Art Opposing Conflict: the Works of Umberto Mastroianni

Artist as Socio-Political Critic

Umberto Mastroianni, one of Italy’s leading sculptors, created art with a conscious twist. The artistic turning point was during World War II when the he fought alongside Italy’s Fascist opposition. It was that time that Mastroianni went from figurative paintings that reflected material experimentation to abstract art with a cause. He was not just trying to practice expressing the typical objectives of beauty. He wanted to communicate an ideology, a message of peace and anti-war. He was definitely a critic of the times that responded to the world around him and reflected the philosophy of Italy’s youth.

His talent is genetic, having a master engraver father and sculptor uncle. His initial formal training was under Michele Guerrisi of Torino. During that time he encountered the second wave of Futurist friends, such as Luigi Spazzapan. The combination of family, education and friends definitely gave Mastroianni a good foundation. Thanks to Filippo de Pisis, the artist finally had the chance to exhibit solo in Genoa in 1931. 

World War II: A Turning Point

Mastroianni, Umberto. Il Monumento alla pace. 1987. Piazza XV febbraio, Cassino.

It was World War II that set the psychological and intellectual motivation for artistic transformation. Being a part of the Mussolini army fighting alongside Nazi Germany provoked desertion. Mastroianni went from defending Mussolini in battle, to fighting against Fascism alongside the Italian partisans; standing by the democratic political philosophies of the anti-Nazi Europe. 

War was a major concern to Mastroianni’s art. In fact his pre-war expressions were oriented to classical and Etruscan influence on his modern artistic production. The war transformed his outlook. Heavily influenced by Futurism, by artists such as Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo Balla, Mastroianni became obsessed with the mechanics of change. His desire for peace and need to express the inhumaneness of battles was expressed through machine-like abstractions. His ideas and themes met the needs of the people and his acclaim to fame. Mastroianni’s organic forms were replaced by definite shapes of mechanical fragments.

1. 2. 

1. Umberto Boccioni. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space. 1913. Bronze. Museum of Modern Art (New York City). 

2. Giacomo Balla. The Speed of an Autumobile. 1913. Oil on canvas.

Monumental Art

Umberto Mastroianni, monumento caduti lavoro, archivio APT Frosinone
Mastroianni, Umberto. 1947. Monumento alla Resistenza. Cuneo

Mastroianni’s monumental art combines anti-war ideology, abstract language, and mechanical systems. The extent of his public works shows an appreciation for artistic technique and socio-political position. Monumento ai Caduti (Monument of the Fallen) and Monumento ai Partigiani (Monument to the Partisans) in Turin, Monumento alla Resistenza (Monument to the Resistence) and Monumento ai Partigiani del Canavese (Monument to the Partisans of Canavese) are a few of his pubic work that mark the end of the war and express condolences to those who fought against Fascism. As many monuments of war, they express the dark moments captured in violent history. They mark turning points to those who won, to those who lost, and to those who survived. They are a verbal expression of victory or of defeat. Mastroianni is not one of the few, but one of the many artists who have sculpted in the name of conflict. His technique and approach are unique.

    

1. Mastroianni, Umberto. Monument to the partisan struggle. 1977. Wood and metal. Urbino.
2. Mastroianni, Umberto. Composition. 1975. Bronze.
3. Umberto Mastroianni. Lo stregone. 1966. lead print. Istituto Nazionale per la Grafica. Rome

The American Twist

Mastroianni, Umberto. Battaglia. 1957. Bronze. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna. Rome.

Mastroianni was also one of the first Europeans to be influenced by the emerging American Abstract Expressionism. Jack Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Richard Pousette-Dart were of the many names behind the new artistic movement. Essentially the period was influenced by artists who fled Europe during the war and practiced in America. New York City became a meeting point for European and American artists to create a new form of artistic production of painting and sculpture that also had a trickle down effect into architectural forms of expression.

Battaglia, now in the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna, is one of Mastroianni’s works that is a combination of Boccioni Futurism and Pollock Abstract Expressionism in dynamic sculpture. The piece is actually a depiction of a group of warriors in combat. The piece looks more like painting with abstract brushwork come to life. Battaglia uses industry and technology to express the mechanisms of war with machine forms. The aggressive shapes, forceful nature, and explosive energy define the artist's nature to oppose oppression, aggression, and destruction.

    

1. Pollock, Jackson. No.5. 1948. Oil on fiberglass.244 × 122 cm. (96 × 48 in.), private collection.

2. de Kooning, Willem. Woman V,1952 1953. New York. Private Collection. 

3. Pousette-Dart, Richard. Symphony No. 1, The Transcendental. 1941-42. Oil on canvas.

 

Look into Other Monuments of War

The Merchant Seafarers War Memorial, by Brian Fell, is a sculpture dedicated to the Merchant Seamen of Cardiff Bay and Butetown. The uniqueness of this work is its scale and use of materials. The structure is actually a combination of the front part of a ship and a the form of a face. Hidden within the artwork are inscriptionsnad portraits of local seafarers who fought in war by Louise Shenstone and Adrian Butler.

The Arc de Triomphe, designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806 and dedicated to those who fought in the Napolian Wars and in the name of France. The concept derives from ancient Rome's Arch of Constantine in Fuori Imperiali. The arch of Paris is a symbol of the city, an internationally recognized landmark, in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the Place de l`Etoile. The names of the Generals and the wars they fought in are on the underside of the arch, as a reminder of the greatness of France though victories of battles fought in history. Beneath the structure lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In 1919, after the victory parade that celebrated the end of WWI, Charles Godfroy flew a biplane through the Arc de Triomphe.

The rectangular column with the clothing of female figures of war is an unusual monument called The Women of World War II. The uniqueness is it's shape and use of symbols without actual figures. It reminds the public that women participated and fought during the war. Most people associate WWI with men, and not women. The sculpture is by John W. Mills in Whitehall London, near Cenotaph. The artist used the various uniform clothing forms of the various jobs women held in the English army to symbolically associate the female with a grand scale role in battle.

Bibliography:

i ‘Dark Moments: 12 Monuments Dedicated to Death & Destruction’ in Urbanist (online).
http://weburbanist.com/2008/05/08/12-monuments-dedicated-to-wars-and-their-aftermath/ [last sited: 24:14, 8 Jan. 2014]
ii. Lucie-Smith, Edward. ‘Umberto Mastroianni’ in Praemium Imperiale:The Japanese Art Association (online). http://www.praemiumimperiale.org/en/laureate/music/item/133-mastro [last sited: 23:14, 8 Jan. 2014]
iii. Marshall, Lee. ‘Obituary: Umberto Mastroianni’ in The Independent (online). Monday 09 March 1998
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/obituary-umberto-mastroianni-1149291.html [last sited: 23:14, 8 Jan. 2014]
iv. ‘Umberto Mastroianni Scultore Europeo (Umberto Mastroianni European Sculptor)’ in Fondazione Roma Museo (online). Exhibition 15 Nov.2005 – 26 Feb. 2006. Curated by De Santi, Floriano. http://www.fondazioneromamuseo.it/en/exhibition/past/Umberto%20Mastroianni.html[last sited: 23:14, 8 Jan. 2014]