ROBERTO CRIPPA

Roberto Crippa was born in Monza on 7 May 1921. He undertook artistic studies at the Brera Academy, where he began to paint referring to a figurative style; during his studies he met Aldo Carpi, Achille Funi and Carlo Carrà with whom he approached a neocubist style. He graduated in art in 1947 and in the same year he held his first exhibition in the Bergamini Gallery in Milan. In 1948 he participated in the Milan Triennale and in the Venice Biennale where he exhibited also in 1950. In the same year the artist also presented his works at the collective exhibition "Space Art" at the Casanova Gallery in Trieste. Interesting is one of his creations of these years which consists of skeins of brightly colored spirals (1948-52) which are attributable to one of the first Italian examples of gestural painting. Crippa's adhesion to the Spatialist Movement was consolidated with his signature on the third "Manifesto of Spatialism", which took place following his friendship with Lucio Fontana. Between 1954/56 he dedicated himself to the so-called "Totem" which represent an evolution compared to the initial "Spirals". The use of unusual materials continued in the following years, where Crippa initially created works in iron, bronze and steel that referred to primitive art of a symbolic nature.The works belonging to this phase were exhibited thanks to a traveling exhibition, in different parts of the world, consolidating the already established reputation of the artist. At the age of 51 he lost his life together with his pupil Piero Crespi.