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Removedor. Revista del Taller Torres García. Organo Redacto y Editado Exclusivamente por los Artistas del Taller Torres García. No. 1. (January 1945) - No. 28. (July / August 1952)

Torres-garcia, Joaquin et al. Castillo, Guido (Redactor)

Montevideo. 1945–1953
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The complete series of 'Removedor' published by Joaquin Torres-García and his students as the Taller (studio) Torres-García.

Edited by Guido Castillo, 'Removedor, was the organ of the Taller Torres-García, the academic artistic studio / forum / academy established on egalitarian principles by Torres-García on his return from Europe in the '30s. 'Removedor' saw a large number of contributors (see below) including Torres-García himself but no. 3 (March, 1945) required the clarification that Torres-García was not the editor and that only those articles and contributions that carried his name could be considered as expressing his opinions. Other notable contributors included: Sarandy Cabrera, Giselda Zani, Juan Larrea, Hector Ragni, Monette Guthmann, Luis Giordano, Wilda Belvura, Jose Palau, Antonio Machado, Theo van Doesburg, Roberto Sapriza and Claudio [sic] Debussy.

Didactic and often featuring strong polemic, 'Removedor' featured a cover illustration for the majority of issues by a member of the 'Taller' (a list is available on request) and a dedicated focus to the promotion of the artistic ideas and ethos of Torres-García himself. The series saw a number of special issues dedicated to a single theme including no. 13 'Numero Especial Dedicado al 72º Aniversario de Joaquin Torres-garcia', no. 14 'Numero Especial' dedicated to the exhibition at the Galerie Pierre Loeb in the rue de Seine in Paris, no. 22 for the 74th 'aniversario' on white paper and so on. Many issues include inserts on glossy paper including no. 13 with the manifesto ' ... porque no son artistas: Manifiesto 5' on blue paper and no. 16 with Theo van Doesburg's article 'El Planismo de Torres-Garcia' on cream paper.

'En un futura cercano el ARTE ABSTRACTO habrá suplantando completamente al arte imitativo; el ESQUEMA GEOMETRICO y los COLORES PRIMARIOS a la perpsectiva y los colores compuestos. Tal arte correspondería al Hombre Nuevo de los pueblos del Nuevo Mundo.' (Joaquin Torres-García writing in no. 14).

The first issue concludes with the names of the following - many of whom contributed articles and cover illustrations to 'Removedor' - as the Taller Torres-García: Sergio de Castro, Andrés Moscovich, Jesefina Canel, Teresa Olascuaga, Alceo Ribeiro, Elsa Andrada, Esther Barrios de Martín, María C. Rovira, Juan Perdu, Horacio Torres, Héctor Ragni, Manuel Pailós, J. Luis San Vicente, Anugusto Torres, Daniel de los Santos, Elena Garcéia Brunel, Gonzalo Fonseca, Julia Uruguay Alpuy and Luis A. Gentieu.

'Plenos del entusiasmo y la devoción propios de la juventud, desde Removedor se respondían los ataques que recibía la prédica universalista de Torres García, y también se contraatacaba con virulencia. La pasión y el amor que manifiestan esas páginas resulta un conmovedor testimonio de una manera de intervenir en el ágora pública bastante diferente de la actual.' (Museo Torres-García).

'El maestro Joaquín Torres García no interviene en la redacción de 'Removedor'. Solamente deben atribuirsele los articulos firmados con su nombre.' (From issue no. 3).

Complete sets of 'Removedor' are of the utmost scarcity, unsurprising considering the fragility of the format, and we can locate only those copies at the Bibliothèque Kandinsky, Paris, the Museum of FIne Arts, Houston and two copies in Madrid (the Biblioteca Nacional and CSIC) and an incomplete copy at MoMA; in addition auction records show no complete sets.

[Le Fonds Paul Destribats 468].
28 issues. 25 vols. Folio. (400 x 288 mm) + 2 vols. 4to. (305 x 230 mm + 334 x 246 mm ) + 1 vol. Small 4to. (240 x 168 mm). Cover illustration and printed text in Spanish in double columns throughout on large folded sheets of newsprint paper, several issues with inserts of white glossy paper with monochrome illustration, several with inserts of single or double leaves of newsprint, final two issues with extensive illustration and text in smaller format with tipped-in illustration on glossy paper; some very minor chipping to some wrappers, one issue with some repair but an excellent set overall. Original publisher's printed wrappers, the majority with title in differing colours and with cover illustration, some issues stapled as issued.
#47677