Blue Juraci Dorea

The Itaparica architect Magnavitta read an excerpt of the book “ Viva o povo brasileiro” / Hail the Brazilian People  (1984) by João Ubaldo Ribeiro. Juraci Dorea read an excerpt of the book “O povo brasileiro”/ the Brazilian People (1995) by Darcy Ribeiro. (17th August 2014)

Conversation with Juraci Dorea on Earth Anatomical Theatre – 17th August 2014.

(camila sposati) Juraci, I would like to know the meaning of the earth in the Brazilian Northeast, both in your work and in your life.

(Juraci Dorea) The question of the earth is fundamental for every Northeasterner. One of my works is called Projeto Terra [Project Earth]. I think the word “earth” is very strong, it is impregnated in the things of the region. The Northeast depends on the earth in every sense and it provides the livelihood of a large part of the population. It is an earth that is generally fertile and generous. The problem is the lack of rain, but if it comes, everything changes, everything quickly transforms in just a few days.

(camila sposati) What does the earth mean to you, does it have a metaphysical relation, or is it more in the sense of the origin of things?

(Juraci Dorea)We will consider two aspects, two sides: the real and the symbolic. When I talk about the earth, particularly the earth of the sertaneja [backcountry] region, I am associating typical elements of the Northeast with it, for example leather, with all of the cultural charge that accompanies this material. The earth does not appear in my work through the concrete manipulation of the material. Its proposal is different, you manipulate the earth, transforming it, incorporating it, making the earth itself the work (naturally with a symbolic charge as well). In my case, the earth refers to the landscape, to man, to nature, to the animals, to the stones, to the plants. It has another dimension.