During his short career, Piero Manzoni endeavored to create universal art that expressed the act of simple existence. Created in 1958-59 as part of a collection of Achromes that began in 1957, Achrome was one of Manzoni’s signature ‘colorless’ works that existed in opposition to the monochromes popular at the time. In order to construct these piece, Manzoni folded and stitched kaolin-soaked canvases, preserving the fabric’s own intent. Kaolin is a kind of clay often used in making porcelain and the substance stiffens the canvases into their final form. Through this process, each Achrome would form itself, removing the artist from the act of creation. By doing this, Manzoni hoped to create art that could appeal to viewers on a fundamental level. No longer part of the work’s formation, Manzoni became only an enabler for art.
This particular Achrome has been featured in print by Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina, Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía, and Karsten Schubert LTD as an archetype of Piero Manzoni’s art. In leaving the canvas blank, Manzoni removed the signifier from art. In Achrome, the canvas is not referential. Instead, it highlights its own form and its own potential. The piece expresses a sense of advent, waiting to become something more than itself. Certainly a post-war piece, Achrome redefines art and breaks from the traditional image. His works’ simplicity reflect the sentiments of both the Italian Arte Povera movement and the global trend towards Minimalism.
Along with several other works entitled Achrome by Piero Manzoni, Achrome will be presented as part of Christie’s Italian Sale on October 14, 2010 and is expected to fetch up to $2,902,650 as the highlight of the collection. Other lots that will also be on the auction block include Marino Marini’s sculpture Cavaliere which is expected to fetch up to $2,824,200 and Alberto Burri’s Nero Cretto which is expected to sell for$1,569,000.
~Affluent Page
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