Lucy Walker, followed Muniz for three years. During this time, the artist created art with recyclables at Jardim Gramacho, a landfill which serves the metropolis of Rio de Janeiro. Muniz collaborated with the people employed to pick out recyclable material from garbage and created large-scale mosaic portraits; these works were sold at art auctions in London and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Sao Paulo. The artist has had his work exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Centre National de la Photographie in Paris, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the KAsama Nichido Museum of Art in Japan, among many other prestigious institutions. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn.
artworks in collection
Carlito Carvalhosa
—b.1961, Brazil
2 WorksCarlito Carvalhosa
Leda Catunda
—b.1961, Brazil
2 WorksLeda Catunda
Marcos Chaves
—b.1961, Brazil
3 WorksMarcos Chaves
Adriano Costa
—b.1975, Brazil
2 WorksAdriano Costa
Caetano De Almeida
—b.1964, Brazil
1 WorkCaetano De Almeida
Iran Do Espirito Santo
—b.1963, Brazil
2 WorksIran Do Espirito Santo
Os Gemeos
—b.1974, Brazil
1 WorkOs Gemeos
Artur Lescher
—b.1962, Brazil
1 WorkArtur Lescher
Rodrigo Matheus
—b. 1974, Brazil
1 WorkRodrigo Matheus
Marcelo Moscheta
—b.1976, Brazil
1 WorkMarcelo Moscheta
Paulo Nazareth
—b.1977, Brazil
2 WorksPaulo Nazareth
Maria Nepomuceno
—b.1976, Brazil
1 WorkMaria Nepomuceno
Rodolpho Parigi
—b.1977, Brazil
1 WorkRodolpho Parigi
José Patrício
—b.1960, Brazil
1 WorkJosé Patrício
Thiago Rocha Pitta
—b.1980, Brazil
1 WorkThiago Rocha Pitta
Regina Silveira
—b.1939, Brazil
2 WorksRegina Silveira
Delson Uchoa
—b.1956, Brazil
1 WorkDelson Uchoa
Laura Vinci
—b.1962, Brazil
1 WorkLaura Vinci
Edgardo Aragon
—b. 1985, Mexico
1 WorkEdgardo Aragon
Eduardo Basualdo
—b.1977, Argentina
6 WorksEduardo Basualdo
Diego Bianchi
—b.1969, Argentina
1 WorkDiego Bianchi
Firelei Báez
—b.1981, Dominican Republic
1 WorkFirelei Báez
Carlito Carvalhosa
—b.1961, Brazil
2 WorksCarlito Carvalhosa
Leda Catunda
—b.1961, Brazil
2 WorksLeda Catunda
Marcos Chaves
—b.1961, Brazil
3 WorksMarcos Chaves
Adriano Costa
—b.1975, Brazil
2 WorksAdriano Costa
Nicola Costantino
—b.1964, Argentina
4 WorksNicola Costantino
Abraham Cruzvillegas
—b.1968, Mexico
1 WorkAbraham Cruzvillegas
Caetano De Almeida
—b.1964, Brazil
1 WorkCaetano De Almeida
Iran Do Espirito Santo
—b.1963, Brazil
2 WorksIran Do Espirito Santo
Matías Duville
—b.1974, Argentina
1 WorkMatías Duville
Os Gemeos
—b.1974, Brazil
1 WorkOs Gemeos
Sebastian Gordin
—b.1969, Argentina
1 WorkSebastian Gordin
Carlos Huffmann
—b.1980, Argentina
2 WorksCarlos Huffmann
Guillermo Kuitca
—b.1961, Argentina
1 WorkGuillermo Kuitca
Gabriel Kuri
—b.1970, Mexico
1 WorkGabriel Kuri
Sze Tsung Leong
—b.1970, Mexico
1 WorkSze Tsung Leong
Artur Lescher
—b.1962, Brazil
1 WorkArtur Lescher
Laura Lima
—b.1971, Brazil
1 WorkLaura Lima
Los Carpinteros
—est.1991, Cuba
1 WorkLos Carpinteros
Mateo López
—b. 1978, Colombia
2 WorksMateo López
Jorge Macchi
—b.1963, Argentina
1 WorkJorge Macchi
Rodrigo Matheus
—b. 1974, Brazil
1 WorkRodrigo Matheus
Jorge Mayet
—b.1962, Cuba
1 WorkJorge Mayet
Moris (Israel Meza Moreno)
—b. 1978, Mexico
5 WorksMoris (Israel Meza Moreno)
Marcelo Moscheta
—b.1976, Brazil
1 WorkMarcelo Moscheta
Lavar Munroe
—b.1982, Bahamas
2 WorksLavar Munroe
Paulo Nazareth
—b.1977, Brazil
2 WorksPaulo Nazareth
Maria Nepomuceno
—b.1976, Brazil
1 WorkMaria Nepomuceno
Jorge Pedro Nuñez
—b.1976, Venezuela
1 WorkJorge Pedro Nuñez
Gabriel Orozco
—b.1962, Mexico
1 WorkGabriel Orozco
Damian Ortega
—b.1967, Mexico
2 WorksDamian Ortega
Bernardo Ortiz
—b.1972, Colombia
2 WorksBernardo Ortiz
Rodolpho Parigi
—b.1977, Brazil
1 WorkRodolpho Parigi
Nicolas Paris
—b.1977, Colombia
1 WorkNicolas Paris
José Patrício
—b.1960, Brazil
1 WorkJosé Patrício
Pedro Reyes
—b.1972, Mexico
4 WorksPedro Reyes
Nicolas Robbio
—b.1975, Brazil
2 WorksNicolas Robbio
Thiago Rocha Pitta
—b.1980, Brazil
1 WorkThiago Rocha Pitta
Regina Silveira
—b.1939, Brazil
2 WorksRegina Silveira
Mariana Telleria
—b.1979, Argentina
1 WorkMariana Telleria
Rodrigo Torres
—b.1976, Colombia
3 WorksRodrigo Torres
Delson Uchoa
—b.1956, Brazil
1 WorkDelson Uchoa
Erika Verzutti
—b.1971, Brazil
1 WorkErika Verzutti
Adrian Villar Rojas
—b.1980, Argentina
4 WorksAdrian Villar Rojas
Laura Vinci
—b.1962, Brazil
1 WorkLaura Vinci