About the Artist
Roberto Crippa
Roberto Crippa (1921 - 1972) was an Italian painter and sculptor born in Milan. He studied at the Brera Art Academy in Milan where he was the fellow student of Aldo Carpi, d’Achille Funi and Carlo Carra. At the beginning of his career, like lots of young painters of his generation, Roberto Crippa was influenced by neo-cubism and was thus generalized. His first solo exhibition was at the Bergamini Gallery in Milan in 1947.
He was one of the first artists in Italy to practice gestural painting, which he produced between 1948-1952 his sharply-colored spiral webs. In 1948, Crippa becomes one of the founding members of the Spacialist group, a group founded around Lucio Fontana, whose objective was to search for a new spatial representation, by technical means that was resolutely modern. From 1948 he participated regularly in group exhibitions and notably the Biennale of Venice.
Later he will devote himself to what the artist calls ‘Collages’, cut out forms that animate static surfaces. Roberto Crippa plays with the effects of matter on rough thick, surfaces, like wood or bark; the effects of plant elements or smooth or shiny metal, or transparent elements. His research naturally leads him towards sculpture and from 1956 he constructs numerous cut-out, welded metal works, of insects and monsters that are in line with the work of Chadwick. The artist is interested in movement in space; is he not he experienced airplane pilot who will represent Italy in the world aeronautic championship in 1971.
Paralleling his painting and sculpture, Roberto Crippa also experiment with graphic work (engravings, lithographs, illustrated books). In the middle of the 60’s, he moves towards monochrome reliefs, most often painted in tones of gray.
The artist died in a plan crash in 1972 in Bresso. He was 50 years old.
