Valerio Adami

VALERIO ADAMI (Bologna, Italy, 1935).
"Omaggio a Juan Gris", 1967.
Oil on canvas.
Signed, dated and titled on the back.
Provenance: Sofia Invert Collection (Founder of the museum of contemporary art of Caracas).
Measurements: 72 x 60 cm; 96 x 83 cm (frame).
The work is a clear example of cubist influence, recalling the style of the artist Juan Gris, who was a key figure in the development of cubism. In this work, we see a fragmented composition of musical instruments, divided into geometric planes and vivid colors, with thick black lines delineating each section. This fragmented structure and simplification of forms to represent everyday objects is characteristic of synthetic cubism, where objects are deconstructed and reorganized into flat shapes.
The influence of Juan Gris is reflected in the use of bright, flat colors and the precision of lines and geometric shapes, elements Gris used to explore the relationship between objects and space. Here, the work not only suggests the figure of a musical instrument, but also plays with perspective and volume, giving an impression of depth through superimposed and juxtaposed planes. This work highlights the Cubist approach of observing objects from multiple angles at once, integrating several points of view into a single static image, an innovative technique popularized by artists such as Juan Gris.
A painter, designer and engraver, Valerio Adami trained at Achille Funi's studio and at the Brera Academy in Milan, then settled in Paris in 1957. In 1962 he had his first important exhibition in London, and shortly afterwards he took part in Documenta III in Kassel. In the mid-sixties Adami reached his best known style, with pop influence: stylized images, outlined in black on areas of intense flat colors. His success is rapid, and in 1968 he represents Italy at the Venice Biennale. During these years he painted four large murals at the headquarters of the Firstar Bank in Madison (USA). His success does not diminish, and in 1985 anthological exhibitions are dedicated to him at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris and at the Communo in Milan. In 1993 the Academy-Foundation Adami is created in Liechtenstein. He is currently represented at the MoMA in New York, the Palazzo Magnani in Reggio Emilia, the SMAK in Ghent, the Palazzo Ruspoli in Rome, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museo di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Trento, among others.