Mario Schifano biography

- MARIO SCHIFANO ARTIST

 

Mario Schifano, born in Homs, a city in Italian Libya, in 1934, and passed away in Rome in 1998, was a prominent Italian artist in the national and international scene of the 1960s.

Painter, director, and musician, he stands out as a multifaceted, rebellious, and exuberant figure, often associated with the Italian and European Pop Art movement alongside other important artists like Franco Angeli and Tano Festa. His personality is marked by a social life and prolonged drug use, factors that earned him the nickname of "cursed artist."

After returning from Libya, Mario Schifano settled in Rome, where he became interested in art thanks to his father's experience as a restorer at the Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia. Initially influenced by Informal Art, his style evolved towards monochromatic painting, characterized by the application of paper and letters over the entire surface of the canvas. This period is marked by the artist's recognition in the art scene and the winning of prestigious awards such as the Premio Lissone in 1961.

The contact with American Pop Art during a trip to the United States leads him to explore new themes and styles, and upon returning to Italy, he founds the band "Le Stelle di Mario Schifano", embracing the world of music and forging relationships with the Rolling Stones. His art is also inspired by the culture of mass communication, using logos and advertising brands as subjects of his works. Emblematic in this sense are the series "Le Propagande", in which he reproduces logos of famous brands like Coca-Cola and Esso, thus emphasizing the popularity of commonly used images."

The Seventies and Eighties are characterized by a phase of experimentation and interest in multimedia. Mario Schifano dedicates himself to photography and uses the computer to create works that he then transfers onto emulsified canvases, defining them as "computerized canvases". This passion for technological innovation leads him to use screenprint to produce works in series, in line with the ideal of art reproducibility typical of Pop Art. Among the most famous works of this period are the "TV Landscapes", where Mario Schifano captures still images of television scenes with psychedelic colors overlaid on black and white, highlighting the contrast between reality and the media image. This series testifies to his interest in media and television, a source of inspiration for the creation of his works.

Despite artistic success, the artist's life is marked by problems related to drug addiction, which lead to repeated convictions and periods in prison and in rehab clinics. Only in 1997, thanks to the intervention of his lawyer Attilio Maccarrone, does he obtain judicial reintegration for the possession of drugs for personal use.

The death of Mario Schifano, at the age of 63 due to a heart attack, marks the end of an extraordinarily prolific and multifaceted artistic career. His contribution to the Italian and international art scene is evidenced by the numerous works exhibited in the most important Italian museums, and the foundation in his name is dedicated to preserving and protecting his vast artistic heritage. Mario Schifano, with his eccentric character and provocative spirit, remains an iconic figure of contemporary art, a "painter puma" with a unique and unmistakable style that has left a lasting mark on the global art scene. His desire to experiment and his ability to anticipate cultural trends, combined with his passion for social life and multimedia, make him still today an artist of great relevance and significance.