Paperback, full colour, 142 pages, W215 x H269mm
This catalogue
accompanies the first solo exhibition in Britain by the legendary Italian artist
Giovanni Anselmo, which includes seminal pieces from the time he was associated
with Arte Povera (late 1960s – 1970s), more recent, equally powerful works, and
a newly commissioned installation.
Anselmo
became a key figure in the development of Arte Povera, one of the most
influential post-war art movements, internationally, asserting the expressive
power of unrefined materials. Anselmo exploits the potential energy of gravity, with all its connotation of
mortality and paradoxical possibilities. Huge blocks of stone, for example, are
suspended as they fall into slip-knots, or reflect primary colours upwards as
they press downwards heavily onto a floor.
Anselmo’s contribution towards the Italian movement was
distinctly poetic, with its embodiment of natural forces and a breathtaking
orientation towards infinity. The unpretentiousness of his work continues to be
extraordinary given the vastness of its subject matter.