Nuvolo and post-war materiality 1950-1965 - Nuvolo

Nuvolo ( n
Giorgio Ascani, 1926-2008) was born in Citt di Castello, in the province
of Perugia. In 1950 Nuvolo moved to Alberto Burri's studio in Rome. After World
War II, the artistic culture in Italy was characterized by a clash between the tradition of
figuration and new modes of abstraction, and by a proliferation of artistic and theoretical
movements incentivized by a young generation of artists and by a new international
exchange of ideas, stimulated by the presence in Italy of European and American
artists such as Jean Fautrier, Antoni Tpies, Franz Kline, Conrad Marca-Relli, Robert
Rauschenberg, Salvatore Scarpitta, and Cy Twombly. Nuvolo participated in the cultural
ferment of this time, engaging with Ettore Colla and the experimental
Gruppo Origine ,
and the group of artists and intellectuals involved with the magazine
Arti Visive .


Working within a two-dimensional, rectangular format typically associated with easel
painting, Nuvolo introduced new techniques which relied on tension and textural
variation, using a range of materials that included commonplace textiles as well as
deerskin. Nuvolo also produced an ambitious series of works called " serotipie " using
a silkscreen technique that enabled him to create intricate drawings which could be
repeated ad infinitum. His work was praised by the poet Emilio Villa and promoted
by gallerists such as Plinio De Martiis, Topazia Alliata, and Fiamma Vigo.

This publication accompanies the first major exhibition of Nuvolo's work in the United
States, held at Di Donna Galleries in Fall 2017. The book features an insightful essay
by Germano Celant as well as a thorough chronology of Nuvolo's artistic explorations,
contextualized within the non-figurative trends of his contemporaries as they unfolded
in Italy, Europe, and the United States. Supporting materials include historical
documentation and texts by and about the artist. These materials are supported by a
large selection of color illustrations featuring works by Nuvolo produced between 1952
and 1965, some of which are published here for the first time.