Page 55 - Studio International - September 1972

Multiples in Italy

Art is returning to the flat surface-from the
object to the painting, from the environment to
the photograph, from the event to the drawing
and the written word-and multiples are a
product of the trend. The youngest and most
avant garde artists, as they are called, respond to
the demand for an art that can be framed and
hung on the wall by producing multiples in
limited editions that do just that. These are not
graphics as the materials and techniques used
do not come out in the reproduction. They use designs, but pieces of great value. The Galleria
photographs, drawings, writings inscribed in Borgogna produces multiples by Luciano Fabro
marble and colours on canvas. Artists particularly and Giulio Paolini. The range of multiples is
active in the sphere of multiple art, like increased by Rodolfo Arico, Giuseppe Spagnulo,
Michelangelo Pistoletto and Mario Ceroli, Livio Marzot, Nicola Carrino, Arnaldo
produce works which would normally be Pomodoro, Carlo Battaglia and others, produced
considered 'one-offs' in a short series. They may by the Salone Annunciata. While the Galleria
be silk-screens instead of drawings or objects in Schwarz carry on their graphic production for
bare wood in two dimensions instead of three. specialized collectors-or promote other editions
Strangely the opposite tendency can be seen of young artists-the Ariete Grafica extends its
in artists like Man Ray. Man Ray is perhaps the activities to series by Michelangelo Pistoletto,
biggest commercial operator the multiple Ugo Mulas, Enrico Castellani. The most recent
market has seen in Italy in recent years. After move has been the opening, with a street
Duchamp, the old Dada master has literally been boutique, of the Bon a tirer which produces and
fought over by numerous galleries who have distributes multiples by Scanavino, Agostino
made as many multiples of his work as they Bonalumi, Mario Ceroli, Capogrossi and Getulio
could. They even went to the extent of making Alviani-besides the works of young designers-
multiples in bronze of several of his designs. that is to say the artists of the Galleria del
Financial speculation has sometimes reached Naviglio with which it is connected.
absurd levels, and has in some ways seriously The output of multiples is much smaller in
limited the creative potential of the multiple. Turin, with the exception of the Galleria
Indeed it confirms the view that the multiple Multipli, which is linked to the Galleria
could never bring art to the masses. Sperone. It distributes a very select number of
Recently the market has witnessed an works by American artists, including Jasper
explosion in the field of multiples. In Milan two Johns, Jim Dine, Robert Rauschenberg, Warhol,
new galleries specializing in multiples and Lichtenstein, Sol LeWitt and numerous other (Top)
graphics have appeared, the Multicenter and American artists, and concentrates on the most Gilberto Zorio
the Bon a tirer, and numerous others are expensive pieces. On the other hand it produces Fluidita radicale 1971
concentrating more in this sphere. Publicity is a very large range of multiples by young Italian Plastified coloured photographs in metal,
17 X 110 cm.
on the increase especially outside the specialist artists, with works by Alighiero Boetti, Giorgio Edition 20, Gallery Multipli Turin
magazines. The most notable success has been Griffa, Giovanni Anselmo, Giuseppe Penone,
(Centre)
the flood of new collectors from the ranks of the Pistoletto, Gilberto Zorio and Salvo. But here
Giorgio Griffa
middle-class, which has never previously we are speaking of a rather special production in Puntini 1970
bothered with modern art. This can be seen that it often involves a very limited series of Gallery Multipli, Turin
from Rome to Milan and Turin, and even in the multiples entirely done by hand. (Above)
more active provincial centres. Experts say that The graphics produced by the Torcoliere in Salvo
the boom in the multiple market was inevitable, Rome, the Modern Art Agency in Naples, the Amare Me 1971
in view of its mass appeal. But if new collectors Galleria Il Segnapassi in Pesaro and other Engraved on Portogallo marble, 29.5 x 42 cm
Edition 20, Gallery Multipli, Turin
are not to be found then the multiple will fail, galleries in the provinces, show how much the
and the odds are that this will happen. network of ordinary galleries which have become
In fact the greatest volume of multiples comes involved in the field of multiples has increased. has made the most important move of late. It is
from the galleries that have for years controlled For economic reasons, connected with the planning a large-scale production of new
a certain number of artists and clients. The geographical limits of Italy, there is no big multiples and has already produced works by
initiative has passed from the new centres of producer of multiples in Italy with a high quality Christo, Vincenzo Agnetti and Paolini. But even
multiples to the traditional dealers who sell concentrated production. There is also a lack it has opted to promote very select and quite
the work of their artists in multiples as well as of artists, many of whom have been reabsorbed expensive multiples, like the more recent ones
doing the normal trade in paintings and by galleries who promote them normally. of Rauschenberg, and those of Johns, Stella,
sculptures. Milan is particularly noteworthy The Edizioni 0 which specializes more in Lichtenstein, Nauman, Oldenburg, Twombly,
in this respect. The Studio Marconi has for graphics than multiples is continuing with its Wesselmann etc. The Artestudio of Macerata
some time operated an efficient graphic section excellent production distribution of works is also very active and has already produced a
with the work of Enrico Baj, Gianfranco Pardi, by Peter Phillips and Ed Ruscha in particular. notable series of graphics by Ben Vautier,
Emilio Tadini, and more recently the kinetic The Multicenter of Milan, a new multiples LeWitt, Agnetti, Boetti and Ceroli. One very
works of Gianni Colombo. Particularly gallery which has exclusive rights over Gemini special project which is currently in hand is the
successful are the multiples of Man Ray which and works hand in hand with Castelli Graphics books on colour planned by Daniel Buren. q
are not remakes or absurd adaptations from and jointly with the Galleria Multipli of Turin, TOMMASO TRINI