Artist Ozz Franca graduated from the Fine Arts School in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1949. He won his first prize in art at the age of fourteen in the annual "Spring Salon" at Sao Paulo and from there he went on to win prizes all over Brazil. His great ability won him a scholarship to the University of Utah in 1952. Ozz thought that painting is to grasp a harmony between numerous different relationships and transpose them into a visual scale. His color on canvas is a function of light, varying in intensity and quality. Even the shadows are made up of color, animated by the reflections of the neighboring tones, harmonious, vivid and vibrant. Ozz Franca was continually aware of the vibrancy with which light surrounds things, the quality of light itself, its subtle flow, its reflections which both build up and dissolve forms with rhythmic patterns, harmonies of line and the splendor of color. In addition to Franca's wide range of fine art, including florals, nudes, landscapes, and seascapes, Franca used to win much acclaim for the wonderful sensitivity and subtle harmonies in his interpretations of the expressions and moods of children.
Artist's Statement
Born October 2, 1928, França (pronounced FRON-suh) grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and from an early age he showed talent as an artist, as well as exceptional prowess as a competitive swimmer. At 14 he won first prize at the annual Spring Salon Art Competition. At 15, he qualified for the Brazilian Olympic Swimming Team. With two amazing talents, França was unsure what he should do with his life. Fate stepped in, and the Olympic Games were canceled the year França was to compete due to the outbreak of World War II. At that point, he decided to devote his life to art. He held his first one-man show at the age of 18. Following what he would later say was the best advice anyone ever gave him, França came to the U.S, to accept a scholarship in Utah. A year later, he moved to Hollywood and began doing movie illustration for Walt Disney. His projects included Lady and the Tramp and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He moonlighted as a swimmer when movie parts were available. França painted many subjects, but he is best known for his esoteric images of Native American women. França's art enters the world of fantasy and dreams, where the spiritual meets the sensual. His works, with their floating imagery and airy, muted colors, evoke an aura of mystery. França said he always painted his subjects, which primarily were women, either in profile, looking toward the edge of the painting, or looking over her shoulder, "so that anyone could walk into it." Joan Lee, director of marketing at Hadley House, said that Ozz saw the spirituality and quiet dignity of Native American men and women. "there's a romance surrounding Native Americans that people appreciate seeing," said Lee. Lee said that França¹s beautiful prints, periodically released by Hadley House "always sell well and continue to attract a growing body of collectors. . ." After creating a spectacular body of art, Ozz França died in 1991.
(Article from Collector's Mart: "Remembering the Legends" Ozz França: A Mystical Visionary by Angela Howell. June 1993)
