In the July/August Elle Decor I discovered a painting by Alberto Burri, an Italian Impressionist. What an interesting life he led.
A short excerpt from artcritical.com: “Burri is famous for the poverty of his means and the richness of his results.” Also: “In Burri’s preference for lowly materials, minimal intervention of the hand, and literalism about what things are and how they have been put together, the Italian artist was a precursor of minimal art, Pop, and much that followed.”
Searching further from World Wide Arts Resources: Alberto Burri served as a doctor in the Italian army in North Africa and was captured in 1943. While incarcerated as a prisoner of war in Texas, he began painting. After his release, he moved back to Rome and devoted his career to art. In 1948, his work became abstract and a year later, he was working in collage. Although he had a shy demeanor and lived fairly reclusively, Burri gained an international reputation. He was the predecessor of the Junk Art movement in the United States and the Arte Povera movement in Italy.
I’m not sure why I find all of this fascinating…but, alas…I do, and I thought you might as well.
