Astratto

Giulio Turcato is a seminal figure of post-war Italian abstraction, nevertheless, he cannot be convincingly attached to any movement of the period. After graduating from his art studies in Venice, he moves to Palermo and Milan before settling more definitely in Rome around 1943. In the capital, he frequents known establishments of the cultural circles and develops a network a similarly minded forward thinking artists. At the time, culture and politics cannot be dissociated and, after fighting for the Italian resistance, Turcato wishes to further mesh his art and political leanings. It is in that line of thought that, in 1947, he signs the formalism manifesto and founds the group Forma 1. In 1952, he joins the Gruppo degli Otto (alongside Emilio Vedova, also featured in this Collection). Nevertheless, Turcato theoretical inflexibility will quickly generate tensions within his groups and the political parties associated with them. Astratto is very representative of the Italian’s style during the 1970s–1980s. Moving away from the frenetic and sometimes violent nature of futurism and later abstract expressionism, Turcato progressively slows down his art, softens its lines and colours, offering a uniquely contemplative experience for the time. The delicate chromatic and graphic balance this painting achieves underlines the core qualities of Turcato’s approach.