Traces of Light in Expressive Painting

Traces of Light in Expressive Painting

Painting and Sculpture in Europe in the Second Half of the 20th Century

The exhibition at Galleria Michelangelo begins with two works by artist Jean Messagier (Paris, 1920 - Montbéliard, France, 1999), a prominent figure in the Lyrical Abstraction movement (École de Paris). Messagier is a tireless explorer of spatial fluidity in light and color, where recognizable forms dissolve, giving rise to vibrant gesturality. Aware of the danger of mannerism associated with a technique-based expression, the artist ensures that gesturality emerges from a deep sensation, consistently relying on genuine emotion.

His painting represents a formidable balance between graphic elements and informal material, celebrating nature and abstraction. Vittorio Bellini (Vertova, Bergamo, 1936 - Bergamo, 2009) is showcased with two large-format works, "Il mare di Manu" (oil and enamel on canvas, cm.100x150), a majestic view of a stormy sea bathed in almost blinding light, and "Per un nuovo mondo" (2008), part of his last pictorial cycle "Scena dell’eterna infanzia," where the artist focuses on the world of children by painting their elementary drawings on expressionist works created by him, on collages of magazines and newspapers. With a pictorial material dominated by flashes of yellow, mixed with newspaper cuttings and the use of white highlights, Bellini creates a sophisticated and refined combination. The aesthetic effect in this work is stunning.

Edouard Pignon (Bully-Les-Mines, France, 1905 - La Couture-Boussey, France, 1993) is represented with "L'homme à l'enfant bleu" from 1970, characterized by vigorous brushstrokes and an intense chromatic palette that emphasizes the expressive force of gestural painting. A series of works in which Pignon explores the concept of man in a deep and evocative way, portraying humanity in all its facets, from joy to suffering, from vulnerability to strength.

With the work "Figure" from 1961, Marcel Burtin (Gafsa, Tunisia, 1902 - Boulogne-Billancourt, France, 1979) creates a play of forms where light gives life to the depicted subjects. The Tuscan artist Guido Strazza (Santa Fiora, Grosseto, 1922) is present with "Metamorfosi gialla" from 1960, a work with a gentle, luminous, deceptive touch, full of three-dimensionality and lightness at the same time.

The sculptures featured in the exhibition find space alongside these large canvases, creating a fascinating blend of three-dimensional forms and vibrant paintings. The interplay between the solidity of the sculptures and the dynamism of the paintings amplifies the sensory experience, transporting viewers on a unique journey through the fusion of visual and three-dimensional art.

Douglas Swan's canvas (Connecticut, USA, 1930 - Bonn, Germany, 2000) depicts an enigmatic scene, a figure lifted from the ground, almost hovering in the center of the painting, symbolizing the passage between life and death, emphasized by a light that dominates the background.

Aldo Calò (San Cesario di Lecce, 1910 - Rome, 1983) is recognizable in the sinuosity of the form, with plays of shadows and lights projecting inside the wooden hollow. In Yasuo Fuke's (Japan, 1929) wooden work, a large circle dominates the space, almost a symbol of the sun and light present in many ancient civilizations.

Artists on Display:

VITTORIO BELLINI - BEN VAUTIER - MARCEL BURTIN - ALDO CALO’ – ALFONSO FRASNEDI - YASUO FUKE - JEAN MESSAGIER - MARCEL MEYLAN - JEAN PIAUBERT - EDOUARD PIGNON - DOUGLAS SWAN - GUIDO STRAZZA - MARIE-CHRISTINE TREINEN 

Exhibition Dates: January 16 - February 24, 2024

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM / 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Venue: Galleria Michelangelo, Bergamo, via Broseta 15, 24122 Bergamo (BG)

Tel: +39 035 221300 - Mobile: +39 375 5477133

Email: info@galleriamichelangelo.it

Website: www.galleriamichelangelo.it

Free entry