About this work
Created in 1973, Cosmic Hand in the Seventh Space belongs to ESPIGA Pinto’s Cosmic phase of 1968–1979, when his imagery expanded beyond the rural subjects of the preceding decade. The change was not a rejection of the Alentejo, but a transformation of its forms. Wheels became orbits, festive structures suggested cosmic architectures, and the human figure became a sign of energy, communication and change. The hand emerged as an important motif during these years; ESPIGA later described it as the ‘hand that creates and destroys’ in a short film produced for Portugal’s public broadcaster, RTP - in 1977.
This new visual language developed as ESPIGA moved freely between printmaking, painting, sculpture, stage design, performance and interventions in public space. Technology, science fiction and poetic mysticism entered his work amid the political tensions and countercultural aspirations of the 1970s. The year 1973 was especially significant: ESPIGA participated in the XII São Paulo Biennial and received the São Paulo Biennial Prize for his sets and costumes for the Gulbenkian Ballet’s Dulcinea. Cosmic Hand in Seventh Space is one of only two prints he made in Brazil that year.
ESPIGA would later describe his position as “feet on the ground, head in the cosmos”. Here, that movement between lived experience and speculative thought takes graphic form. The familiar human hand enters an unfamiliar universe, testing the relationship between individual agency and a larger cosmic order.
Its rarity and concentrated imagery make this print an important point of entry into one of the most experimental periods of ESPIGA Pinto’s practice.
Details
Artist: ESPIGA Pinto
Title: Cosmic Hand in the Seventh Space (Cósmica Mão no Septimo Espaço)
Date: 1973
Medium: Silkscreen on paper
Dimensions: 79.5 x 61.5 cm
Edition: 17 of 200
Inscription: "SÉTIMO ESPAÇO"
Signed and numbered by the artist.
Condition
The paper displays rectangular areas of adhesive residue and associated discolouration at the upper-left and upper-right corners, consistent with former masking tape. An elongated brown mark is visible in the upper margin above the printed image. Minor handling creases and fold lines are present, most noticeably across the upper half and along the margins, together with a small edge tear in the lower-right area. A fine, near-vertical light crease, is also visible across the left portion of the large silver circular form. Mild, scattered foxing and areas of differential toning are also visible; the latter are consistent with uneven light exposure while the work was partially overlapped by other prints.
The printed image remains crisp and visually strong, with vivid colour and clear contrasts; the noted condition points are concentrated largely in the surrounding paper and do not significantly diminish the work’s overall impact.
Although not in mint condition, the Estate has chosen to release Cosmic Hand in the Seventh Space in recognition of its exceptional rarity. One of only two prints made in Brazil in 1973, a pivotal year in ESPIGA Pinto’s practice, it offers a rare opportunity to acquire an important work from this period.
This preliminary note does not replace a full physical condition report, available upon request.
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FRAME NOT INCLUDED. This artwork is sold unframed. Bespoke framing options and framing advice are available. Please contact us. Any frame, mount or room setting shown in images is for illustrative purposes only. Please check the stated artwork dimensions before ordering.
