Abstract Composition - Antonio Virduzzo (1926-1982)

Abstract composition signed Antonio Virduzzo and dated 1964. Dimensions on view: 18x31cm. Dimensions of the cardboard: 41x54cm. Antonio (or Antonino) Virduzzo was born in 1926 in New York, to Sicilian immigrant parents. His family returned to live in Sicily, in Comiso, in 1932. For 20 years, he studied at the art school of Comiso (stone sculpture), the artistic high school of Florence, the Accademia Albertina in Turin (painting) and the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome (engraving). His studies were often interrupted by trips abroad, notably to the United States where he emigrated in 1946. From 1946 to 1949, Alexandre Jolas exhibited his work at the Hugo Gallery in New York. In 1950, he supported the creation of the Stable Gallery in New York. In 1951, his work was exhibited at the Bodley Gallery in New York. He became a professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Catania, Sicily. From 1951, he organized artistic exchanges between Italy and the United States. Between 1952 and 1955, he lived in France and experimented with geometric abstraction and the question of the transparency of color. During these three years in France, he created numerous stained-glass windows. Between 1955 and 1962, he produced lithographs whose colors were close to Mondrian's geometric painting. He carried out artistic experiments close to what would soon be called pop art. In 1956, he exhibited in Rome (Galleria L'incontro) and in Tunis (Galleria L'Atelier). The following year, he was invited to exhibit at the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris with the support of the Galerie de France (exhibition "Comparaisons"). In 1958, he participated in the XXIX Venice Biennale. In 1959, he exhibited in Turin, Rome, Paris, and Alexandria. In 1960, he was invited by the National Chalcographic of Rome to exhibit in America, as well as in Japan, China, India, the Netherlands, Germany, and Scandinavia. In 1962, he published a monograph of his engravings and was awarded the Grand Prix International de l'Estampe at the XXI Venice Biennale. He also participated in the Tokyo International Biennale. Between 1961 and 1964, he created a large mixed-media fresco entitled "Hiroshima." From 1962 onward, he created his first bas-reliefs and sculptures. In 1966, he exhibited in Heidelberg in honor of the 200th anniversary of Italian graphic artists. From 1967, he worked on integrating his work into public spaces and created monumental sculptures for schools, universities, and government offices. In 1971, he held a retrospective of his work under the auspices of the President of the Italian Republic. In 1971, "Ellegi," an Italian publication, devoted an entire issue to his work. He died in 1982 at the age of 56.