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Alberto Burri
Description
- Alberto Burri
- Bianco Cretto
- signed, dated 77 and inscribed Ad Anna e Giuseppe Vespini con amicizia, Buon Natale on the reverse
- acrovinyl on celotex
- 59.8 by 50 cm. 23 1/2 by 19 7/8 in.
- Executed in 1977.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the above by the previous owner
Literature
Bruno Corà, Ed., Burri, Catalogo Generale, Pittura 1958-1978, Volume II, Città di Castello 2015, p. 333, no. 1497, illustrated in colour, Volume VI, p. 220, no. 7745, illustrated in colour
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The inspiration for the Cretti stemmed from Burri’s multiple trips to California and the American Southwest, where the artist first travelled to in 1958 to visit his dear friend and fellow artist Afro. Completely encapsulated by the withered scenery of California’s Death Valley, Burri first paid tribute to these striking natural patterns in his 1950s Bianco works and it remained a strong visual influence for decades to come. As explained by curator Lisa Melandri, the barren plains of dry earth visible in his photographs from these trips “mirror the visual interests and formal choices in his works of the 1970s and 80s" (Lisa Melandri, ‘Finding Alberto Burri’s Place in America’ in: Exh. Cat., Santa Monica, Santa Monica Museum of Art, Combustione: Alberto Burri and America, 2010, p. 24). Discussing his Cretti series the artist explained: “The idea came from [Death Valley], but then in the painting it became something else. I only wanted to demonstrate the energy of a surface” (Alberto Burri cited in: Giuliano Serafini, Burri: The Measure and the Phenomenon, Milan 1999, p. 209).
In Burri’s Cretti the thickly encrusted surfaces are seemingly autonomous entities. Herein, they bear resemblance to Piero Mazoni’s iconic Achromes, in which the artist sought to create a self-governing work of art, devoid of figuration and literal representation. Manzoni began this pursuit in an attempt to reduce the interaction between the artist and the work, by soaking his canvases in kaolin and leaving them to dry in the sun. Ultimately it was through the self-defining drying process that the works achieved their final form. Likewise, in Burri’s Cretti the medium itself is the catalyst that drives the composition. Nevertheless, there always remains a certain degree of control. The size of each Cretto for example, was dependant on the thickness of the paint mixture, as well as the amount that was applied.
A mesmeric mosaic of sculpted furrows, Bianco Cretto epitomises the artist’s revolutionary approach to material. Exhibiting his ability to transform these into a medium capable of expressing his powerful artistic vision, the present work is an exquisite literation from one of Burri’s most revered series.