O SAGRADO E O PROFANO EM ANTÔNIO POTEIRO

Abstract

Antônio Poteiro, the most representative artist in brazilian naïf art, presents a very rich theme in his paintings and sculptures, which includes: carnival, annunciation, nativity, indigene rituals, among others. Poteiro seems to search in the Bible, inspiration for his theme when he places in opposition sacred and profane, God and Evil, right and wrong. Questions like this can be discussed by many subjects such as psychology, sociology, fenomenology and neurophysics. However, this dissertation used concepts of the historian Mircea Eliade to reveal the view of the artist about the sacred and profane. An approach on the representation of the sacred and the profane was made with the point of view of temporality, which can be sacred and cyclic or profane and linear. Also an approach on sacred space and profane space was made. By the discussion of homogeneous and heterogeneous space, two types of person were distinguished: the religious man and the non-religious man. In Eliade, the experience of the sacred, the meeting of human with a transcendent reality, arouses the conscience to the idea that there are certain values able to guide man, giving his life significance. Some elements on Poteiro speech and paintings, endorses the thoughts of Eliade that the religious man absolutely doesn´t think that sacred stories had proceeded from his mind, but by a sacred revealing. The existence of relation between Poteiro`s paintings and biographical experiences were shown to establish the discussion. An interview with Poteiro was made to show the particular view of the artist about the divine, sacred, profane, religion and how he represents it in his works. Associated with the interpretation of the theme in Antônio Poteiro, this dissertation showed an approach on naïf art, forming an opinion and inserting Poteiro in the context of plastic arts. This work on Poteiro painting was also used to tell the history of art in the state of Goiás.