Fortunato Depero (1892–1960) enlivened the universe with his comical figurative abstractions. The ’30s era Italian Futurist prefigured postmodern illustration and typography. The work is still as fresh as the day he made it.
For its inaugural year, the Center for Italian Modern Art presents an installation of the work of Depero. ”
Throughout his career, Depero worked beyond the Futurist movement’s orthodoxy, engaging in fruitful dialogues with Dada and Metaphyiscal Painting, Esprit Nouveau and the Bauhaus, Valori Plastici and Art Deco. More than any other artist, Depero embodied Futurism’s desire to merge the boundaries between high and popular culture. He did so through non-traditional work, which included, besides painting and sculpture: furniture, industrial design, advertising, architecture, photography, tapestry, ballet scenography and costume design, and more.
Tonight Steven Guarnaccia and I will join CIMA fellow Raffaele Bedarida to discuss the influence Depero had on designers in the US – some without even knowing they were being influenced. Here are a few of my long list of Depero favorites.
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