View allAll Photos Tagged Transavanguardia
Francesco Clemente (born 23 March 1952 in Naples)
Gouache on sixteent papers of handmade Pondicherry paper, joined with hand-woven cotton strips
From the exhibition devoted to this artist at the Albertina Museum in Vienna
Francesco Clemente is one of the main representatives of the postmodern Italian Transavantgarde (Italian: Transavantguardia). Transavanguardia is the Italian version of Neo-expressionism. The paintings by Basquiat that I showed you before are also classified as Neo-expressionism.
René Magritte, Golconde, 1953, Huile sur toile, 80 x 100 [80], Menil Collection, Houston
Altro titolo - Another title: La fracture sociale se creuse, c'est-à-dire la disparition de la petite bourgeoisie, 2024
[Fototeca Fondazione Omeri]
www.flickr.com/photos/fabioomero/albums/72157635584828652
www.facebook.com/CleanRome/?fref=nf
Campagna di sensibilizzazione per la salvaguardia del patrimonio artistico di Roma, senza scopo di lucro
Awareness campaign for the preservation of the artistic heritage of Rome
Il #PalazzodellaFarnesina è la sede del #MinisterodegliAffariEsteri della #RepubblicaItaliana e sorge nella zona degli “#OrtiFarnesiani”, da cui prende il nome, oggi area del #ForoItalico, tra #MonteMario ed il #Tevere. L'edificio fu iniziato nel 1937 su progetto degli architetti #EnricoDelDebbio, #ArnaldoFoschini e #VittorioBallioMorpurgo, come nuovo #PalazzodelLittorio, sede del #PartitoNazionaleFascista, ma già nel 1940 ne fu cambiata la destinazione d'uso in Ministero degli Affari Esteri. I lavori furono interrotti nel 1943, ripresero nel dopoguerra e terminarono nel 1959. Con più di 1300 stanze distribuite su 9 piani e con una facciata lunga 169 metri ed alta 51 metri, la Farnesina è, insieme alla #ReggiadiCaserta, uno degli edifici più voluminosi presenti in Italia. Il palazzo ospita inoltre la preziosa #CollezioneFarnesina che ripercorre la storia dell'arte del Novecento italiano attraverso le correnti dell’#ArtNouveau, del #Futurismo, della #Metafisica, dell’#Astrattismo, dell’#ArtePovera, della #Transavanguardia sino ad alcune opere delle ultime generazioni di artisti e designer italiani. All’esterno del palazzo è stata collocata la “#SferaGrande”, una delle note opere dello scultore #ArnaldoPomodoro, inizialmente concepita per l’#ExpodiMontréal del 1967.
The Farnesina Palace is the headquarters of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the area of the "Farnese Gardens", which gives it the name, today's area of the Foro Italico, between Monte Mario and the Tiber. The building was begun in 1937 to a design by architects Enrico del Debbio, Arnaldo Foschini and Vittorio Morpurgo Ballio as the new Palazzo del Littorio, the National Fascist Party house, but in 1940 the intended use was changed in the one of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The work was interrupted in 1943, resumed after the war and ended in 1959. With over 1,300 rooms on 9 floors and with a facade of 169 meters long and 51 meters high, the Farnesina is, together with the Reggia di Caserta palace, one of the most massive buildings in Italy. The palace also houses the precious Farnesina Collection which traces the history of Italian art in the twentieth century through the currents of art Nouveau, Futurism, Metaphysics, abstractism, Arte Povera, Transavanguardia up to some works of the last generations of Italian artists and designers. Outside of the building it was placed the "Big Sphere", one of the known works of the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, originally conceived for Expo 1967 Montréal.
Testo di #AlessandoLoschiavo
Sandro Chia (born 20 April 1946) is an Italian painter and sculptor. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was a principal member of the Transavanguardia or Italian Neo-Expressionist movement.
