Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
29 September to 3 December 2017
Gianfranco Baruchello
Diego Kid al servizio di sua maestà [Diego Kid on His Majesty’s service], 1974
Mixed media on aluminium
100 x 100 cm
Private collection, Italy
Although Gianfranco Baruchello (born 1924, Livorno, Italy) has been exhibiting internationally for over fifty years, this will be the first show in the UK to survey his work. A polymath and self-taught artist, Baruchello was in dialogue with experimental writers (for instance Italo Calvino and Gruppo 63) while producing sculptural work and then exhibiting paintings, first in Rome and then New York from the mid-1960s. As well as films, he has since made happenings, published poetry, fiction and essays, engaged in radical politics, launched a para-business and run an experimental farm.
Baruchello developed his pictorial vocabulary through a process of fragmentation and miniaturisation. Applied on canvas, acrylic and aluminium, a multitude of objects, shapes and characters, from history, politics and high and low culture circulate in decentralised, non-hierarchical space, creating a sort of mental cartography. Even if, as the artist’s friend Marcel Duchamp suggested, his works are ‘viewed from close up over the course of an hour’, their narratives remain elusive.
The exhibition presents works made between 1959 and this year, including large early canvases, paintings on layered acrylic sheets and on aluminium, boxed assemblages, and a selection of film and video. These will plot a map through Baruchello’s excessive imaginary, where a form of storytelling, critically engaged and often absurd, is constantly re-invented.
The exhibition is curated by Luca Cerizza. An art historian and curator, living in Turin and Mumbai, Cerizza is responsible for the Castello di Rivoli Research Institute.
Events
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Neogenesis justitiae originalis (acausalité non-retributrice du hazard) [the acausality of chance does not reward] 1, 1963
Mixed media on canvas
190 × 200 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
The Formula. Index, 2013
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
150 × 150 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Gianfranco Baruchello
Neogenesis justitiae originalis (acausalité non-retributrice du hazard) [the acausality of chance does not reward] 1 (detail), 1963
Mixed media on canvas
190 × 200 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
La turbulence de l’intelligence [The turbulence of intelligence], 1965
Mixed media on canvas
98.5 × 98.5 cm
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Non accaduto [Nonoccurrence], 1971
Mixed media on canvas
100 × 100 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Dal dolore in poi [From pain on], 1965
Mixed media on canvas
207 × 189 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Se servir d’un Rembrandt [Helping oneself with a Rembrandt], 1970
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
128 × 128 cm
EFG Art Collection, Switzerland
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Persuasione contro necessità [Persuasion versus necessity], 1965
Mixed media on photoprint paper on canvas
167 × 138 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Interpretación del preambulo [Interpretation of a preamble], 1966
Mixed media on aluminium
41 × 41 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Collidoskopio, 1968
Mixed media on paper on canvas
147 × 147 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Flash forward, 1967
Mixed media on aluminium
103 × 103 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Zwei Frauen, am Steuer des Formel 2 [Two women driving a Formula 2], 1968
Mixed media on aluminium
51 × 51 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
The saxophone colossus, 1969
Mixed media on aluminium
51 × 51 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Limbic contrabassoon, 1967
Mixed media on cardboard
74 × 103 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Il barocettore [The baroreceptor], 1968
Mixed media on cardboard
74 × 103 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Il miele della pittura [The honey of painting], 1981
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
150.5 × 150.5 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Ne spuntano di nuovi con gambi grassi e bianchi [New ones pop up with fat white stems], 1967
Mixed media on aluminium
51 × 51 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Déserteur de la Légion [Deserter from the Legion], 1974
Mixed media, wood, glass
50 × 70 × 16 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Foreground:
On occasions of accidents, 1966
Mixed media on aluminium
101 × 101 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Connect/Disconnect. Reverie, 2015
Indian ink on cardboard and plexiglass, wood
70 × 100 × 20 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Connect/Disconnect. Language, 2015
Indian ink on cardboard and plexiglass, wood
70 × 100 × 20 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Scuoteva il capo, pronto ad accettare gli attentati alla logica [He shook his head, willing to accept the assaults on logic], 1965
Mixed media on wood
24 × 24 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Être in, avec, mentre [To be in, with, while], 1963
Mixed media on paper on canvas
144 × 234 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Gianfranco Baruchello
Être in, avec, mentre [To be in, with, while], 1963
Mixed media on paper on canvas
144 x 234 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Scuoteva il capo, pronto ad accettare gli attentati alla logica [He shook his head, willing to accept the assaults on logic], 1965
Mixed media on wood
