Beschreibung:

EMILIO VEDOVA (1919-2002)De America-1
1976
signed, titled and dated 1976 on the reverse
acrylic, sand, charcoal and paper collage on canvas
207.3 by 200 cm.
81 5/8 by 78 3/4 in.
FootnotesThis work is registered in the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, Venice, under no. AFV 682.
Provenance
Telemarket, Brescia
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 1993
Literature
Germano Celant (Ed.), Emilio Vedova Venice 2020, p. 86, no. 60, illustrated in colour
Germano Celant, Vedova De America, Milan 2020, p. 513, no. f146, illustrated in colour
De America forms a series, or a 'cycle' as referred to by Venetian artist Emilio Vedova of some fifty paintings on paper and canvas created between 1976 and 1977. The monumental group of works was the subject of an important exhibition organized by the Galleria dello Scudo and the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova and is today recognised as a pinnacle moment in the artist's oeuvre where he triumphantly returned to painting after having spent the previous years dedicating his attention almost exclusively to printmaking and teaching projects.
After the war, New York encouraged a dialogue between American Abstract Expressionism and European art activities and direct communications were established between Venice and America. Vedova was deeply affected by America's social context in the post-war years and this cycle of works is an evident allusion to his experiences in the United States. Bold contrasts of black and white paint which cover his De America canvases reveal the artist's own recollections of New York slums and of the desolate outskirts of the city where the problems of immigration, destitution and social marginalisation were intense. We experience this through the use of expressive strokes and smears of paint that seek to convey a raw and violent reaction to the political reality of the post-war period.
Excitingly, this present work, aptly titled De America-1, is the very first in the De America cycle. The collation of forms, symbols, and cypher-like signs that we see here fuse together; angular shapes and rough forms connect into a compressed unity speaking of a complex urban experience. Across all the works in this cycle, the energy and direction of the brushstroke alone is redirected into a series of informal marks of pure painterly energy that help determine the ultimate form of the artwork. Vedova's use of paper collage and newspaper has been considered on one level to reflect the trials and tribulations of everyday life whilst also introducing an element of reality helping to define the logic of painting. In a move that to some degree emulates Willem de Kooning's practice of painting, a unity of fragments by using a layering of paper, it is more widely thought that Vedova was in fact looking towards the work of the Berlin Dadaists and the Merz collages of Kurt Schwitters
Born in Venice, Emilio Vedova is regarded as one of the most influential Italian artists of the second half of the 20th century. He fervently believed that revolutionary art had to be abstract and sought to push painting into new territories with his visceral and gestural works that engage the viewer and redefine the space they inhabit. In the late 1950s, Vedova was associated with French Informel and later with Action painting and the resurgence of expressionism, yet arguably he has always defied specific categorisation. Largely self-taught, he learned to draw and paint by sketching Venetian churches and frescoes, particularly those of Tintoretto who was a key inspiration to the artist throughout his career; he was fascinated by the Mannerist painter's bold brushstrokes, accentuated gestures, and dramatic use of light, but also by his persona. Although Vedova split his time between Venice and Berlin for many years, his work remained anchored in the city of his birth and its painting traditions.
Vedova made his debut at the Venice Biennale in 1948 and, from that point onwards would become a regular exhibitor: in 1952 he had a room devoted to his work, in 1960 he won the prize for Italian painting and in 1997 was honoured with the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. He was the Italian representative at the first documenta in Kassel in 1955, and his work was exhibited there again in 1959, 1964 and 1982. Today his work is exhibited in many major Global institutions, notably at The Albertina, Vienna; Berlinische Galerie and Nationalgalerie, Berlin; Museo Nacional De Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires; Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo; The Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. The Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, created by the artist and his wife, continues to promote his exceptional life and legacy, highlighting Vedova's importance in the history of 20th century art.
The De America cycle is considered to conclude a period of transition, of experimentation in technique and style and in broader terms, Vedova's efforts to decipher the deep social and cultural changes that were taking place at the time; and De America-1, being the very first of its kind, is undoubtedly an exceptional and pivotal painting of the period.Read MoreAdditional informationAuction informationBuyers' ObligationsALL BIDDERS MUST AGREE THAT THEY HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD BONHAMS' CONDITIONS OF SALE AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THEM, AND AGREE TO PAY THE BUYER'S PREMIUM AND ANY OTHER CHARGES MENTIONED IN THE NOTICE TO BIDDERS. THIS AFFECTS THE BIDDERS LEGAL RIGHTS.If you have any complaints or questions about the Conditions of Sale, please contact your nearest customer services team.Buyers' Premium and ChargesFor all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows: Buyer's Premium Rates
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