Woman photographing the Venus of rags
Michelangelo Pistoletto
Michelangelo Pistoletto (b 1933) is the founder of the Arte Povera movement. His best-known works are the mirror paintings that he has been creating since 1962. The viewer automatically becomes a part of the artworks with a reflective surface. Mirror paintings capture real time and open up perspective. This artwork is the artist’s homage to his own work Venus of the Rags, of which he created different versions between 1967 and 1974. Venus is the Roman goddess of beauty, love and fertility, and Pistoletto makes an ironic comment on Italy’s rich cultural heritage. The work highlights a series of contrasts: monochrome/colorful, hard/soft, valuable/worthless, etc. The “poverty” characteristic of the rags emphasizes the application of all aspects of life in art, which is a central part of the Arte Povera movement.
Michelangelo Pistoletto (s 1933) on Arte Povera liikumise asutaja. Tema tuntuimad teosed on peegelmaalid, mida ta alates 1962. aastast loonud on. Vaataja saab automaatselt peegelduva pinnaga teoste osaks. Peegelmaalid haaravad reaalaega ja avavad perspektiivi. Antud teos on kunstniku hommage enda teosele “Venus of the Rags”, millest ta 1967-1974 erinevaid versioone loonud on. Veenus on Rooma ilu-, armastuse- ja viljakusejumalanna ning Pistoletto teeb iroonilise kommentaari Itaalia rikkalikule kultuuripärandile. Teos toob esile rea vastandusi: ühevärviline/värviline, kõva/pehme, väärtuslik/väärtuseta jne. Kaltsude “vaesuse” tunnus rõhutab elu kõikide aspektide rakendamist kunstis, mis on keskne osa Arte Povera liikumisest.
