“Con La Corneta” (1957) by Roberto Pignataro
In 1957, the popular Argentine radio station “LRA Radio Nacional” was featuring paintings by prominent local artists on the cover of its programming guide magazine, including such luminaries as Antonio Berni, Raul Soldi, Juan del Prete, Laura Mulhall Girondo, Norah Borges, and Carlos Alonso, to name a few.
In the interest of promoting new talent, LRA decided to invite the broader art community. They partnered with the Argentine broadcasting authority (Dirección Nacional de Radiodifusión or DNR) to organize a public art contest centered around the theme of music. The competition aimed to select four paintings that would be featured in future issues of the magazine.
At the time, Roberto Pignataro was in his second year of Visual Arts at Manuel Belgrano School of Fine Arts. He had not yet participated in public art events; however, upon hearing about LRA’s contest he felt the time was ripe. He submitted a cubist painting entitled, “Con la Trompeta,” a monochrome piece showcasing his early explorations with color, brushwork, and composition.
LRA received a total of 163 submissions for the contest. To evaluate the entries and select the four winners, a jury of distinguished art personalities was assembled. This panel included art critics Córdova Iturburu, Eduardo Maglione, and Manuel Mujica Láinez, as well as artists Raul Soldi and Jorge Larco.
LRA Radio Nacional’s 1957 program guide announcing contest winners
The selection event occurred between November 20th and 27th, 1957, at the DNR's headquarters. While the exact date remains unclear, it was during this period that the four winners were officially announced:
“Trompeta” by Florencio Garavaglia
“Flautista” by Martha Gavensky
“Concertino” by Federico Borghini
“Con la trompeta” by Roberto Pignataro
Congratulatory letter from LRA Radio Nacional. Nov 27th, 1957
LRA promptly sent congratulatory letters to all four winners, with its head of programming, Viviano Parravicini, reaffirming the station’s commitment to publishing the artwork.
Pignataro’s “Con la Trompeta” was featured in the November 1958 issue. The exact publication dates for the other three paintings have not yet been confirmed.
Additionally, in 1959, LRA featured the winning paintings in a touring exhibition entitled “Los Pintores Argentinos en LRA Radio Nacional.” Here, the four pieces shared the spotlight with works by well-established artists whose paintings had also illustrated the magazine.
LRA program guide magazine featuring “Con la corneta” (cover page) and Pignataro’s bio (back). November 1958 issue
LRA’s contest marked Pignataro’s first participation in a public art event and served as a significant stepping stone in his career, helping him gain recognition within the art scene.
At the time, art contests like this one were fairly common in Buenos Aires. However, soon after the publication of “Con la corneta,” Pignataro stopped competing in such events, shifting his career focus to solo exhibitions instead—a format he much preferred.