24 x 24 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Grande effetto Palomar [The Palomar effect], 1963
Mixed media on canvas
202 x 318 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Partout le silence 2 [Silence everywhere], 1962
Books, enamel
22.5 × 23 × 16 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
A choice of ten, 1967
Mixed media on aluminium
101 × 101 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Agire-da-morto [Act-as-a-dead-man-should], 1967
Mixed media on aluminium
101 × 101 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Gianfranco Baruchello
Sugli oligofrenici morali [On moral retardation], 1969
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
41 × 41 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Ci manca poco al va da via el cu [Not long now to the bugger off], 1969
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
40.5 × 40.5 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
R. R. H. Contrariwise, 1964
Indian ink, enamel on plexiglass, cardboard and aluminium
74 × 103 × 7 cm
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Le grandi sierose passano al contrattacco [The serous membranes begin their counterattack], 1966
Acrylic on plexiglass
37 × 32.5 × 4 cm
Private collection, Bologna
R. R. H. Contrariwise, 1964
Indian ink, enamel on plexiglass, cardboard and aluminium
74 × 103 × 7 cm
Private collection, Rome
Gianfranco Baruchello
Le grandi sierose passano al contrattacco [The serous membranes begin their counterattack], 1966
Acrylic on plexiglass
37 × 32.5 × 4 cm
Private collection, Bologna
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Now, my focus involves very little, 1964
Indian ink, enamel, cardboard, wood
25 × 80 × 2 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Innesto della pressione volgare della finzione sulla pressione volgare della realtà [Grafting the vulgar pressure of fiction onto the vulgar pressure of reality], 1964
Indian ink, enamel on plexiglass, wood and aluminium
62 × 81 × 8 cm
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Impudique Venus [Shameless Venus], 1979
Indian ink, enamel on plexiglass, cardboard and aluminium
40.5 × 40.5 × 6.5 cm
Private collection, Rome
Da 37549 a 37575 [From… to…], 1966
Mixed media on aluminium
48 × 37 cm
Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Gianfranco Baruchello
La lega del cane è ente morale [The dog defence league is a juridical entity], 1965
Mixed media, enamel on wood and aluminium
50.5 × 42.5 cm
Courtesy Galerie Michael Hasenclever, Munich
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Verifica incerta (Disperse Exclamatory Phase) [Uncertain test (Disperse Exclamatory Phase)], 1964–65
In collaboration with Alberto Grifi
16 mm (from 35 mm CinemaScope), 30 min
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Norme per gli olocausti [Guidelines for holocausts], 1968
16 mm, 6 min
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Cappelli [Hats], 1969
16 mm, 9½ min
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Ehi, Mac [Hey, Mac], 1969
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
50 × 50 cm
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
After the withdrawal of the imperial guard at Waterloo, 1968
Mixed media on aluminium
41 × 41 cm
Courtesy Galleria Milano, Milan
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Beaufort, 1970
16 mm, 3½ min
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Costretto a scomparire [Forced to disappear], 1968
16 mm, 14 min
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Si è fatto un nome [He’s made a name for himself], 1977
Indian ink and enamel on cardboard
44 × 60 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Cosa è il cogito vibratile [The nature of the vibratory cogito], 2014
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
50.5 × 50.5 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Gianfranco Baruchello
Vecchio Simurg [Old Simurg], 1976
Indian ink and enamel on aluminium
125.5 × 125.5 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
La bonne soupe [The good soup], 1978
Mixed media, objects, wood, plexiglass
37.5 × 37.5 × 37.5 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Il Kodardo Para-Quore [The Offal Koward], 1966
Mixed media on canvas
50 × 36 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Left to right:
Altopiano dell’incerto [Plateau of uncertainty], 1964
Mixed media on photoprint paper
66 × 50.5 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Dell’illuminazione delle parti infime di corpi insieme ristretti [Of lighting the lower parts of bodies close together], 1964
Indian ink, enamel, collage on plexiglass and cardboard
39 × 31 × 3.5 cm
Courtesy Massimo De Carlo, Milan/London/Hong Kong
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Ladies and gentlemen, good evening, 1964
Books, Indian ink, enamel, wood
31 × 87 × 4.5 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
More news in a moment, 1966
Indian ink, enamel, metal, collage on wood
42 × 36 × 1.8 cm (open)
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Foreground:
Rilievo ideale [Ideal relief], 1965
Papier-mâché, enamel, Indian ink, wood
80.5 × 101 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Gianfranco Baruchello
Rilievo ideale [Ideal relief], 1965
Papier-mâché, enamel, Indian ink, wood
80.5 × 101 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Wishing them all very merry incarnations, 1962
Newspapers, enamel, wood
130 × 24 × 11 cm
Courtesy Fondazione Baruchello, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Gianfranco Baruchello
Primo alfabeto [First alphabet], 1959–62
Mixed media on paper on canvas
167.5 × 187 cm
Private collection, Rome
Photo by Marcus J. Leith
Exhibition view
Gianfranco Baruchello: Incidents of Lesser Account
Photo by Marcus J. Leith