Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari (Xul Solar) was born into an international family. His father was of Baltic-German descent from Riga, at that time belonging to Imperial Russia. The artist’s mother was from Italy. Oscar Schulz received education in Buenos Aires. As a child, the boy was fond of music and drawing.
1887 - 1963
Xul Solar
description
Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari (Xul Solar) was an Argentine artist, sculptor, writer and musician. Oscar Augustin Alejandro Schulz Solari, better known as Xul Solar, played a significant role in the development of Argentina’s avant-garde art. He organized many art exhibitions, was friendly with Argentinean writers and was a member of the Florida group, the members of which followed cutting-edge trends in painting and literature.
Being a quite eccentric person, Xul Solar was engaged in astrology, occultism and magic. The artist was much interested in the ancient traditions of his people; this is directly reflected in his painting and sculpture. Adding Solari to his mother’s surname, the artist received the name that literally means “Light of the Sun” and indicates the artist’s proximity to the universal source of light and energy.
Xul Solar’s works are deeply individualized. His style reflects the diverse interests of the artist, his desire to comprehend the secrets of the past and the future and his desire for universal harmony. Riddles of the cosmos, ancient myths and legends, prophecies and religious teachings are the basis for his paintings that are rich in colouristic solution and semantic content.
Key ideas:
– Xul Solar was an incredibly multi-faceted person. He composed poetry and music, wrote scientific articles, studied religions and traditions of ancient peoples, developed astrological charts, knew about twelve languages, and even invented a universal communication system. All these hobbies to one degree or another are reflected in his painting, which is a unique combination of mysticism, religion, philosophy and the artist’s imagination.
– He was very interested in the medieval art of Europe and different forms of primitive art, including naïve art and childlike drawing. The artist strove for an intuitive and spontaneous expression in painting and believed that important “spiritual truths” could be revealed with the help of a simplified approach. Also, such modern artistic trends of Solari’s time as Expressionism, Dada art and Surrealism found their place in his art.
– He created a unique system of symbols understandable to most people, regardless of the country they live in. The expressive figures in many of his works simultaneously resemble statues of Egyptian gods, pagan totems of American Indians and faces of Christian saints. In his paintings, Xul Solar also often used generally accepted signs and symbols denoting the sun and water, heaven and earth, birth and death.
– The most important works in the artist’s creative legacy are his landscapes painted in the 30s and 40s. Those mystical paintings immerse the viewer in the world of distorted reality and vivid fantasy. In some works, objects, creatures and symbols are located in a flat pictorial space isolated from the real world; in others, they are in a kind of earthly landscape with a strange curved perspective and a shifted center of gravity.
1887
1912
1916
1920
1924
1930
1940
1963
The artist was born
Started traveling around Europe
After graduating from the architectural department of the University of Buenos Aires, he worked for some time as a schoolteacher and as a small official; then he started traveling around Europe. First of all, the artist visited his mother’s homeland in Italy and London, where he got to know some occult movements. Later Schultz went to Munich, where he became close friends with the Blue Horseman group and became one of its members.
«Xul Solar»
First signed his work with the pseudonym “Xul Solar”, which was consonant with the names of his father and mother and meant “light of the sun”. Solari lived in Milan, where, in addition to creative work, he worked at the Argentine Embassy. There he met Italian artist Emilio Pettoruti, who became his close friend.
Held his first exhibition in Milan
Held his first exhibition in Milan with sculptor Arturo Martini. By that time, the artist was carried away by mystical and religious teachings. Numerous signs and symbols appeared in his paintings, as well as inscriptions in various languages.
Took part in an exhibition of Latin American artists in Paris
Took part in an exhibition of Latin American artists in Paris. In the same year, Xul Solar completed his many-year trips around Europe and returned to his motherland Argentina forever. There, the artist began to show great interest in traditional Argentinean culture and the art of pre-Columbian America. He took an active part in the artistic life of the capital and became a member of several literary and artistic associations.
He was one of the organizers and participant in the exhibition of contemporary artists in Buenos Aires
He was one of the organizers and participant in the exhibition of contemporary artists in Buenos Aires. In addition to painting, Xul Solar was engaged in a wide variety of activities. He created the “neo-Creole” language and an intellectual game, which he called the “Pan Game”, as well as astrological charts and several poetic works.
The artist created a series of works called “Grafía”
The artist created a series of works called “Grafía”, which are complex encrypted messages based on esoteric and religious symbols, and inscriptions in the Neo-Creole language. Besides, the artist created many fantastic lyrical landscapes, recognized as the best works of the late period of his work.
The artist died
Oscar Agustín Alejandro Schulz Solari (Xul Solar) died on April 9, 1963 in Tigre, Argentina.