Mario Fallani was an Italian artist who, unlike many of his peers in the late 20th century, reversed the traditional trajectory from figuration to abstraction. Born in Florence in 1934, Fallani was only 25 when he executed this abstract composition—a striking work dating to 1959.
The influence of American Abstract Expressionism, particularly Jackson Pollock and Action Painting, is evident here. Like many of his contemporaries experimenting in the post-war era, Fallani embraced an impetuous, avant-garde style whose aesthetic remains highly relevant in the contemporary art world today.
By the 1970s, Fallani’s style shifted toward figuration, resulting in lyrical still lifes and dreamlike landscapes. During this period, the United States became his home following time spent in Germany and Northern Europe. His academic career flourished in America, where he taught at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Beyond the canvas, Fallani’s influence extended to cinema; in 1976, he worked on the scenography for Federico Fellini’s Il Casanova. Fellini was reportedly an avid collector of Fallani’s work. In 2005, a major retrospective of his career was held at the Museo Marini in Florence, and in 2011, a monumental work measuring 4 x 2.5 meters was showcased in the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.
