Artist: Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan

Maurizio Cattelan is a self-taught, Italian artist who began his art career making wooden furniture in the eighties. Since making it big in the art world in the ninties, Cattelan has earned a reputation as a clown, juggling shamelessly with the traditions of art, literature and popular culture. Cattelan pokes fun at various systems of order through his work– from social niceties to the art world itself – and often uses themes and motifs from art of the past and other cultural sectors in order to get his ideas across.

One of his best known works is La Nona Ora which consists of a wax sculpture of Pope John Paul II being crushed by a meteor. This piece is a good example of his typically frivolous approach. He has since been known for his provocative work.

La Nona Ora, 1999
Red carpet, glass, wax, painted lifesize figure

Another piece that caught much attention in 2000, was his Not Afraid of Love where he captures the grandiose size of an elephant and hides its under a sheet, rendering it vulnerable ... or he could be going out trick or treating on Halloween - the interpretation is up to you. Unlike other Cattelan pieces, this is not a real elephant - he had a phase of experimenting with taxidermy where he would use dead stuffed animals in his work. The elephant in said piece is made of wax and paint, I assure you.

Not Afraid of Love, 2000
Polyester, styrene, resin, paint and fabric

My absolute favorite Cattelan piece is his 2001 installation Untitled, which depicts himself crawling out of the floor, admiring works of the old masters. I like how he is shown as a viewer of the pieces, paying respect to the artists before him... or he could just be getting ready to steal the art works in a great heist - contemporary art allows for such interpretations, thankfully.

“Untitled,”
Painted wax, hair and fabric figure.

I admire his work as it goes beyond the canvas and as an installation, has a much more profound affect on the viewer. He uses the world as his inspiration for obscure work. Where they come from exactly will remain a mystery to me, but his ability to constantly amuse the art world and individual viewers is something that no one else seems to do on a regular basis, or at least as well as Cattelan.