Luca Alinari, Florentine painter of imaginative surrealism, dies at 75

Luca Alinari, a leading figure in Tuscan imaginative surrealism, died in Florence on March 15, 2019, at age 75 after a long illness. Born in Florence on October 27, 1943, he studied literature and philosophy, initially working as a literary critic and editor for magazines, and later as a television writer. In 1979 he founded and directed the art magazine Signorina Rosina. His first solo exhibition was in 1969 in a Florence gallery. Influenced by Neo-Dada, he experimented with fluorescent colors, decalcomania, collage, and photographic transfers. His work anticipated the Nuovi-Nuovi and Transavanguardia movements of the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1980s he developed his signature style of bestiaries, fantastic characters, and imaginary landscapes. He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1982 and the Rome Quadriennale in 1986. In 1990 he painted the drappellone for the August Palio di Siena, now held by the Valdimontone contrada. In 1999 the Uffizi acquired a self-portrait for its Vasari Corridor collection. He held exhibitions in Shanghai and Beijing, and designed the logo for the 2013 UCI Road World Championships in Tuscany. His last retrospective was at the Bardo Museum in Tunis in summer 2018. Tuscan regional council president Eugenio Giani, who awarded him the Gonfalone d'argento in June 2018, expressed condolences.