Edoardo VILLA 1915 (Bergamo, Italy) - May 1, 2011... Lot 119

Edoardo VILLA 1915 (Bergamo, Italy) - May 1, 2011 (Johannesburg, South Africa) Standing Figure, Mapogga Man Large sculpture in patinated bronze Signed and dated 1960, with the inscription "2/3 - R.S.A". Height: 212 cm Sold by designation Standing Figure is a sculpture characteristic of Edoardo Villa's work. A similar work is reproduced in Chris de Klerk and Gerard de Kamper, Villa in Bronze, University of Pretoria University of Pretoria, p. 78. Intercultural artist, Edoardo Daniele Villa, is an Italian-born South African sculptor and visual artist. mainly in bronze and steel. He began his career as a sculptor by training at the Andrea Fontini art school in Milan. He has established himself as a leading figure on the South African art scene, as a member of the South African Arts Association and the South African Council of Artists, and through long-standing relationships with leading such as the University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg. He has represented South Africa at the São Paulo Biennale and the Venice Biennale on five occasions, and has presented over 100 solo and group exhibitions worldwide. With the outbreak of World War II, Edoardo Villa enlisted in the army, was posted to North Africa captured by British forces and wounded in Egypt. Between 1941 and 1942, Villa was again sent to Africa for four years as a prisoner of war. During this period of incarceration, artistic workshops offered to the inmates enabled Villa to perfect his talent and familiarize himself with the world of art. his talent and familiarize himself with African art. It was also while in prison that the sculptor studied the work of Auguste Rodin's work. The summary conditions of his imprisonment are reflected in his work, described as "emotional" by Von Maltitz. Furthermore, Esmé Berman notes that "Rodinesque realism characterized the first phase of Edoardo Villa's South African career". of Edoardo Villa's South African career". He was particularly sensitive to the ravages of war and the atrocities he witnessed. Our sculpture, which could represent a warrior, illustrates this bellicose past in the artist's life. Furthermore, the geometrical forms of this figure also recall the traditional posture and weapons of African African soldiers. It was after his release that the sculptor decided to remain in South Africa and develop an intercultural art, between Italy and Africa. Villa was particularly inspired by traditional African art, and he saw in African statuary the invention of stylization or abstraction of the human body. Despite the important influence of African art in his work work, Edoardo Villa has never claimed to have been inspired by this culture. The sculptor confesses to never having collected African art in his life. In his 70-year career, Edoardo Villa's work has undergone remarkable stylistic transformations. Figurative heads, busts and reliefs have given way to stylized abstraction and modernist forms inspired by African artistic and cultural landscape. His largest exhibition, "Villa at 80", was held in Johannesburg in 1995, with almost 300 works on show. Following the success of the exhibition, articles were frequently published on Villa's work, both in South Africa and in Villa's impact on the development of South African art. Today, Edoardo Villa's public sculptures make their mark on Johannesburg's metropolitan landscape. sculptures are better represented in this city than the work of any other artist.