“Anguria laida su pelliccia di nylon rosa” is a painting from 1969 that belongs fully to the mature phase of the research of Mattia Moreni, a central artist in Italian art of the second half of the twentieth century. In this period, in fact, Moreni developed a strongly material and symbolic painting, characterized by deliberately disturbing images and explicit titles, conceived as an integral part of the work.
From a visual point of view, the composition is dominated by a central organic form, attributable to the watermelon, rendered through shaded colour fields of green and yellow, crossed by a red vertical slit. However, the image has no descriptive purpose. On the contrary, it takes the form of a corporeal metaphor, consistent with Moreni’s reflection on the relationship between nature, artifice and primary drives. Moreover, the reference to “pink nylon fur” introduces a conceptual contrast between the natural element and synthetic material, a recurring theme in his late-Informal production.
From a historical point of view, “Anguria laida su pelliccia di nylon rosa” is directly connected to the so-called “legend of the obscenity complex”. Therefore, the painting also assumes a theoretical value, going beyond the purely pictorial dimension.
In conclusion, this work represents a significant example of Moreni’s poetics, in which matter, language and provocation coexist in a conscious and structured way.
Description: Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right ‘Moreni 1969 anguria laida su pelliccia di nylon rosa’, bearing on the reverse the inscription ‘la prima anguria come introduzione alla “leggenda del complesso dell’oscenità”…. 100½x73½ / “anguria laida su pelliccia di nylon rosa” Mattia Moreni “Le Calbane Vecchie” 1969’; bearing on the reverse label Galleria del Girasole – Udine, 1969, H cm 99.5×73.
Publication: ‘Mattia Moreni. Catalogue Raisonné of the Works. Paintings 1934-1999’ edited by GAM – Archivio Mattia Moreni, scientific direction by Enrico Crispolti – Silvana Editoriale – 2016, 4/1969/6, plate 83.
Provenance: Private Collection – Ravenna.
Hammer Price € 16.740,00
Auction 49 – 24 November 2021 – Modern and Contemporary Art
All the works by Mattia Moreni presented at auction
Discover all the top lots from our Modern and Contemporary art auctions!
Do you own a work by Mattia Moreni ? Request a free valuation right now!
Contact us:
