Lotto 3440 - A213 Postwar e contemporary art - giovedì, 26. giugno 2025, 15h00
PIERO DORAZIO
(Rome 1927–2005 Perugia)
Meta I. 1971.
Oil on canvas.
Signed, titled and dated on the reverse: PIERO DORAZIO - 1971 "META" I.
50 × 251 cm.
Certificate:
Provenance:
- Private collection, Switzerland.
- Private collection, Switzerland, by descent.
‘Colour is energy that permeates life’ - with this credo, Piero Dorazio created an oeuvre that with its vibrant colour compositions and rhythmic structures, significantly influenced the development of abstract art in Italy and Europe
A significant turning point in Dorazio's artistic career was his year-long stay in the United States in 1953/54. During this time, he came into direct contact with the innovative American art scene, in particular the Abstract Expressionists around Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Robert Motherwell, and also immersed himself intensively in the works and writings of Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky's revolutionary approach to abstract art, his colour theory and his belief in the spiritual power of art had a decisive influence on Dorazio's artistic development. In particular, Kandinsky's view that art should not only be aesthetically pleasing but should also ‘touch the mind and the heart’ is reflected in Dorazio's approach to abstraction. Dorazio saw abstract art as a political and social statement: for him, abstraction was the most suitable mode of expressing universal human experience and at the same time a way of distancing himself from the toxic ideological legacy of Italian Futurism. His artistic practice sought to establish a direct connection to human experience through the use of colour and light. During his artistic career, Dorazio experimented with various types of abstraction. In early works such as ‘Radar (Vertigo)’ from 1955 (lot 3444), the vertical, luminous lines and colour fields still clearly reveal the influence of the Abstract Expressionists. While Colour Field painting focuses on the meditative effect and emotional depth of pure areas of colour, Dorazio used the complexity of lines and interactions of colours to create a lively, pulsating perception of space and time. In the 1970s, Dorazio achieved the full impact of his style, exemplified in works such as ‘Meta I’ from 1971 (lot 3440). The painting appears as a dense network of overlapping bands of colour that form a lively, harmonious structure. It is reminiscent of a musical score of colours that invites the viewer to experience the energy and rhythm of the painting. Another important work from his late creative phase is "Cronotopico ’ from 1989 (lot 3442). This work reflects Dorazio's continuing exploration of space and time as well as a greater shift towards natural phenomena. The title - a combination of ‘Chronos’ (time) and ‘Topos’ (place) - emphasises the aesthetic exploration of the dimensions of temporality and space. This oil on canvas is notable for its dynamic, vibrant composition of colour surfaces, lines and shapes.
A significant turning point in Dorazio's artistic career was his year-long stay in the United States in 1953/54. During this time, he came into direct contact with the innovative American art scene, in particular the Abstract Expressionists around Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Robert Motherwell, and also immersed himself intensively in the works and writings of Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky's revolutionary approach to abstract art, his colour theory and his belief in the spiritual power of art had a decisive influence on Dorazio's artistic development. In particular, Kandinsky's view that art should not only be aesthetically pleasing but should also ‘touch the mind and the heart’ is reflected in Dorazio's approach to abstraction. Dorazio saw abstract art as a political and social statement: for him, abstraction was the most suitable mode of expressing universal human experience and at the same time a way of distancing himself from the toxic ideological legacy of Italian Futurism. His artistic practice sought to establish a direct connection to human experience through the use of colour and light. During his artistic career, Dorazio experimented with various types of abstraction. In early works such as ‘Radar (Vertigo)’ from 1955 (lot 3444), the vertical, luminous lines and colour fields still clearly reveal the influence of the Abstract Expressionists. While Colour Field painting focuses on the meditative effect and emotional depth of pure areas of colour, Dorazio used the complexity of lines and interactions of colours to create a lively, pulsating perception of space and time. In the 1970s, Dorazio achieved the full impact of his style, exemplified in works such as ‘Meta I’ from 1971 (lot 3440). The painting appears as a dense network of overlapping bands of colour that form a lively, harmonious structure. It is reminiscent of a musical score of colours that invites the viewer to experience the energy and rhythm of the painting. Another important work from his late creative phase is "Cronotopico ’ from 1989 (lot 3442). This work reflects Dorazio's continuing exploration of space and time as well as a greater shift towards natural phenomena. The title - a combination of ‘Chronos’ (time) and ‘Topos’ (place) - emphasises the aesthetic exploration of the dimensions of temporality and space. This oil on canvas is notable for its dynamic, vibrant composition of colour surfaces, lines and shapes.
CHF 50 000 / 70 000 | (€ 51 550 / 72 160)
Venduto per CHF 62 500 (incl. premio)