A Renaissance man

Brazilian Ricardo Movits is the artist who is writer who is musician who is playwright who is philosopher who is poet who is painter who is mystic. Temporarily living in California he has been delighting audiences with his insight and his talent.

L. M. França

Sorcerers, mermaids, angels, fairies, mystic figures and interplanetary visions are always part of the dreams of poet, musician, composer, dramaturge and fine artist Ricardo Movits. Able to transport his transcendental visions with subtlety and a touch of magic, musician Movits launched his first record in 1988 in Brazil. It was Ponte para o Invisível (Bridge to the invisible), a work done in partnership with American composer Paul Haustein. It was a success.

Soon after Ricardo Movits decided to publish a poetry book, together with a cassette in which he recites some of his verses accompanied by music. The work sold out quickly. Still in Brazil the duo Movits-Haustein decided to release a bilingual (Portuguese and English) new-wave experimental CD. The album used innovative editing of the songs while exposing a theme rarely touched in music: the beyond.

"I am convinced of the existence of other worlds and other beings," says fine artist Movits, who has been painting for 20 years. "My work has been pointing out this reality which must be acknowledged and spread out in today's world. My message is of peace and the gentleness of the songs are living examples of everything that one day will be revealed to us all."

Movits comes from a family of artists. "My father," he reveals, "is a talented poet. My grandma continues to create beautiful artwork at 84, and my grandpa was a great photographer in Rio in the 40s." The esoteric and the supernatural influences were already present at childhood. Journalist Sérgio Alagemovits, his father (Ricardo shortened his last name to Movits) is known for his research with ufologists.

Says the artist: "Since childhood, extra terrestrials and all subtle beings in nature, that is, those who have an energetic vibration that differs from humans, were always treated with utmost respect by my parents and friends who visited our house."

Since early childhood Ricardo demonstrated talent and interest for the art world. He was only seven when he started painting and taking classical piano classes. The boy was never too much enthusiastic about soccer and the usual games boys his age were playing.

At 9, the young artist from Brasília got his first award winning first prize in a national art competition promoted by Detran, the traffic department. Other first places followed. He was only 19 when he was called to be the coordinator of the Art Department of Brazil's National Congress. At 21, breaking an age rule previously broken only by Emperor Pedro II when enthroned, Movits was bestowed the title of Great Inspector General of the Grade 33 of the Masonry. Two years later, Ricardo launched his first book with his poetry and illustrations. That same year, Ricardo was invited to live in Barcelona, Spain, where he had a chance to show his work at the Aida Gallery and studied illustration techniques.

Upon his return to Brazil, Ricardo participated as the only Brazilian artist in The Gaia Rainforest Concerts for the Forest Peoples of the World, promoted by the London's Gaia Foundation. He used the occasion to launch his first record with the song "Ponte para o Invisível" which was applauded by the critics. Soon after he would participate with his printed illustrations in São Paulo's 11th International Biennial of Books.

The 1992 International Conference for the Environment promoted by the UN in Rio '92 also exhibited one of Movits' panels depicting the new ecological consciousness of humankind. At 28, Movits received an important commission from Brasília's Museum of Art. Now his work is part of the permanent collection of that museum.

Due to his philosophy, Movits became an original and maverick kind of artist. "I refuse to work just to please the public and sell," he notes. "I do what I believe in and I refuse to follow fashion or rules in art ." He is turned off by art that's used simply as decoration.

For Movits, who has been in the US for a little longer than a year, art has to speak by itself. That's why his works are rich in messages and symbols. "People must feel free in front of any piece of art, that's why I use symbols quite a lot. Works of art are not definite things. Each one decodes them accordingly to their own experience."

Vibrant colors and luminosity invariably frame the human bodies which appear in almost all of his paintings (usually made in acrylic on canvas). "Our evolution is not of a stationary nature, contrary to what many believe. We, human beings, are and always will be in a process of change. That's how I see ourselves, integrated in the universal state of things," explains the artist.

After his exhibitions in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Movits goes back to his painting. His new work will include a series of angelical figures, a very popular subject in Brazil nowadays.

Order an article Look at back issues