Eight Graphic Works
Etchings by Enzo Cucchi
At Biasa Art Space, Jl. Raya Seminyak No. 34, Seminyak.Tel: 08123947142
In 1980 the Italian art critic, Prof. Achille Bonito Oliva, coined the term ‘Transavanguardia’ to describe the work of a group of Italian figurative painters which included Sandro Chia, Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, Mimmo Palandino, and Nicola De Maria. A small book, entitled ‘The Italian Trans-avantgarde’, was published which became extremely influential in helping to define ‘Post Modernism’ in art. These painters’ work was seen as a reaction against ‘Minimal’ and ‘Conceptual Art’, and in particular in Italy, ‘Arte Povera’, as they sought a return to classical easel painting with an interest in Italian myths and legends, along with references to Italian art history, mixed with a variety of styles. It was a celebrated return to painting, particularly narrative painting, albeit imbued with a sense of irony and disenchantment. These Italian artists became remarkably successful internationally in a very short time.
The Biasa Art Space is currently presenting an important exhibition, entitled ‘Eight Graphic Works’, which features the art of the Italian ‘Trans-avantgarde’ artist Enzo Cucchi. Born in Morro d’Alba, on November 14, 1949, Cucchi lives and works between Rome and Ancona. His first interests were dedicated to painting and poetry. Cucchi experiments with traditional art practices and iconographies, realizing installations that are freely placed within the exhibition stage to support the painted, sculpted, or drawn image. As an artist, Cucchi uses Italian landscape, people, and personnel experiences, as an inspiration for his work, and he has created a symbolic iconography, making images through unusual materials and forms, such as waves, flames, skulls, and roosters. The artist also likes to research into popular cultural traditions to develop an inventive system of visual signs that all leave an enduring trace.
By consistently working in an epic approach, Cucchi creates works of elemental force: Light against Dark. Life and Death. Creation and Destruction. This current exhibition showcases a series of etchings realized by the artist through a wide vocabulary of elements, which all seem to float within and upon the surface. In the ‘Houses’ works (‘White House’, ‘Grey House’, and ‘Black House’), the artist portrays a series of imaginary and elusive landscapes wherein the deep greys and the brilliant whites create forceful images, all permeated with a sense of sacredness and sadness. The works ‘Diecimila’, ‘Il Poeta’, and ‘Sono Gia Tra Noi 1’ are all excellent examples of Cucchi’s use of anthropomorphic forms, which somehow address the uncanny and intuitive experience of the Self. The artist has stated that: “I strive to give to others a sense of sacredness, because an art event is not just a formal fact but also a moment where you put a mark on your dedication. You must have a feeling of joining a tribe where there is a chain of command, because you are in a sacred place within its rules”. For Cucchi, painting, sculpture, and drawing, are a means to express the inner-self. The artist’s images are permeated with elements and signs of his own unconscious, and often refer to a poetic universe of his own devising. His art forces a strong emotional reaction. Questions are raised, but are left to the viewer to find the answers within themselves.
The exhibition ‘Eight Graphic Works’ is also a print-making experience that illustrates the research undertaken by the art printing house 2RC Edizioni d’Arte, owned by Valter and Eleonora Rossi (Rome, Italy). This couple has been engaged in creating an artistic laboratory to develop new graphic techniques that enable artists to conceive and realize graphic art in a revolutionary way. The creation of large etching presses of extraordinary power, designed by Valter Rossi, together with specialized equipment, allow the realization of large format etchings of absolute graphic autonomy. The Biasa exhibition showcases Enzo Cucchi etchings of various dimensions, from the small and intimate, to the very large and daunting.
Furthermore, this exhibition came about from a desire of Biasa Art Space and 2RC Edizioni d’Arte to start a collaborative project aimed at exhibiting unpublished graphic works realized by Asian and Southeast Asian artists. At the opening of the exhibition, Biasa Art Space launched its recent bilingual publication Seni Kontemporer (Art Contemporary) featuring the essay Seni Setelah Tahun Dua Ribu (Art Beyond the Year Two Thousand) by Prof. Achille Bonito Oliva.
The essay Seni Setelah Tahun Dua Ribu (Art Beyond the Year Two Thousand), is an important survey on Modernism, aimed at tracing the path beaten by Post World War II Western avant-gardes, from the 1960s until the present. The essay explores the reformed aesthetics of art, as well as the cultural and social role of the 21st century artist. The essay also mentions a number of significant Southeast Asian and Indonesian artists, such as Heri Dono, Budi Kustarto, Yuli Prayitno, Astari Rasjid, Melati Suryordarmo, Ugo Untoro, Made Wianta, and Entang Wiharso. These artists are featured along with International artists in the context of Post Modern studies. Throughout his career, Prof. Achille Bonito Oliva has made many critical contributions to the contemporary art debate. Further, since 2009, he has been actively participating in the Indonesian art scene, by curating crucial exhibitions and editing publications.
Enzo Cucchi is recognized as one of the major figures in the contemporary International Art scene. Together, with the participation of Prof. Achille Bonito Oliva, the exhibition ‘Eight Graphic Works’ becomes an essential artistic event.
