Dario Lanza

@dariolanza

91 Following

61 Followers

Dario Lanza pfp

Another fun fact: One of the original paintings, sold for $100 in 1962, was been recently sold in 2006 for $11.7 million. This staggering leap in value speaks to its cultural and artistic significance. But, what’s your personal take? Do you find them an interesting artistic statement? Or just a playful attempt to grab attention? And how would you imagine a "still life" image that represents our society today? Can you do better than Warhol? Let me know your thoughts!

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

As a contemporary interpretation of the still life, Warhol’s proposal is both brilliant and profoundly insightful. It reimagines the genre in a way that reflects the cultural and industrial realities of his time. This conceptual depth earned him the respect of the art world and secured his soup cans a place in the MoMA and in Art History books.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Importantly, Warhol didn’t pass judgment on this phenomenon. He didn’t criticize or glorify it; he simply brought it to light. In fact, he himself loved Campbell’s soup (he claimed he ate it every day) and drank Coca-Cola almost exclusively.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Warhol asked himself: What would a still life look like in the 1960s? How could he portray the everyday reality of modern society? What defined the era and set it apart from any other moment in history?

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

His answer: by the 1960s, natural, fresh food —so common in traditional still lifes— had been replaced by processed, pre-packaged food. The art of gastronomy had transformed into an industrial act. And represent them stacked, like they are displayed on a supermarket, makes it even more meaningful.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Each era has adapted the idea of the still life to reflect its own styles, thoughts, and feelings. For example, in 1892, Cézanne’s modern still lifes redefined the genre with his disjointed perspectives, laying the groundwork for Picasso's cubism.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

But what’s the meaning behind painting soup cans? What is Warhol trying to say with this artwork? The key lies in the concept of “still life.” Still life painting is a genre that has been around for centuries. You’ve seen it countless times: depictions of food, tablecloths, vegetables, fruits, utensils...

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

His first truly “artistic” work was the series of 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans, exhibited at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. Each painting depicted a different flavor, priced at $100 per canvas, or $1,000 for the entire collection. Fun fact: no one bought the whole series! 😱 (in the picture: Irving Blum, owner of Ferus Gallery, with Andy Warhol’s 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans in 1962)

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

GM, Gen Art Lovers!☀️ Surely you've heard of Warhol's Campbell's Soup paintings. They may seem like fun, insignificant artworks, but what makes them special enough to hang in the MoMA? What have they contributed to Art History? Spoiler: there’s much concept behind them.

1 reply

0 recast

1 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

In 1962, Warhol had been living in New York for a decade, working as a successful illustrator for fashion magazines. His elegant pen-and-ink illustrations from that era are still celebrated today. But Warhol wanted more: he aspired to enter the realm of Fine Arts.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Giacometti undoubtedly was feeling this same despair regarding what could be represented moving forward, and he conveyed it in his works, which do not aim to beautify but to bear witness. His figures suggest that, although the world is marked by destruction, humanity endures, even in its fragility. His work "The Walking Man" is a clear example. The figure, stripped of detail and robustness, moves with a resilience that seems almost a declaration: we go on, despite everything.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

In 2015, his sculpture "The Pointing Man" sold for an astonishing $141.3 million, making it one of the most expensive sculptures ever auctioned. Giacometti leaves us a legacy that transcends art; it touches on philosophy, history, and human resilience. He shows us that even in the darkest times, art can serve as a mirror for our most essential condition. His work remains relevant because it confronts us with ourselves, our fragility, our persistence, our humanity. Giacometti reminds us that, although the world may be marked by pain, it is also a place of beauty and meaning. Now let me know: What are your thoughts on these figures and their meaning?

0 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Now, machines had been created to cruelly destroy human lives, leaving little to be proud of. As philosopher Theodor Adorno famously said, "After Auschwitz, poetry is no longer possible." This phrase perfectly reflects the impossibility of returning to an art that sought beauty, poetry and tenderness.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Even the fascination that Futurist artists once had with modern society (its machines, speed, and industry) was also long gone.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

It also stood in stark contrast to the confidence of the Renaissance, when humanity was celebrated as the center of the universe, an era palpable in the self-assurance of its sculptures.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

This atmosphere of depression and desolation was a far cry from the optimism and prosperity of, say, classical Athens, where sculptures celebrated the beauty and bravery of their heroes and athletes.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

These figures seem to hover between existence and disappearance. His sculptures are thin, almost spectral, as if the artist were trying to capture the weight of the collective trauma Europe faced after Auschwitz.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Imagine the desolation after WWII and the horrifying revelations about the atrocities committed in the concentration camps. How could humanity behave this way toward others?

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

Alberto Giacometti was born in 1901 into a family of artists and grew up immersed in the art world. However, his sculptural language matured in a bleak historical context: a Europe devastated by World War II and marked by the Holocaust. So, what do these slender figures mean?

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction

Dario Lanza pfp

GM, Gen Art Lovers! ☀️ I’m often asked about Giacometti’s enigmatic sculptures, those skeletal figures that seem unfinished and weird. Here’s a brief 🧵 to help you understand why they intentionally look that way. Spoiler: the reason is deeply conceptual.

1 reply

0 recast

0 reaction