Paul Thek's Italian Years Explored in Rome Exhibition
The exhibition titled 'Paul Thek. Italian Hours,' organized by Peter Benson Miller, is currently on display at Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio in Rome and will continue until January 28, 2023. This marks the first Italian exhibition dedicated to Paul Thek (1933–1988) since 1995. Thek's artistic creations, shaped by his time in Italy from 1962 to 1976, showcase elements such as 'The Tomb,' 'Meat Pieces,' whimsical sculptures, and plein air sketches. Additionally, it features 'television analization paintings' produced during Lucio Fontana's 'Manifesto of Spatial Movement for Television.' Thek's hyperrealistic style stood in stark contrast to American minimalism, and he famously requested a Brillo Box from Andy Warhol for his 'piece of meat.' The exhibition delves into Thek's emotional ties to Italy.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Paul Thek. Italian Hours' runs until January 28, 2023 at Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio in Rome.
- Curated by Peter Benson Miller.
- First Italian show on Paul Thek since 1995.
- Thek lived in Italy between 1962 and 1976.
- Title inspired by Henry James's notebook.
- Thek visited Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo in summer 1963 with Peter Hujar.
- Exhibition includes remnants of 'The Tomb,' 'Meat Pieces,' fairy-tale sculptures, plein air drawings, and television analization paintings.
- Thek asked Andy Warhol for a Brillo Box to place his own 'piece of meat' inside.
- Thek's work linked to Lucio Fontana, Fabio Mauri, Piero Manzoni, and Topazia Alliata.
- Article quotes Thek (1966) and Susan Sontag's 'Notes on 'Camp'' (1964).
Entities
Artists
- Paul Thek
- Peter Hujar
- Henry James
- Lucio Fontana
- Fabio Mauri
- Piero Manzoni
- Andy Warhol
- Susan Sontag
- Topazia Alliata
Institutions
- Fondazione Nicola Del Roscio
- Pace Gallery New York
- Artribune
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Palermo
- Torre d'Acqua
- Capuchin Catacombs
- Ponza