Emilio Scanavino
Encyclopedia
Emilio Scanavino was an Italian painter and sculptor.
In 1946 he married Giorgina Graglia.
In 1947 Scanavino moved, for the first time, to Paris
where he met poets and artists such as Edouard Jaguer
, Wols
and Camille Bryen. This experience results invaluable on his stylistic grown. He especially assimilated Cubism echoes which he rendered into a personal interpretation since 1948 when he exhibited at the Gallery Isola of Genoa. In 1950 he exhibited at the 25th edition of the Venice Biennale
and in 1951 at the Apollinaire Gallery of London in a two-person exhibition with the sculptor Sarah Jackson
.
During the sojourn in London
he met Philip Martin
, Eduardo Paolozzi
, Graham Sutherland
and Francis Bacon
. In the same year he opened his first studio in Milan in an attic of the Foro Bonaparte. Critic Guido Ballo and gallery managers Guido Le Noci and Arturo Schwartz took care of his works.
Next year, 1952, he also worked at Marzotti’s Ceramic Factory in Albissola Marina
, where he met many artists and became friends with some of them. Among them there were Lucio Fontana
, Asger Jorn
, Corneille
, Roberto Matta, Wifredo Lam
, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Enrico Baj
, Sergio Dangelo, Roberto Crippa, Gianni Dova, Agenore Fabbri, Aligi Sassu
etc.
In 1954 he exhibited again at the Venice Biennale (27th edition) and next year he received the Graziano Prize. In 1958 he earned Lissone Prize and joined Venezia Biennale with an own room, winning the Prampolini Prize. In the same year he signed a contract with the Naviglio Gallery directed by Carlo Cardazzo with whom he established an important friendship and working relation. He then moved to Milan with his family. Many critics took care of his works. Among them: Enrico Crispolti, Guido Ballo, Giampiero Giani, Edouard Jaguer
, Gillo Dorfles, Roberto Sanesi, Franco Russoli and Alain Jouffroy
.
, which eventually became an atelier. At Milan he met the collectorGianni Malabarba with who he established a kind friendship.
In 1963 he earned La Spezia Prize while Carlo Cardazzo, whose friendship had supported Scanavino for seven years, suddenly died. This death was a hard loss for the painter. Renato Cardazzo carried on his brother's work as an art trader and he took a great role in spreading Scanavino's name in Italy and abroad.
In 1966 he exhibited again with a personal room at 33rd Venice Biennale, where he won the Pininfarina Prize.
In 1968 he moved his studio at Calice Ligure. A group of artists also moved there, creating a small community around Scanavino.
In 1970 he earned the Gran Prix at Mentone Biennale. Collector Franco Castelli, director of "L'uomo e l'Arte", became his friend and supporter.
In 1971 he survived a hard surgery. The recovery signaled the start of a new creative wave of his paint. He travelled in Belgium
, France
and Germany
but he remained living at Calice Ligure.
Across 1973 and 1974 Kunsthalle
of Darmstadt
exhibited a huge antological exposition that, with some small variation, was also showed in 1974 at Venice's Palazzo Grassi
and Milan's Royal Palace
.
In 1982, although disease progressive degeneration, he kept working and exhibiting in public and private places. In 1986 he was invited to exhibit at Rome Quadriennale
. He died in Milan on 28 November 1986.
In his late 70s years paintings, the “knot” is perfectly defined and recognizable. Painted in anguishing forms, sometimes even threatening and stained of bloody red. Although Scanavino is difficult to place inside a defined artistic movement, he can be considered an informal abstractist, close to the Abstract Expressionism
and Hans Hartung
and Georges Mathieu
's art.
Early life
In 1938 the young Scanavino enrolled to the Art School Nicolò Barabino of Genoa where he met his teacher Mario Calonghi, who had a great influence on Scanavino’s first formation. In 1942 he had his first exhibition at the Salone Romano of Genoa. In the same year he enrolled at the Faculty of Architecture at Milan University.In 1946 he married Giorgina Graglia.
In 1947 Scanavino moved, for the first time, to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he met poets and artists such as Edouard Jaguer
Edouard Jaguer
Edouard Jaguer was a French poet and art critic linked with the surrealist movement.He was born on 8 August 1924 in Paris and died on 9 May 2006 in Paris.He was involved with many groups and revues including:* La Main a la Plume...
