Picture – Mario Schifano

The work of Mario Schifano is mainly characterized by the use of industrial colours dripping onto the canvas, numbers and letters that cross each other, forming words referring to the urban context; the artist often painted two-coloured or monochrome, anemic landscapes, which are made with oils or industrial enamels. Schifano draws on the state of well being triggered by the boom of the phenomenon of mass consumerism, as a starting point for conducting his own research in regard to the outcome of the American Pop Art: paintings as advertising signs with some brands such as Esso and Coca-Cola.

Among the main protagonists, as well as Schifano, there are Franco Angeli and Tano Festa who joined this research by meeting at the School of Piazza del Popolo in Rome. In the seventies, he revisited the history of art with some works inspired by the masterpieces of the historical avant-gardes and creates new cycles, including the cycle of the Equestrian Paintings, Architecture, Natural, Unknown and finds. In particular, the theme of the horse will become a special feature of the artist.

The work of Mario Schifano is characterized by a continuous experimentation of techniques, languages and medium through the use of the photographs (mainly Polaroid) to which he adds his passion for the videos and for the experimental clips. The work of the Civic Museum’s collection of Castelbuono is signed by the artist in the middle of the horse.