This movement, part of a worldwide Neo-Expressionist art movement, was characterized by a spirit of freedom and emotion, with a focus on reviving figurative art, mythical imagery and symbolism. Many of these defining elements can be seen in Chia’s Boy and Dog whose dense brushstrokes and strong, contrasting colors give an expressionist feel to the large-scale canvas.
Mimmo Paladino, 1948- , Italian
Mid 1980's
Bronze
Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. Sud II is a monumental bronze casting that captures the essence of these ancient and classical mythic themes. - from MN Landscape Arb website.
Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin, 2012 (signed and dated 'YAYOI KUSAMA 2012' ['Pam CONVIENE 2024'] on the side), Fiberglass-reinforced plastic [Organic], 53 1/2 x 50 1/2 x 50 ½ in - 135.8 x 128.2 x 128.2 cm, Private collection
Altro titolo - Another title: The art of empty pumpkins, 2024
Joseph Mallord William Turner, The Dogana and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, 1843, Oil on canvas, 24 7/16 x 36 5/8 [24 7/16 ] in - 62 x 93 [62] cm, The National Gallery of Art, Washington, Given in memory of Governor Alvan T. Fuller by The Fuller Foundation, Inc.
E36
BMW Art Car #13
"I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world."
"Paint me, paint me!", the racing car‟s surface had called out to him, said Sandro Chia. So he started to paint, painted faces and a sea of intensive colours until the car‟s whole bodywork had been completely covered. "The automobile is a much coveted object within our society", said Sandro Chia commenting on his work. "It is the centre of attraction. People look at it. This car reflects those looks." The design of the Art Car was not his first artistic involvement with an automobile. Even as a child he painted graffiti on cars.
The renaissance city of Florence, where Sandro Chia was born in 1946, is the world of his childhood and his youth, a world in which he learned to take a playful and relaxed approach towards the fine arts. As early as in the seventies he displayed his work at important individual exhibitions and was soon recognized as one of the most significant artists of the Italian Transavanguardia. He sees himself as a neo-expressionist, his figurative painting revealing signs of having been influenced by Carrà, de Chirico, Picasso as well as Montegna and Giorgione.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Munchen
Deutschland - Germany
September 2016
Ben Vautier, L'art est inutile, 1967, Acrylique sur bois, 50 x 50 cm, Collection Henriette et Claude Viallat en dépôt à Carré d'Art - Musée d’Art contemporain, Nîmes
Altro titolo - Another title: Le grenier de Vivi [L'art est inutile], 2024
[Fototeca Fondazione Omeri]
E36
BMW Art Car #13
"I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world."
"Paint me, paint me!", the racing car‟s surface had called out to him, said Sandro Chia. So he started to paint, painted faces and a sea of intensive colours until the car‟s whole bodywork had been completely covered. "The automobile is a much coveted object within our society", said Sandro Chia commenting on his work. "It is the centre of attraction. People look at it. This car reflects those looks." The design of the Art Car was not his first artistic involvement with an automobile. Even as a child he painted graffiti on cars.
The renaissance city of Florence, where Sandro Chia was born in 1946, is the world of his childhood and his youth, a world in which he learned to take a playful and relaxed approach towards the fine arts. As early as in the seventies he displayed his work at important individual exhibitions and was soon recognized as one of the most significant artists of the Italian Transavanguardia. He sees himself as a neo-expressionist, his figurative painting revealing signs of having been influenced by Carrà, de Chirico, Picasso as well as Montegna and Giorgione.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Munchen
Deutschland - Germany
September 2016
E36
BMW Art Car #13
"I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world."
"Paint me, paint me!", the racing car‟s surface had called out to him, said Sandro Chia. So he started to paint, painted faces and a sea of intensive colours until the car‟s whole bodywork had been completely covered. "The automobile is a much coveted object within our society", said Sandro Chia commenting on his work. "It is the centre of attraction. People look at it. This car reflects those looks." The design of the Art Car was not his first artistic involvement with an automobile. Even as a child he painted graffiti on cars.
