Established in Paris in 1951, Piza studies engraving under Johnny Friedlaender, perfecting his art of gouge and chisel, etching and intaglio, aquatint and drypoint techniques.
He gradually frees himself from figuration, and pursues a more constructivist vein: the refined forms now stand on delicately worked backgrounds.
He develops a new engraving technique by digging deeply into the metal. His matrices become real bas-reliefs. This allows him to print his engravings in a single pass at the press – as the colors, captured in the deep cuts, do not mix. This technique also allows him to increase the relief obtained on the paper.
These engravings were exhibited at the Documenta in Kassel in 1959; that same year, he won the Prize for best engraving at the Fifth Biennale in São Paulo.
His researches finally lead him to take off the paper, to place his figures in the open space. But he’ll go on engraving until the last years of his life.
In total, there will be around 400 prints. A complete set of this production is kept at the Pinacoteca of the State of São Paulo. The Bibliothèque Nationale de France holds 183 of them in its collections. Here are a few.
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
turquoise and grey 20 prints, bistre 60 prints + 25 A.P. Ed. La Hune
Artist’s proof of the poster printed for the exhibition in Heimshoff gallery, Essen, Germany, in 1972.
Dernière d’une suite de 5 gravures en 2 couleurs sur fond brun.
15 épreuves bleu noir, 15 épreuves brun bleu, Ed. La Hune
Ed. L’Œuvre gravé
Ed. La Hune
Ed. L’Œuvre gravé
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. Graphik International, Stuttgart
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. Heimeshoff, Essen, Allemagne
Ed. J. de Champavallins et R. Arnaud
Ed. Aeblegaarden, Danemark
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed. La Hune
Ed. L’Œuvre gravée
Ed.Guilde de la Gravure
Ed. La Hune