Placing Pierre Daura

This exhibition features work of the Catalan-American artist Pierre Daura (1896- 1976) and explores his process of identity formation as interpreted through three major motivating forces: his devotion to family, his engagement with various artistic communities, and his transition from Spanish to American citizenship. The overarching theme of “place,” which connects these three themes can be understood not only as geographic location, but his psychological and emotional location throughout his life.

Daura mainly worked in landscape, portraiture and still-life though he also experimented with abstraction and sculpture. He spent his childhood in Barcelona before moving to Paris where he was a founding member of Cercle et Carré an influential group of avant-garde abstractionists which exhibited works of such greats as Joaquin Torres Garcia, Hans Arp, Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian. Pierre met and married a young American woman, Louise Heron Blaire before fighting in the Spanish Civil War as a Loyalist. After being injured in combat and losing his Spanish citizenship Pierre and Louise moved to rural Virginia with their young daughter, Martha. Daura’s search for “self” can be understood as a complicated and enduring process of personal inquiry, expressed through his art, to redefine his identity amidst the many evolutions of life.

Martha Daura generously gifted a large collection of her Pierre Daura’s works to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and the University Of Oregon School Of Law in 2004 as a part of her mission to proliferate her father’s legacy. It is this body of work, so generously gifted, that this exhibition seeks to introduce to the University and greater Oregon audience. Led by JSMA assistant curator Danielle Knapp and Art and Administration Professor Phaedra Livingstone this exhibition was curated by University of Oregon students in The History of Art and Architecture, Anthropology, Art and Administration and the Humanities Departments: Tracey Bell, Helen Blackmore, Lindsay Keast, Sarah Lester, Yi Liang, Carrie Morton, Jillian Norris, Beatrice Ogden, Maddy Phillips, Victoria Reis, Mattie Reynolds, Sarah Robison, Cody Russell, Lauren Szumita, Merrit Thompson, Emily Volkmann, Juiliana Wright-Kennedy, Sarah Wyer and Aryn Zanca.

Related Events

Panel Discussion and Opening Reception: Placing Pierre Daura: Family, Community, Nationality
Tuesday, May 13, 5:30 p.m.
A scholarly panel featuring Dr. Cecilia Enjuto Rangel, associate professor of Spanish at the University of Oregon; Dr. Carmen Lord, assistant professor of Liberal Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art; and Dr. Barbara Rothermel, assistant professor of Museum Studies and director and curator at the Daura Gallery at Lynchburg College provides context for Daura’s work and the student curators illuminate themes and artwork in the exhibition. Reception to follow.

“A Spirited Bourrée”: Concert and Exhibition Tour
Saturday, June 7, 2 p.m
UO voice instructor Laura Wayte and her students perform a recital of Catalan and Spanish songs highlighting prominent themes in Daura's work. An exhibition tour will follow.