Fame di realtà come fame di pittura

The essay investigates the key moment of transition towards figurative painting in Mario Schifano's career, from the end of 1962 until 1968. By parsing major series in his production at the time, like the landscapes or series like "Compagni Compagni" and the homages to Futurism, the essay expands on the main exhibitions that the artist had at the time and the way critics dealt with his painting. The multifaceted interpretation of his art revolved around two major poles: the essence of painting, as attested by the choice and layers of color and the composition strategies, and the striking evidence of mediatized source of the image incorporated into the picture plane by the artist. Major attention is paid to Schifano's trip to New York, which ran for almost six months between 1963 and 1964 and exposed him to important encounters with major figures in the cultural system of the city.