The renaissance city of Florence, where Sandro Chia was born in 1946, is the world of his childhood and his youth, a world in which he learned to take a playful and relaxed approach towards the fine arts. As early as in the seventies he displayed his work at important individual exhibitions and was soon recognized as one of the most significant artists of the Italian Transavanguardia. He sees himself as a neo-expressionist, his figurative painting revealing signs of having been influenced by Carrà, de Chirico, Picasso as well as Montegna and Giorgione.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Munchen
Deutschland - Germany
September 2016
E36
BMW Art Car #13
"I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world."
"Paint me, paint me!", the racing car‟s surface had called out to him, said Sandro Chia. So he started to paint, painted faces and a sea of intensive colours until the car‟s whole bodywork had been completely covered. "The automobile is a much coveted object within our society", said Sandro Chia commenting on his work. "It is the centre of attraction. People look at it. This car reflects those looks." The design of the Art Car was not his first artistic involvement with an automobile. Even as a child he painted graffiti on cars.
The renaissance city of Florence, where Sandro Chia was born in 1946, is the world of his childhood and his youth, a world in which he learned to take a playful and relaxed approach towards the fine arts. As early as in the seventies he displayed his work at important individual exhibitions and was soon recognized as one of the most significant artists of the Italian Transavanguardia. He sees himself as a neo-expressionist, his figurative painting revealing signs of having been influenced by Carrà, de Chirico, Picasso as well as Montegna and Giorgione.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Munchen
Deutschland - Germany
September 2016
Andy Warhol, 1962. Grafite e caseina su tela, 50x40 cm. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, USA.
E36
BMW Art Car #13
"I have created both a picture and a world. Everything that is looked at closely turns into a face. A face is a focus, a focus of life and the world."
"Paint me, paint me!", the racing car‟s surface had called out to him, said Sandro Chia. So he started to paint, painted faces and a sea of intensive colours until the car‟s whole bodywork had been completely covered. "The automobile is a much coveted object within our society", said Sandro Chia commenting on his work. "It is the centre of attraction. People look at it. This car reflects those looks." The design of the Art Car was not his first artistic involvement with an automobile. Even as a child he painted graffiti on cars.
The renaissance city of Florence, where Sandro Chia was born in 1946, is the world of his childhood and his youth, a world in which he learned to take a playful and relaxed approach towards the fine arts. As early as in the seventies he displayed his work at important individual exhibitions and was soon recognized as one of the most significant artists of the Italian Transavanguardia. He sees himself as a neo-expressionist, his figurative painting revealing signs of having been influenced by Carrà, de Chirico, Picasso as well as Montegna and Giorgione.
BMW Museum
Am Olympiapark 2
Munchen
Deutschland - Germany
September 2016
Series: TrustEver N. 33
"TrustEver" is a project to document the moods and vibes of the famous urban area of Rome named Trastevere, an ever-changing place, a cross-generational melting pot where tourists from around the world mix with local artists, old residents, and young students.
Portrait of artist Croce Taravella
Between 1983 and 1984 he met the famous art dealer Lucio Amelio in Naples, who introduced him to the artistic and cultural panorama of the city. This experience allows him to come into contact with the works of Beuys, Warhol, Cucchi, Paladino, Longobardi but above all Rauschenberg, whose artistic influence is important for the subsequent results of his work.
After having elaborated in a singular way the stylistic elements of the “Transavanguardia” and the “German Neo-expressionism” diffused in those years, Croce develops an immediately recognizable personal iconography.
He is now one of the most influential artists of Sicily. He lives in Rome and Trastevere is where Croce meets his friends, art critics, and artists, around a bottle of Sangiovese wine and a Pecorino's cheese.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1988. Acrilico e pastello ad olio su tela, 248x289 cm. Collezione privata, New York.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1982. Acrilico e colore a spruzzo su tela. 220x400 cm. Galleria Bruno Bischofberger, Zurigo.
Andy Warhol, 1964. Inchiostro serigrafato a stancil e polimeri sintetici su legno, 44,5x44,5x36 cm. The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh Founding Collection.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1983. Acrilico, pastello ad olio e collage di carta su cornice lignea, 180x401 cm. Collezione Schorr c/o Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York.
