Piero Manzoni: Artist

Piero Manzoni was Italian artist. Explore interesting quotes on artist.

Piero Manzoni: 32 quotes0 likes

“The foundations of the universal value of art are given to us now by psychology. This is the common base that enables us to sink its roots to the origins before man and to discover the primary myths of humanity. The artist must confront these myths and reduce them, by means of amorphous and confused materials, to clear images. Since these are atavistic forces that have their origins in the subconscious, the work of art takes on a magical significance.”

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 16-17

“You [Dutch Zero-artist, Henk Peeters] take the North of Europe, I'll take the South. Switzerland will be our neutral zone where we shall have our common exhibition. (Manzoni's reaction when Henk Peeters accused him of plagiary]”

Source: De Tweede Helft', Ad de Visser, 1998, p. 161

“To arrive at such a discovery, fruit of a log and precious education, involves a whole field of precise technique. The artist must immerse himself in his own anxiety, dredging up everything that is alien, imposed or personal in the derogatory sense, in order to arrive at the authentic zone of values.”

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 18-19

“The work of art has its origin in an unconscious impulse that springs from collective substrata of universal values common to all men, from which all men draw their gestures, and from which the artist derives the 'archaic' of organic existence. Every man of his own accord extracts the human element from this base, without realizing it, and in an elementary and immediate way.”

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 16-17

“The key point today is to establish the universal validity of individual mythology... The artistic moment is therefore that in which the discovery of pre-conscious universal myths comes about, and in the reduction of these into the form of images. It is clear that if the artist is to be able to bring to light zones of myth that are authentic and virginal he must have both an extreme degree of self-awareness and the gifts of iron precision and logic.”

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 16-17

“Why not to set free these forms? Why not trying to uncover the infinite meaning of absolute space, the meaning of pure and absolute light? [Manzoni is referriung to the colourless, but still matter-made art paintings, made by Zero artists, around 1950-60]”

Source: De Tweede Helft', Ad de Visser, 1998, p. 159

“When I blow up a balloon, I am breathing my soul into an object that becomes eternal. [Manzoni's quote of 1960, referring to his art-work 'Artist's Breath']”

Source: 'Piero Manzoni', exhibition catalogue, Serpentine Gallery, London 1998, p.144

“Where the artist is concerned it is a question of the conscious immersion in himself, through which, once he has got beyond the individual and contingent level, he can probe deep down to reach the living germs of total humanity. Everything that is humanly communicable is derived from this, and it is through the discovery of the psychic substrata that all men have in common that the relationship of author-work-spectator is made possible. In this way the work of art has the totemic value of living myth, without symbolic or descriptive dispersion: it is a primary and direct expression.”

Source: For the Discovery of a Zone of Images', Piero Manzoni, 1957, pp. 16-17

“I should like all artists to sell their fingerprints, or else stage competitions to see who can draw the longest line or sell their shit in tins..”

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