Metallic Paint on Cardboard, Resin and Metal
28.3 x 9.5 in
72 x 24 cm
US $ 7,700
In Bucranium II [ox skull in Latin], Canevari draws from an ancient and enduring symbol: the representation of a bull’s skull, often associated with power, sacrifice, and ritual in ancient cultures. Using metal, cardboard, resin, and metallic paint, the artist gives the traditional bucranium a surrealist, contemporary twist. The piece's striking red coloration and bold, wire-like forms create an imposing yet abstracted presence, while the large, circular eyes evoke both menace and curiosity. The open framework suggests fragility, despite the solid material, making the sculpture both skeletal and dynamic, hovering between abstraction and recognizable form.
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In Bucranium II [ox skull in Latin], Canevari draws from an ancient and enduring symbol: the representation of a bull’s skull, often associated with power, sacrifice, and ritual in ancient cultures. Using metal, cardboard, resin, and metallic paint, the artist gives the traditional bucranium a surrealist, contemporary twist. The piece's striking red coloration and bold, wire-like forms create an imposing yet abstracted presence, while the large, circular eyes evoke both menace and curiosity. The open framework suggests fragility, despite the solid material, making the sculpture both skeletal and dynamic, hovering between abstraction and recognizable form.
This piece invites comparisons with artists like Picasso, who also explored animal symbolism through abstraction, particularly in his depictions of bulls and bullfighting. Yet, unlike Picasso's more fluid interpretations, Canevari's bucraniums feels more structured and industrial, bringing to mind the works of Louise Bourgeois, who explored psychological and bodily symbolism through distorted forms. The duality of fragility and strength in Bucranium II reflects Canevari’s ability to imbue rigid, industrial materials with a sense of movement and life, while also referencing ancient mythological and ritualistic iconography. The piece stands as a link between past and present, tradition and modernity, much like the bucranium symbol itself, which has traversed centuries of artistic expression.