Marco Tonelli's New Essay on Pino Pascali's Sculpture and Its Double
In his 2023 essay "Pino Pascali. La scultura e il suo doppio" published by Electa, Marco Tonelli reevaluates the oeuvre of Italian artist Pino Pascali, incorporating contemporary research and theatrical design. He posits that Pascali stands as Italy's inaugural genuine postmodern artist, skillfully engaging with movements such as New Dada, Minimalism, Neometaphysics, Pop art, and Performance through a lens of irony. Tonelli elaborates on Pascali's fabricated artillery, particularly "Cannone Bella ciao," showcased by Fabio Sargentini in the 2001 exhibition "Cannonata." He draws parallels between Pascali's work and that of Ettore Colla, as well as identifying similarities with Giorgio de Chirico's art. Tonelli highlights Pascali's simulation techniques and critiques traditional aesthetic categories, referencing pieces like "mortaio 120 mm 50" and "Metri cubi di terra e 9 metri quadrati di pozzanghere" to illustrate a childlike engagement with materials.
Key facts
- Marco Tonelli published 'Pino Pascali. La scultura e il suo doppio' with Electa in 2023.
- The book reexamines Pascali's sculpture through recent studies and theatrical scenography of his period.
- Tonelli identifies Pascali as Italy's first true postmodern artist.
- The title paraphrases Antonin Artaud.
- Fabio Sargentini's 2001 exhibition 'Cannonata' at L'Attico featured Pascali's 'Cannone Bella ciao' before a hole in the wall.
- Sargentini's idea came from a dream of Gino de Dominicis about the cannon functioning.
- Pascali's 'mortaio 120 mm 50' (April 24, 1965) assembled parts from a Fiat 500, Lancia Ardea, and other objects.
- Tonelli argues Pascali's works critique and reinvent aesthetic classification parameters.
Entities
Artists
- Pino Pascali
- Marco Tonelli
- Fabio Sargentini
- Gino de Dominicis
- Ettore Colla
- Giorgio de Chirico
- René Magritte
- Antonin Artaud
- Marcello Carriero
Institutions
- L'Attico
- Electa
Locations
- Polignano
- Italy