Giancarlo Isola (Italian, b. 1927), oil on canvas, 1967. Signed & dated lower right. A mesmerizing composition that employs both figurative elements and abstraction, delineated in a vibrant color palette, presenting a visage staring out of the picture plane, a group of silhouetted figures below - one holding a lantern, as well as a staircase and sections of wallpaper/curtain walls in a mysterious locale. Created during the heyday of the Civil Rights struggle which was gaining international attention, the black and white silhouetted figures may reference marches for justice and equality taking place in the US. Notice the multicolored section of the large frontal visage surrounded by his otherwise black and white complexion. This may reference the Rainbow Coalition founded during this period. Isola was a successful mid-20th century artist whose honors/exhibitions in Italy and abroad are numerous. See the extended description below for a listing of his achievements. Size: 27" W x 39.5" H (68.6 cm x 100.3 cm); 30.375" W x 42.125" H (77.2 cm x 107 cm) including framing
Giancarlo Isola's honors and exhibitions include: Quadriennale Nazionale D'Arte, Rome 1951, 1955, 1959; Mostra Nazionale di Arti Figurative, Taranto e Bari, 1959,1963,1965.; Arti Figurativo di Roma e Lazio - 1959, 1963, 1965; Premio Modigliani - Livorno 1959; Mostra Nazionale d'Arte - Museo Guinigi - Lucca 1959; Obras de Pintura Italiana Contemporanea - Lima, Peru 1959; Italy Three Directions - San Francisco, California, USA, 1959; Young European Painters - Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1960; Young Italian Painters - Kamakura Museum Tokyo - Japan 1961; Young Italian Painters, Houston, Texas, USA, 1961; Eighteen Artists from Italy, Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, 1965; Italian Artists Today, Galleria Roma, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1965; Biennale Nazionale d'Arte - Premio del Fiorino Firenze 1969.
Provenance: private Palm Desert, California, USA collection; acquired by descent from Maurice (Red) Silverstein who was President of MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios) International and Betty Silverstein, known as Betty Bryant, who was a successful actress in Australia prior to marrying Red. Always very active socially in New York City, the couple knew many famous artists, writers, and actors in the 1950's - 1970's.
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#142340
Condition
A few scuffs/scratches to the upper section of the painting, but these are very minor. One area of waviness to the solid black area of the upper section of the canvas. A few scuffs/nicks to the frame. Otherwise in very good condition. Signed and dated at lower right.