Andy Warhol, 1962. Polimeri sintetici e inchiostro serigrafato su tela, 50x40 cm. Collezione privata.
John William Waterhouse, 1903. Olio su tela, 109x89 cm. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1982. Acrilico e pastello ad olio su tela su cornice lignea, 95x92 cm. The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, NY.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1981. Acrilico e pastello ad olio su tela, 203x381 cm. Brant Foundation, Greenwich, CT.
Mimmo Paladino
(Italian, b. 1948)
oil on canvas
Mimmo is associated with Transavanguardia
(Literally "beyond the avant garde")
"Art should ask questions and should never give answers." ~Mimmo Paladino
Mimmo Paladino is a painter, printmaker and sculptor born in Campania, southern Italy, in 1948. He completed his studies at the Liceo Artistico di Benevento in 1968 and during the early seventies concentrated on drawing, greatly influenced by imagery from Classical history, mythology and Christianity.
Paladino began his career at a time when Neo-expressionism was gaining popularity, largely as a reaction against the seemingly cold and simple forms of Minimalism and conceptual art’s emphasis on ideas above aesthetics. In 1979 the critic Achille Bonito Oliva used the term ‘Transavanguardia’ (beyond the avant-garde) to describe the group of Italian artists working in the Neo-expressionist style, including Paladino. The movement returned to what may be regarded as traditional and recognisable subjects in sculpture and painting.
Angela is pictured here with Paladino's Porta d'Oriente (2005, bronze)
Encompassing the area around the Minnesota Arboretum's High Point along Three Mile Drive, is the new sculpture garden and home to the Harrison Sculpture Collection, comprising 22 works (plus three arriving in the future) by such internationally acclaimed contemporary artists as Mimmo Paladino, Paul Granlund, Rene Kung, George Rickey and Barbara Hepworth, among others.
My own perception of this very large sculpture is that the mood and feel of it is very dark and a little creepy. It reminds me of something perhaps best suited for Halloween. I am in awe of the the ability to make a bronze art work this large with such heavy material. One of the views seems to be a person waiting for the children to come trick and treating with a large kettle filled, presumably, with candy treats. Enough said. Not my thing I guess.
Sud II a bronze sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino. Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. The artist has said of his work, "Art is not a superficial thing, nor a sociological thing, nor a poetic storm. Art is a slow process around a language of signs."
For the Young (and Young at Heart) This artist is interested in classical myths, magic and ancient times. Myths are legends that help explain a people's beliefs. Do any of his images on the sculpture remind you of a myth you know? Try making up your own story about an image you like. (Info from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website.)
Encompassing the area around the Minnesota Arboretum's High Point along Three Mile Drive, is the new sculpture garden and home to the Harrison Sculpture Collection, comprising 22 works (plus three arriving in the future) by such internationally acclaimed contemporary artists as Mimmo Paladino, Paul Granlund, Rene Kung, George Rickey and Barbara Hepworth, among others.
My own perception of this very large sculpture is that the mood and feel of it is very dark and a little creepy. It reminds me of something perhaps best suited for Halloween. I am in awe of the the ability to make a bronze art work this large with such heavy material. One of the views seems to be a person waiting for the children to come trick and treating with a large kettle filled, presumably, with candy treats. Enough said. Not my thing I guess.
Sud II a bronze sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino. Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. The artist has said of his work, "Art is not a superficial thing, nor a sociological thing, nor a poetic storm. Art is a slow process around a language of signs."
For the Young (and Young at Heart) This artist is interested in classical myths, magic and ancient times. Myths are legends that help explain a people's beliefs. Do any of his images on the sculpture remind you of a myth you know? Try making up your own story about an image you like. (Info from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website.)
