Work by Pino Pascali Peaks in Price
Last week, Arte Povera artist Pino Pascali’s Code di Delfina (Tale of a Dolphin)(1966) set new record price at Christie’s Italian Sale. Among the 59 works by fellow Italian artists, such as Lucio Fontana and Alberto Burri, featured in the sale, Pascali’s Code di Delfina raked in a sales price of more than $2.6 million.
A native of Bari, Pascali trained in Rome from 1955 and enjoyed his first solo show there in 1966. It was at this groundbreaking exhibition that Pascali introduced his playful approach to compositions, fooling the eye with paintings that first appear to be sculptures. Code di Delfina exemplifies that tradition, as it consists of stretched canvas on a wooden form that preliminarily gives the impression of a more dimensional installation. On course to become one of the most innovative voices of the Arte Povera movement, Pascali was tragically killed at the young age of 32 in a motorcycle accident.
Further reading:
Anna Brady, “Record for Pino Pascali at Christie’s Italian Sale” (The Art Newspaper, 7 October 2016).
“Londra. All’asta “italian sale” di Christie’s record per Pino Pascali” (Arte Magazine, 7 October 2016).
Pino Pascali, Code di Delfino (Tale of a Dolphin), 1966.