, Wols
Wols
Wols was the pseudonym of Alfred Otto Wolfgang Schulze , a German painter and photographer predominantly active in France....
and Camille Bryen. This experience results invaluable on his stylistic grown. He especially assimilated Cubism echoes which he rendered into a personal interpretation since 1948 when he exhibited at the Gallery Isola of Genoa. In 1950 he exhibited at the 25th edition of the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
and in 1951 at the Apollinaire Gallery of London in a two-person exhibition with the sculptor Sarah Jackson
Sarah Jackson
Sarah Jeanette Jackson, née Sherman was a Canadian artist, who first became known for her sculptures and drawings and then became one of the pioneers of 20th century digital art....
.
During the sojourn in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
he met Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Philip Martin may refer to:* Philip Martin , Canadian professional basketball player currently with Juvecaserta Basket* Philip Martin , television and film director...
, Eduardo Paolozzi
Eduardo Paolozzi
Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi, KBE, RA , was a Scottish sculptor and artist. He was a major figure in the international art sphere, while, working on his own interpretation and vision of the world. Paolozzi investigated how we can fit into the modern world to resemble our fragmented civilization...
, Graham Sutherland
Graham Sutherland
Graham Vivien Sutherland OM was an English artist.-Early life:He was born in Streatham, attending Homefield Preparatory School, Sutton. He was then educated at Epsom College, Surrey before going up to Goldsmiths, University of London...
and Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (painter)
Francis Bacon , was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery. Bacon's painterly but abstract figures typically appear isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages set against flat, nondescript backgrounds...
. In the same year he opened his first studio in Milan in an attic of the Foro Bonaparte. Critic Guido Ballo and gallery managers Guido Le Noci and Arturo Schwartz took care of his works.
Next year, 1952, he also worked at Marzotti’s Ceramic Factory in Albissola Marina
Albissola Marina
Albissola Marina is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 35 km west of Genoa and about 4 km northeast of Savona.-History:...
, where he met many artists and became friends with some of them. Among them there were Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana
Lucio Fontana was an Italian painter, sculptor and theorist of Argentine birth. He was mostly known as the founder of Spatialism and his ties to Arte Povera.-Early life:...
, Asger Jorn
Asger Jorn
Asger Oluf Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International...
, Corneille
Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo
Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo , better known under his pseudonym Corneille, was a Dutch artist.Corneille was born in Liege, Belgium, although his parents were Dutch and moved back to the Netherlands when he was 12. He studied art at the Academy of Art in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands...
, Roberto Matta, Wifredo Lam
Wifredo Lam
Wifredo Óscar de la Concepción Lam y Castilla , better known as Wifredo Lam, was a Cuban artist who sought to portray and revive the enduring Afro-Cuban spirit and culture...
, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Enrico Baj
Enrico Baj
Enrico Baj was an Italian artist and writer on art. Many of his works show an obsession with nuclear war. He created prints, sculptures but especially collage. He was close to the surrealist and dada movements, and was later associatied with CoBrA. As an author he has been described as a leading...
, Sergio Dangelo, Roberto Crippa, Gianni Dova, Agenore Fabbri, Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu
Aligi Sassu was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Biography:Aligi Sassu was born in Milan, Lombardy, into a Sardinian-origin family. His father Antonio was one of the founders of the Italian Socialist Party at Sassari in 1894, and had moved to Milan in 1896, where he had married Lina Pedretti in...
etc.
In 1954 he exhibited again at the Venice Biennale (27th edition) and next year he received the Graziano Prize. In 1958 he earned Lissone Prize and joined Venezia Biennale with an own room, winning the Prampolini Prize. In the same year he signed a contract with the Naviglio Gallery directed by Carlo Cardazzo with whom he established an important friendship and working relation. He then moved to Milan with his family. Many critics took care of his works. Among them: Enrico Crispolti, Guido Ballo, Giampiero Giani, Edouard Jaguer
Edouard Jaguer
Edouard Jaguer was a French poet and art critic linked with the surrealist movement.He was born on 8 August 1924 in Paris and died on 9 May 2006 in Paris.He was involved with many groups and revues including:* La Main a la Plume...
, Gillo Dorfles, Roberto Sanesi, Franco Russoli and Alain Jouffroy
Alain Jouffroy
Alain Jouffroy, born on September 11, 1928 near Parc Montsouris, Paris, is a French writer, poet and artist.He was the first advocate of an Art Strike and formed the Union of Writers during the strikes of May 1968 in France with Jean-Pierre Faye...
.
Later life
In 1962 he bought an old house at Calice LigureCalice Ligure
Calice Ligure is a comune in the Province of Savona in the Italian region Liguria, located about 60 km southwest of Genoa and about 20 km southwest of Savona. As of 31 December, 2004, it had a population of 1,496 and an area of 19.4 km²...
, which eventually became an atelier. At Milan he met the collectorGianni Malabarba with who he established a kind friendship.
