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Lot Essay
‘An event of value does not limit itself to what it displays, but to what it leaves’
V. AGNETTI
‘My works act as a signal for propagating what I have accumulated, by which I mean my theoretical and critical research. I write about things from which I call forth my paintings, which, in their turn, provide me with ideas for further research and writing…’
V. AGNETTI
Created in 1971, Ritratto di Amante is an exquisite example of the lyrical linguistic style which formed the foundation of Vincenzo Agnetti’s series of Feltri (Felts). These geometric panels centre on a series of succinct, but deeply poetic, statements plucked from the artist’s imagination, their carefully constructed patterns echoing the structure of a poem as they traverse the picture plane. Appearing in a standardized, almost stencil-like, typeface that was printed or engraved onto pieces of monochrome, machine-produced felt, the regularity of their forms seem to stand in opposition to the highly expressive nature of the words themselves. Although recognisably figurative, and comprehensible to those who speak Italian, the brevity of these statements and their looping, self-reflexive nature complicates our understanding of their meaning. Agnetti hoped that in disrupting the regularity of linguistic systems in this way, he could demonstrate the inherent mutability and subjectivity of words, and encourage his viewers to recalibrate their approach to language and art in the process.
In Ritratto di Amante (Portrait of a lover) the statement reads ‘Closes/ In himself/ In the body/ Of another.’ Romantic and profound, it appears to suggest the visceral joining of two bodies, their forms melting into one another as they are united by an intense passion. Grasping the fleeting moment between the transformation of being to being, the title conjures a sensual narrative in the mind’s eye of the viewer, providing a small glimpse into a private moment of all-consuming desire. For Agnetti, the success of an artwork lies in the impression it leaves on the viewer, and the lyrical ambiguity of the words he chose were intended to have an emotional impact, to be processed subjectively by the viewer, imbued with their own personal interpretations, and remembered long after their original encounter with the artwork. Describing this phenomenon, Agnetti explained: ‘An event of value dies not limit itself to what it displays but to what it leaves’ (V. Agnetti, quoted in B. Corà, ‘Agnetti: A New Visual Language, An Unmeasurable Temporality,’ in Vincenzo Agnetti: Territories, ed. B. Yasar, A. Kachel & C. Fiske, exh. cat. London & New York, 2017, p. 113). By merely suggesting a potential narrative to the viewer, Agnetti hoped they would build their own scenario from his words.
The highly tactile nature of the Feltri offer a sensuous contrast to the cold, plastic aesthetic of Agnetti’s series of Assiomi (Axioms). The haptic quality of the material feeds into the sensuous nature of the subject suggested by the title and its statement – the union of two bodies in a passionate embrace, their bodies mingling as they fold in on one another. Agnetti’s use of felt echoes the experimental art of the Arte Povera movement, which celebrated the rawness and tactile qualities of the material, as well as its pliable nature. Although it is considered one of the oldest known forms of textile, by the 1960s the idiosyncratic, organic tufts and tangles which had previously characterised its surface had disappeared, replaced by the smooth, uniform finish and regular dimensions of machine manufacturing. This cheap, everyday material, produced as an industrial insulation, reflected the Arte Povera celebration of so-called ‘poor’ materials, and appeared prominently in artworks by Joseph Beuys and Jannis Kounellis. By incorporating it in this series of works, Agnetti may have been offering a similar commentary on the changing technological landscape of post-war Italy.
By titling the Feltri after the traditional art historical genres of portrait (ritratto) and landscape (paesaggio), Agnetti challenges our understanding of the artwork, upending our expectations by replacing the images we associate with these terms with his enigmatic, text-based aesthetic. Reimagining the picture plane, the Feltri reference Western pictorial tradition, while also resolutely stepping outside of its boundaries. In this way, Ritratto di Amante may be seen to embody the complex concept of ‘forgetting by heart,’ a dialectical statement that recurred throughout Agnetti’s career, by simultaneously referencing and divesting the artist of the overwhelming traditions, rules and expectations placed on him by history.
