Skira publishes first catalog of Mario Schifano's pictorial production

Starting May 16, the volume Mario Schifano. Catalogo ragionato dell’opera pittorica 1960-1969, published by Skira and edited by Monica De Bei Schifano and Marco Meneguzzo. The work represents the first general catalog dedicated to the initial decade of Mario Schifano’s pictorial production, officially recognized by the Heirs and the Schifano Archive. The book will be publicly presented on Thursday, May 29, at 6:30 p.m., at the Sala Fontana of the Museo del Novecento in Milan (Piazza del Duomo 8). The catalog is divided into two tomes, totaling 928 pages, and includes 1130 color and black-and-white images. The work is the result of more than fourteen years of work carried out by the Schifano Archive, which conducted a thorough reconnaissance of the works created by the artist between 1960 and 1969. The publication presents more than 1,600 photographs, largely unpublished, selected from the holdings of the main specialized archives that preserve visual documentation on Mario Schifano (Homs, 1934 - Rome, 1998).

The intent is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date repertory of the pictorial works created in the period under consideration, and to contextualize them broadly, taking into account the biographical, cultural and social context in which they developed. In particular, the first tome devotes ample space to the Roman environment of the 1960s, in which Schifano succeeded in creating a lively international climate around him, fostered by a dense network of personal and artistic relationships. The catalog supplements the repertoire of works with a selection of environmental images, private shots and performance photographs, documenting the intertwining of public life and artistic activity. Lesser-known aspects of Schifano’s biography also emerge through the photographs, including his central role in the capital’s cultural scene. The images depict him in the company of key figures in the artistic and intellectual scene of the time, including American poet Frank O’Hara, Andy Warhol, the Rolling Stones, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Alberto Moravia, Dacia Maraini, and Sandro Penna. These visual materials not only reinforce the historical and cultural context of the artistic production, but also render a complex and layered portrait of the artist.

The iconographic corpus accompanies the reader in exploring the main pictorial series that Mario Schifano developed during the decade. These include the Monochromes, paintings dedicated to Esso and Coca Cola logos,iPaesaggi anemici, reworkings of Futurism, and finally the cycles of Vero amore, Tuttestelle, Oasi and Compagni Compagni. Each of these phases is documented with photographs of the works and textual apparatus accompanying the images with extended and analytical captions.

The published images are the result of a selection made through comparison and verification work among numerous public and private, Italian and international archives. In particular, the catalog draws on the documentary holdings of the Ugo Mulas Archive, Camilla and Earl McGrath Foundation, Franco Angeli, Elisabetta Catalano, Antonio Dondero, Uliano Lucas, Joanne Baskin Elkin, Franco Pinna, Patrizia Ruspoli, Plinio De Martiis, Claudio Abate, Renato Gozzano, and Giulia Niccolai. The publication thus takes on a twofold value: on the one hand, it constitutes a scholarly reference tool for scholars, collectors, curators and practitioners; on the other hand, it allows a broad and detailed reconnaissance of the pictorial research of one of the best-known Italian artists of the second half of the twentieth century.

The volume comes in a 28x28 cm format, with a hardback binding and slipcase, and has a cover price of 350 euros. The presentation to the public, scheduled for May 29 at the Museo del Novecento, will provide an opportunity to explore the criteria adopted in the construction of the catalog and to discuss the work of archiving and cataloging in relation to the protection and enhancement of the artistic heritage. The meeting will be held in the Fontana Room, with the participation of the curators and representatives of the Schifano Archive.

Skira publishes first catalog of Mario Schifano's pictorial production

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