Het doek is voor Sandro Chia een lichaam, zoals hij het zelf verwoordt: “als een lichaam al een plek is voor allerlei vitale gebeurtenissen, functies en houdingen, dan is het opgespannen doek dat ik bewerk het ultieme lichaam, het lichaam dat al de andere lichamen ondersteunt, inclusief het mijne, met mijn bezigheid als schilder. Mijn taak en mijn missie zijn om het lichaam van het opgespannen doek voor mij tot leven te brengen, alsof het een symbolische witte walvis was die op een strand is aangespoeld.”
Vanaf het einde van de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw is Sandro Chia één van de meest toonaangevende hedendaagse schilders van Italië. Zijn carrière begon hij als spilfiguur in de transavanguardia, de Italiaanse neo-expressionisten die terugkeerden naar kunst waarin vorm en kleur centraal stonden. Het Gemeentemuseum Den Haag toonde schilderijen uit zijn meest recente serie, waarop hij de zwervers en bedelaars weergeeft die de buitenwijken van Rome bevolken.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, 1987. Tre pannelli, acrilico e olio su legno, 139x172x156 cm. Collezione Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris.
Christo e Jeanne-Claude, 1980-83. 585 metri quadrati di polipropilene intrecciato intorno ad 11 isole. Biscayne Bay, Florida.
Het doek is voor Sandro Chia een lichaam, zoals hij het zelf verwoordt: “als een lichaam al een plek is voor allerlei vitale gebeurtenissen, functies en houdingen, dan is het opgespannen doek dat ik bewerk het ultieme lichaam, het lichaam dat al de andere lichamen ondersteunt, inclusief het mijne, met mijn bezigheid als schilder. Mijn taak en mijn missie zijn om het lichaam van het opgespannen doek voor mij tot leven te brengen, alsof het een symbolische witte walvis was die op een strand is aangespoeld.”
Vanaf het einde van de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw is Sandro Chia één van de meest toonaangevende hedendaagse schilders van Italië. Zijn carrière begon hij als spilfiguur in de transavanguardia, de Italiaanse neo-expressionisten die terugkeerden naar kunst waarin vorm en kleur centraal stonden. Het Gemeentemuseum Den Haag toonde schilderijen uit zijn meest recente serie, waarop hij de zwervers en bedelaars weergeeft die de buitenwijken van Rome bevolken.
Encompassing the area around the Minnesota Arboretum's High Point along Three Mile Drive, is the new sculpture garden and home to the Harrison Sculpture Collection, comprising 22 works (plus three arriving in the future) by such internationally acclaimed contemporary artists as Mimmo Paladino, Paul Granlund, Rene Kung, George Rickey and Barbara Hepworth, among others.
My own perception of this very large sculpture is that the mood and feel of it is very dark and a little creepy. It reminds me of something perhaps best suited for Halloween. I am in awe of the the ability to make a bronze art work this large with such heavy material. One of the views seems to be a person waiting for the children to come trick and treating with a large kettle filled, presumably, with candy treats. Enough said. Not my thing I guess.
Sud II a bronze sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino. Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. The artist has said of his work, "Art is not a superficial thing, nor a sociological thing, nor a poetic storm. Art is a slow process around a language of signs."
For the Young (and Young at Heart) This artist is interested in classical myths, magic and ancient times. Myths are legends that help explain a people's beliefs. Do any of his images on the sculpture remind you of a myth you know? Try making up your own story about an image you like. (Info from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website.)
Encompassing the area around the Minnesota Arboretum's High Point along Three Mile Drive, is the new sculpture garden and home to the Harrison Sculpture Collection, comprising 22 works (plus three arriving in the future) by such internationally acclaimed contemporary artists as Mimmo Paladino, Paul Granlund, Rene Kung, George Rickey and Barbara Hepworth, among others.
My own perception of this very large sculpture is that the mood and feel of it is very dark and a little creepy. It reminds me of something perhaps best suited for Halloween. I am in awe of the the ability to make a bronze art work this large with such heavy material. One of the views seems to be a person waiting for the children to come trick and treating with a large kettle filled, presumably, with candy treats. Enough said. Not my thing I guess.
