GUIDO MOLINARI, OC
(October 12, 1933 – February 21, 2004)
A Canadian artist, known for his abstract paintings.
The work of Guido Molinari is eye-popping to say the least. Primary and secondary colours vie for attention in bold, "no holds barred" confrontation. Lines, swirls, splotches and squares rivet your eyes as you try to focus. Some works are so domineering that you are forced to take a step backwards to remove yourself from their power. I imagine that even a small painting from this artist would need a large space to contain it, being the perfect choice for corporate reception areas.
Molinari was born in Montreal of Italian heritage with parents from Cune (Borgo a Mozzano, Tuscany) and Naples, Campania. He began painting at age 13, and his existentialist approach to art was formed during a bout with tuberculosis at age 16, during which he read Nietzsche, Sartre, Piaget, and Camus.
He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Montréal and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. He practised abstraction in New York, inspired by Barnett Newman, and Jackson Pollock, then returned to Montreal where he produced some of the finest pieces of his career. His work is known for its focus on modular and contrasting colours, shapes, and lines.
Works by Molinari along with those of Ulysse Comtois represented Canada at the 1968 Venice Biennale. He won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971, and won the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas in 1980.He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.
The work is exhibited worldwide, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, and the Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art in New York. An avid art collector, his extensive private collection includes the work of Mondrian, Matisse, John Cage, Jasper Johns, and Quebec artists Denis Juneau, John Lyman, and Ozias Leduc.
So what of my own creations echo the powerful colour and thrust of a Molinari?THE RIVER
16" x 6" Wrap Canvas
Available here
ROSE SORBET
6" x 6" Wrap Canvas
Available here
THE BIRTHPLACE OF CIVILIZATION
6" x 6" Wrap Canvas
Currently on sale by Silent Auction here
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All work by Sea Dean protected by International Copyright - No printing, copying, electronic transfer or any form of duplication allowed without written permission from the Artist.