Piero Manzoni
Italian artist who questioned the art object through ironic, conceptual works.
Manzoni is most famous for a series of artworks that call into question the nature of the art object, directly prefiguring Conceptual Art. His work eschews normal artist's materials, instead using everything from rabbit fur to human excrement in order to 'tap mythological sources and to realize authentic and universal values'.
- born
- July 13, 1933, Soncino, province of Cremona, Italy
- field
- Visual art
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- Achromes, Artist's Shit, Artist's Breath, ironic critique of the art object and consumerism
Lore & Background
His full name was Count Piero Manzoni di Chiosca e Poggiolo. By the end of the year he had ceased producing work influenced by Art Informel and began creating Achromes—works that invariably looked white but were actually colourless. He experimented with pigments and materials such as gesso, kaolin, cotton wool, fiberglass, rabbit skin, and bread rolls. Each 30-gram can was priced by weight based on the current value of gold. The contents remain a much-disputed enigma, with speculation including that it is plaster.
Reader's Guide
Piero Manzoni's significance lies in his ironic and critical approach to the art object, directly prefiguring Conceptual Art. His work is widely seen as a critique of the mass production and consumerism that was changing Italian society (the Italian economic miracle) after World War II. By using unconventional materials such as rabbit fur, human excrement, and balloons, he challenged traditional notions of artistic value and permanence. The 'Artist's Shit' cans, in particular, parody the art market and consumerism, with their contents remaining disputed. His works continue to provoke discussion about authenticity, value, and the boundaries of art.
Did You Know?
- Manzoni's full name was Count Piero Manzoni di Chiosca e Poggiolo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Manzoni's Achromes?
The Achromes are a series of canvases coated in flat, uniform white that strip away color, gesture, and individual expression. They reduce the painting to a pure surface, anticipating later minimal and conceptual approaches to the picture plane.
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