V. AGNETTI
‘My works act as a signal for propagating what I have accumulated, by which I mean my theoretical and critical research. I write about things from which I call forth my paintings, which, in their turn, provide me with ideas for further research and writing…’
V. AGNETTI
Created in 1971, Ritratto di Amante is an exquisite example of the lyrical linguistic style which formed the foundation of Vincenzo Agnetti’s series of Feltri (Felts). These geometric panels centre on a series of succinct, but deeply poetic, statements plucked from the artist’s imagination, their carefully constructed patterns echoing the structure of a poem as they traverse the picture plane. Appearing in a standardized, almost stencil-like, typeface that was printed or engraved onto pieces of monochrome, machine-produced felt, the regularity of their forms seem to stand in opposition to the highly expressive nature of the words themselves. Although recognisably figurative, and comprehensible to those who speak Italian, the brevity of these statements and their looping, self-reflexive nature complicates our understanding of their meaning. Agnetti hoped that in disrupting the regularity of linguistic systems in this way, he could demonstrate the inherent mutability and subjectivity of words, and encourage his viewers to recalibrate their approach to language and art in the process.
In Ritratto di Amante (Portrait of a lover) the statement reads ‘Closes/ In himself/ In the body/ Of another.’ Romantic and profound, it appears to suggest the visceral joining of two bodies, their forms melting into one another as they are united by an intense passion. Grasping the fleeting moment between the transformation of being to being, the title conjures a sensual narrative in the mind’s eye of the viewer, providing a small glimpse into a private moment of all-consuming desire. For Agnetti, the success of an artwork lies in the impression it leaves on the viewer, and the lyrical ambiguity of the words he chose were intended to have an emotional impact, to be processed subjectively by the viewer, imbued with their own personal interpretations, and remembered long after their original encounter with the artwork. Describing this phenomenon, Agnetti explained: ‘An event of value dies not limit itself to what it displays but to what it leaves’ (V. Agnetti, quoted in B. Corà, ‘Agnetti: A New Visual Language, An Unmeasurable Temporality,’ in Vincenzo Agnetti: Territories, ed. B. Yasar, A. Kachel & C. Fiske, exh. cat. London & New York, 2017, p. 113). By merely suggesting a potential narrative to the viewer, Agnetti hoped they would build their own scenario from his words.
The highly tactile nature of the Feltri offer a sensuous contrast to the cold, plastic aesthetic of Agnetti’s series of Assiomi (Axioms). The haptic quality of the material feeds into the sensuous nature of the subject suggested by the title and its statement – the union of two bodies in a passionate embrace, their bodies mingling as they fold in on one another. Agnetti’s use of felt echoes the experimental art of the Arte Povera movement, which celebrated the rawness and tactile qualities of the material, as well as its pliable nature. Although it is considered one of the oldest known forms of textile, by the 1960s the idiosyncratic, organic tufts and tangles which had previously characterised its surface had disappeared, replaced by the smooth, uniform finish and regular dimensions of machine manufacturing. This cheap, everyday material, produced as an industrial insulation, reflected the Arte Povera celebration of so-called ‘poor’ materials, and appeared prominently in artworks by Joseph Beuys and Jannis Kounellis. By incorporating it in this series of works, Agnetti may have been offering a similar commentary on the changing technological landscape of post-war Italy.
By titling the Feltri after the traditional art historical genres of portrait (ritratto) and landscape (paesaggio), Agnetti challenges our understanding of the artwork, upending our expectations by replacing the images we associate with these terms with his enigmatic, text-based aesthetic. Reimagining the picture plane, the Feltri reference Western pictorial tradition, while also resolutely stepping outside of its boundaries. In this way, Ritratto di Amante may be seen to embody the complex concept of ‘forgetting by heart,’ a dialectical statement that recurred throughout Agnetti’s career, by simultaneously referencing and divesting the artist of the overwhelming traditions, rules and expectations placed on him by history.