In 1963 he earned La Spezia Prize while Carlo Cardazzo, whose friendship had supported Scanavino for seven years, suddenly died. This death was a hard loss for the painter. Renato Cardazzo carried on his brother's work as an art trader and he took a great role in spreading Scanavino's name in Italy and abroad.
In 1966 he exhibited again with a personal room at 33rd Venice Biennale, where he won the Pininfarina Prize.
In 1968 he moved his studio at Calice Ligure. A group of artists also moved there, creating a small community around Scanavino.
In 1970 he earned the Gran Prix at Mentone Biennale. Collector Franco Castelli, director of "L'uomo e l'Arte", became his friend and supporter.
In 1971 he survived a hard surgery. The recovery signaled the start of a new creative wave of his paint. He travelled in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
but he remained living at Calice Ligure.
Across 1973 and 1974 Kunsthalle
Kunsthalle
Kunsthalle is, generally, in German speaking regions a term for a facility mounting temporary art exhibitions. Some are run or supported by a local Kunstverein, an art association of local collectors and artists...
of Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
exhibited a huge antological exposition that, with some small variation, was also showed in 1974 at Venice's Palazzo Grassi
Palazzo Grassi
Palazzo Grassi is an edifice in the Venetian Classical style located on the Grand Canal of Venice, northern Italy...
and Milan's Royal Palace
Royal Palace of Milan
The Royal Palace of Milan was the seat of government of the Italian city of Milan for many centuries, but today is an important cultural centre, home to expositions and exhibitions....
.
In 1982, although disease progressive degeneration, he kept working and exhibiting in public and private places. In 1986 he was invited to exhibit at Rome Quadriennale
Rome Quadriennale
The Rome Quadriennale is a foundation for the promotion of contemporary Italian art....
. He died in Milan on 28 November 1986.
Art
After a figurative start Scanavino's paintings rapidly took Post-Cubist character. Stylization of the forms kept growing until eventually totally fade out in the first 1950 years works. In 1954 his work's characteristic sign started to appear. That is the “stylized knot”, which would characterize all of his following production. The 1950s years works are among the most beautiful of Scanavino's career. Inside them it is possible to see the genesis of the painting transposition of the interiority, with all of its torment, which are the marking point of Scanavino's art.In his late 70s years paintings, the “knot” is perfectly defined and recognizable. Painted in anguishing forms, sometimes even threatening and stained of bloody red. Although Scanavino is difficult to place inside a defined artistic movement, he can be considered an informal abstractist, close to the Abstract Expressionism
Abstract expressionism
Abstract expressionism was an American post–World War II art movement. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve worldwide influence and put New York City at the center of the western art world, a role formerly filled by Paris...
and Hans Hartung
Hans Hartung
Hans Hartung was a German-French painter, known for his gestural abstract style. He was also a decorated World War II veteran of the French Foreign Legion.-Life:...
and Georges Mathieu
Georges Mathieu
Georges Mathieu is a French painter in the style of lyrical abstraction.-Biography:He was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, and gained an international reputation in the 1950s as a leading Abstract Expressionist. His large paintings are created very rapidly and impulsively...
's art.
Biography
- A. Jouffroy. La questione S, Edizioni AE, Genova 1963.
- E. Crispolti, A. Jouffroy. Scanavino io mani, Edizioni l’Uomo e l’Arte. Milano 1971
- F. De Bartolomeis. Il progetto dell’irrazionale di Scanavino. Edizioni del Naviglio, Milano 1972
- A. Jouffroy. Scanavino. Bibli Opus (Georges Fall) Editeur, Paris 1973
- R. Sanesi. Scanavino. Altrouno-La Nuova Foglio Editrice, Macerata 1979
- G. M. Accame. Scanavino. Disegni e scritti inediti. Pierluigi Lubrina Editore, Bergamo 1990
- G.Graglia Scanavino, G.M. Accame. Scanavino. La scultura, Documenti dell’Archivio Scanavino, Edizioni Aspasia, Bologna, 2004
- Stephano Delphino, Gianni Viola. Emilio Scanavino & C - La leggenda degli Artusti di Calice Ligure. De Ferrari, Genova.
- Rachele Ferrario. Scanavino e Crispolti. Carteggio e altri scritti. Silvana Editoriale, Cinisello Balsamo, 2006.
- Alberto Zanchetta, Emilio Scanavino - opere 1954-1983, Edizioni Dep Art Milano, 2008.
External links
Archivio Emilio Scanavino Association's official site. Official Bibliography.- "Images" Dep Art, Milano Personal Exhibition 2008.