I should actually entitle this post “Missing Michelangelo Pistoletto” since, by the time the Pistoletto exhibition opens at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, I will be back in Europe.
Yet people lucky enough to be in Philadelphia this November and in Rome next March, will be able to rediscover the work of one of the most interesting contemporary Italian artists.
Born in 1933, Pistoletto is considered as the founder of the Arte Povera (literally "Poor Art", so a type of art made using impoverished materials) movement and the creator or many exciting works inspired by architecture, design, craftsmanship and traditional techniques, such as his "Quadri Specchianti", like his "Biennale 66" (see picture - sorry it's not high quality, but the museum guard strangely said I couldn't take a picture of it, even though you can actually take pictures of everything that's in the museum as long as you don't use a flash).
The latter was entitled after the Venice Biennale where Pistoletto presented it and it features a hand-painted figure of a young boy mounted on polished and reflective stainless steel surfaces.
In its simplicity this is a rather striking work because the viewer, reflected on its surface ends up playing a role in it.
The exhibition in Philadelphia will actually be the first large one dedicated to this artist in the United States and it will feature different works, including the "Quadri Specchianti" (exhibited in chronological order) and Pistoletto's more recent work from his interdisciplinary laboratory, Cittadellarte, such as his tables in the shapes of seas from across the globe.
Pistoletto is definitely one of those artists fashion designers should be checking out: his shapes, materials and experimental techniques are indeed incredibly inspiring and I would love to see one day avant-garde designs, from garments to accessories, in reflective materials referencing Pistoletto's mirror imagery. Fashion students out there, it's maybe time to experiment a bit with Pistoletto's theories, teachings and materials!
The Michelangelo Pistoletto retrospective "From One to Many, 1956-1974" will be at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from 2nd November 2010 to 16th January 2011 and at Rome's MAXXI from 3rd March until 26th June 2011.
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