Sud II a bronze sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino. Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. The artist has said of his work, "Art is not a superficial thing, nor a sociological thing, nor a poetic storm. Art is a slow process around a language of signs."
For the Young (and Young at Heart) This artist is interested in classical myths, magic and ancient times. Myths are legends that help explain a people's beliefs. Do any of his images on the sculpture remind you of a myth you know? Try making up your own story about an image you like. (Info from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website.)
Robert Smithson, 1970. Rocce, 8783 tonnellate di terra, cristalli di sale, acqua. 450x4,5 metri. Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA.
Encompassing the area around the Minnesota Arboretum's High Point along Three Mile Drive, is the new sculpture garden and home to the Harrison Sculpture Collection, comprising 22 works (plus three arriving in the future) by such internationally acclaimed contemporary artists as Mimmo Paladino, Paul Granlund, Rene Kung, George Rickey and Barbara Hepworth, among others.
My own perception of this very large sculpture is that the mood of this work is very dark and a little creepy. It reminds me of something perhaps best suited for Halloween. I am in awe of the the ability to make a bronze art work this large with such heavy material. One of the views seems to be a person waiting for the children to come trick and treating with a large kettle filled, presumably, with candy treats. Enough said. Not my thing I guess.
Sud II a bronze sculpture by artist Mimmo Paladino. Paladino belonged to the 'Transavanguardia' (beyond the avant-garde) during the 1970's. This group of Italian artists worked in the Neo-Expressionist style, returning to traditional and recognizable subjects in sculpture and painting. History, mythology and the human form were central concerns. The artist has said of his work, "Art is not a superficial thing, nor a sociological thing, nor a poetic storm. Art is a slow process around a language of signs."
For the Young (and Young at Heart) This artist is interested in classical myths, magic and ancient times. Myths are legends that help explain a people's beliefs. Do any of his images on the sculpture remind you of a myth you know? Try making up your own story about an image you like. (Info from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum website.)
Het doek is voor Sandro Chia een lichaam, zoals hij het zelf verwoordt: “als een lichaam al een plek is voor allerlei vitale gebeurtenissen, functies en houdingen, dan is het opgespannen doek dat ik bewerk het ultieme lichaam, het lichaam dat al de andere lichamen ondersteunt, inclusief het mijne, met mijn bezigheid als schilder. Mijn taak en mijn missie zijn om het lichaam van het opgespannen doek voor mij tot leven te brengen, alsof het een symbolische witte walvis was die op een strand is aangespoeld.”
Vanaf het einde van de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw is Sandro Chia één van de meest toonaangevende hedendaagse schilders van Italië. Zijn carrière begon hij als spilfiguur in de transavanguardia, de Italiaanse neo-expressionisten die terugkeerden naar kunst waarin vorm en kleur centraal stonden. Het Gemeentemuseum Den Haag toonde schilderijen uit zijn meest recente serie, waarop hij de zwervers en bedelaars weergeeft die de buitenwijken van Rome bevolken.
Het doek is voor Sandro Chia een lichaam, zoals hij het zelf verwoordt: “als een lichaam al een plek is voor allerlei vitale gebeurtenissen, functies en houdingen, dan is het opgespannen doek dat ik bewerk het ultieme lichaam, het lichaam dat al de andere lichamen ondersteunt, inclusief het mijne, met mijn bezigheid als schilder. Mijn taak en mijn missie zijn om het lichaam van het opgespannen doek voor mij tot leven te brengen, alsof het een symbolische witte walvis was die op een strand is aangespoeld.”
Vanaf het einde van de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw is Sandro Chia één van de meest toonaangevende hedendaagse schilders van Italië. Zijn carrière begon hij als spilfiguur in de transavanguardia, de Italiaanse neo-expressionisten die terugkeerden naar kunst waarin vorm en kleur centraal stonden. Het Gemeentemuseum Den Haag toonde schilderijen uit zijn meest recente serie, waarop hij de zwervers en bedelaars weergeeft die de buitenwijken van Rome bevolken.