Turi Simeti Italian, 1929-2021

Overview

Born in Alcamo, Sicily, 1929, Turi Simeti moved to Rome in 1958 where he met Alberto Burri who was a significant influence and mentor to the young artist. He became an integral part of the dynamic art scenes in Rome and later in Milan with his debut show being in 1965 at the pivotal touring exhibition ZERO Avantgarde. Held in Lucio Fontana's atelier and organised by Nanda Vigo, it featured many of the Zero Group's most influential members. Simeti became an active member of the post-war Art Informel and ZERO movements alongside his Italian contemporaries Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni, Enrico Castellani and Agostino Bonalumi.

 

Minimalist in conception, Simeti's practice developed from the flat collages of the late 50s and early 60s, to the spatial complexity of his signature three-dimensional extroflexed canvases. Comprised of dynamic patterns of ovals that dance across the monochromatic surface of the canvas they are evocative of notations of a musical composition. The physicality of the work demands a personal viewing experience, to experience the play of light and shadow and the subtle complexities of the coloured surface and the dynamism that exists between these two aesthetic elements of shape and colour.

 

Since 1965, Simeti has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions including at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York and at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. His work is included in prominent collections, including the MAM in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; the Museo d'Arte Moderna di Bolzano, the Galleria Civica, Turin, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome, the Museo del Novecento, Palazzo Reale, Milan in Italy and the Wilhelm-Hack-Museum in Ludwigshafen, in Germany.

Works
  • Turi Simeti, Sei ovali gialli, 2018
    Turi Simeti
    Sei ovali gialli, 2018
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    70 x 70 cm
    27 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Cinque ovali gialli, 2016
    Turi Simeti
    Cinque ovali gialli, 2016
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    60 x 60 cm
    23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches
  • Turi Simeti, 4 ovali marroni, 2004
    Turi Simeti
    4 ovali marroni, 2004
    Acrylic on canvas
    100 x 120 cm
    39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, 7 ovali bianchi, 2002
    Turi Simeti
    7 ovali bianchi, 2002
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    100 x 120 cm
    39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale bianco, 2002
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale bianco, 2002
    Waxed shaped canvas
    100 x 100 cm
    39 3/8 x 39 3/8 inches
  • Turi Simeti, 2 ovali grigi sovrapposti, 1993
    Turi Simeti
    2 ovali grigi sovrapposti, 1993
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    100 x 120 cm
    39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, 6 ovali grigi sovrapposti, 1993
    Turi Simeti
    6 ovali grigi sovrapposti, 1993
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    100 x 120 cm
    39 3/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale nero, 1992
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale nero, 1992
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    120 x 150 cm
    47 1/4 x 59 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un tondo grigio, 1989
    Turi Simeti
    Un tondo grigio, 1989
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    120 x 120 cm
    47 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale bianco, 1988
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale bianco, 1988
    Acrylic on canvas
    60 x 140 cm
    23 5/8 x 55 1/8 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale bianco, 1986
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale bianco, 1986
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    18 x 120 cm
    7 1/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale grigio, 1986
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale grigio, 1986
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    20 x 120 cm
    7 7/8 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale grigio, 1985
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale grigio, 1985
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    16 x 120 cm
    6 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale viola, 1983
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale viola, 1983
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    80 x 90 cm
    31 1/2 x 35 3/8 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Un ovale viola, 1983
    Turi Simeti
    Un ovale viola, 1983
    Acrylic on shaped canvas
    70 x 160 cm
    27 1/2 x 63 inches
  • Turi Simeti, Forme ovali al negativo, 1966
    Turi Simeti
    Forme ovali al negativo, 1966
    Oil on shaped canvas
    70 x 60 cm
    27 1/2 x 23 5/8 inches
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