Mimmo Rotella (1918–2006), oft referred to as a Nouveau Realiste, was known and revered for his pioneering work focusing on social and political commentary. His early abstractions moved quickly to pop-art and later evolved into the décollage and poster works he became known for. The work exhibited, Due per la Strada, was executed in 2003 and is a decollage on canvas. National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome celebrated Rotella's 100 year anniversary this winter with an extensive exhibition, Mimmo Rotella Manifesto, curated by Germano Celano and Antonella Soldaini.
Julian Schnabel, the art-star who took the art world by storm in the 1980s continues to work prolifically and successfully crossing the boundaries of art and film. Throughout his career, even as an accomplished filmmaker, his work is gutsy and expressive, and his use of materials are tactile and rich. A large-scale untitled painting from 1982, the peak of his career, will be shown.
In support of young artists, we have included 2 artists in the exhibition who we believe worthy of being included with the substantially more known artists in the group. Dubbed the "Wunderkind" of the art world by the press, the 21-year-old Düsseldorf-based artist Leon Löwentraut first exhibited his work professionally at the age of 15. Influenced by Picasso and Basquiat, Löwentraut's use of bright colors in thick swathes across the canvas startle the viewer with their fierceness, and the simple, resonant images they collide to form leave a lasting impression. His epic scale painting [TITLE] connects with the rock star within.
Winner of the Saatchi Young Artist Prize in 2018, Miranda Pissarides creates work fixated on dualities and the spaces in between them. She works in both the fields of painting and sculpture, with each practice informing the other--her paintings have the depth and weight of sculpture, while her sculptures have the ethereal and fluid qualities of painting. In the large-scale sculpture, entitled Violet, Pissarides used raw pigments to convey the conflicting feelings of desire and repulsion. The use of resin blended into this monumental stalagmite creates an effect of liminality, a substance that seems to exist between the states of solid and liquid.
SIZE MATTERS will be on view at Plutschow Gallery, Waldmannstrasse 6, Zurich from April 11th— July 15th, 2019