Enrico Baj
Encyclopedia
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 promoter of the avant-garde
. He worked with Umberto Eco
among other collaborators. He had a long interest in the pseudo-philosophy 'pataphysics.
into a wealthy family, but left Italy in 1944 having upset the authorities and to avoid conscription
. He studied at the Milan University law faculty and the Brera Academy of Art.
In 1951 he founded the arte nucleare movement with Sergio Dangelo, which unlike abstract art
was overtly political. Baj himself was aligned with the anarchist
movement. His most well-known pieces are probably the series of "Generals": absurd characters made from found object
s such as belts or medals.
He made numerous works using motifs from other artists, from Leonardo da Vinci
to Picasso. Sometimes he recreated entire works of other painters.
In 1972 public display of a major work, "Funeral Of The Anarchist Pinelli" (a reference to Carlo Carrà
's famous painting The Funeral of the Anarchist Galli
of 1911) was banned after the murder of the police officer believed to be responsible for Giuseppe Pinelli
's death in custody. However his work continued to be political. In 1989 he designed thirty marionettes for Le bleu-blanc-rouge et le noir, an opera by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero
on a libretto by Anthony Burgess
, written for the bicentenary of the French Revolution
. In his last years he created a series of paintings in protest at the election of Silvio Berlusconi
. He died in Vergiate
, Italy.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and writer on art. Many of his works show an obsession with nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. He created prints, sculptures but especially collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
. He was close to the surrealist and dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
movements, and was later associatied with CoBrA
COBRA (avant-garde movement)
COBRA was a European avant-garde movement active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home cities: Copenhagen , Brussels , Amsterdam .-History:...
. As an author he has been described as a leading promoter of the avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
. He worked with Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco
Umberto Eco Knight Grand Cross is an Italian semiotician, essayist, philosopher, literary critic, and novelist, best known for his novel The Name of the Rose , an intellectual mystery combining semiotics in fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory...
among other collaborators. He had a long interest in the pseudo-philosophy 'pataphysics.
Biography
He was born in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
into a wealthy family, but left Italy in 1944 having upset the authorities and to avoid conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. He studied at the Milan University law faculty and the Brera Academy of Art.
In 1951 he founded the arte nucleare movement with Sergio Dangelo, which unlike abstract art
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
was overtly political. Baj himself was aligned with the anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
movement. His most well-known pieces are probably the series of "Generals": absurd characters made from found object
Found object
A found object, in an artistic sense, indicates the use of an object which has not been designed for an artistic purpose, but which exists for another purpose already. Found objects may exist either as utilitarian, manufactured items, or things which occur in nature...
s such as belts or medals.
He made numerous works using motifs from other artists, from Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
to Picasso. Sometimes he recreated entire works of other painters.
In 1972 public display of a major work, "Funeral Of The Anarchist Pinelli" (a reference to Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà
Carlo Carrà was an Italian painter, a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number of books concerning art. He taught for many years in the city of Milan.-Biography:Carrà was born in...
's famous painting The Funeral of the Anarchist Galli
The Funeral of the Anarchist Galli
The Funeral of the Anarchist Galli is a painting by Italian painter Carlo Carrà. It was finished in 1911, during the artist's futurist phase. It currently resides in New York City's Museum of Modern Art....
of 1911) was banned after the murder of the police officer believed to be responsible for Giuseppe Pinelli
Giuseppe Pinelli
Giuseppe "Pino" Pinelli was an Italian railway worker and anarchist activist, who died in the custody of Italian police in 1969 after being arrested. Pinelli was a member of the Milan Circle "Ponte della Ghisolfa". He was also the secretary of the Italian branch of the Anarchist Black Cross...
's death in custody. However his work continued to be political. In 1989 he designed thirty marionettes for Le bleu-blanc-rouge et le noir, an opera by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero
Lorenzo Ferrero
Lorenzo Ferrero is a contemporary Italian composer with a predilection for opera, a librettist, author, and book editor. He started composing at an early age and wrote over a hundred compositions thus far, including twelve operas, three ballets, and numerous orchestral, chamber music, solo...
on a libretto by Anthony Burgess
Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson – who published under the pen name Anthony Burgess – was an English author, poet, playwright, composer, linguist, translator and critic. The dystopian satire A Clockwork Orange is Burgess's most famous novel, though he dismissed it as one of his lesser works...
, written for the bicentenary of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. In his last years he created a series of paintings in protest at the election of Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
. He died in Vergiate
Vergiate
Vergiate is a comune in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 45 km northwest of Milan and about 15 km southwest of Varese...
, Italy.
External links
- Biography of Enrico Baj - looking in detail at his anarchist politics
- Enrico Baj, June 15, 2003 Daily Bleed Calendar
- Selected works by Enrico Baj NO!art groupe
- :it:Pittura Nucleare The Italian page for the arte nucleare