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Artist Massimo Agostinelli solo show window display for Palindromes Series at Hus Gallery in London.

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American-Italian artist Massimo Agostinelli has made his UK debut with a sell-out solo exhibition at Hus Gallery in London's Mayfair.

Debut UK exhibition by Massimo Agostinelli at Hus Gallery, London, sells out on opening night

American-Italian artist Massimo Agostinelli has made his UK debut with a sell-out solo exhibition at Hus Gallery in London's Mayfair.

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The show, which opened on 15th May, presents a selection of twelve works from Agostinelli's Palindromes series (2014), a sequence of coloured mirrored 'canvas' sheets imprinted in relief with iconic artistic and historical imagery. Dotted around the gallery, Agostinelli has assembled some of the most iconic images from across art history and popular culture to create a group of works that display a tongue-in-cheek wit and humour.

Appropriating stock images from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus to Peter Paul Rubens' Adam and Eve, each cultural snapshot is cropped, coloured and overlaid with a unique palindromic phrase that plays upon its individual subject. The whole becomes a game of unstable relationships: between image and text, layers of physical material (acrylic and mirror), and the slippery meaning of each text itself.

Speaking about Palindromes, Agostinelli said, 'I think about my art every second of the day, which I suppose is pretty standard if you're in love with something. This particular body of work has allowed me to develop the art into something truly different and unique. When you first encounter the work, you quickly realize that there's nothing more honest than a mirrored reflection of yourself.

Although there are elements of humour and deep-rooted wit to the works, it isn't immediately evident. The images that I work with are not simply well known, they're revered and epic icons, which, when coupled with the text, unlock a layer of latent meaning for each subject.'

He went on to say, 'Palindromes is about connections, both historic and timeless, giving us a sense of continuity and progression. In order to find the right balance, the viewer has to move in front of the mirrored reflection to learn and understand its multifaceted nature.

True art is found within a reflection of oneself, and what people see is a very personal quest evoking their imagination.'

The show sold out on the opening night and a somewhat jovial yet heated bidding war ensued between two buyers, a member of the Reuben family and one of the Barclay heirs over edition one of eight (1/8) for, NOW I WON, a 1969 depiction of the first astronaut on the moon.

The exclusive private view party was attended by a close circle of family and friends, the guest list included Princess Beatrice, model Alice Dellal, Made in Chelsea's Victoria Baker-Harber, fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, Hanneli Rupert, Alexander Soros and Joseph Nahmad, among others.

Palindromes continues at Hus Gallery until 31st May.

All photos by Getty Images, photographer Tim P Whitby

[massimoagostinelli-blog]

Artist Massimo Agostinelli exhibits 2014 Palindromes Series at Hus Gallery in London.

massimoagostinelli

MASSIMO AGOSTINELLI

SOLO SHOW AT HUS GALLERY LONDON

PALINDROMES SERIES

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Palindrome

noun plural noun: palindromes

‘A word, phrase or sequence that reads the same backwards as forwards.’

Hus Gallery is delighted to announce the first solo exhibition by American-Italian artist, Massimo Agostinelli (b.1987). The show features a selection of works from his titular Palindrome series, a sequence of coloured mirrored “canvas” sheets imprinted in relief with iconic artistic and historical imagery. Agostinelli’s appropriation sweeps across the Western timeline, capturing allegories from Greek mythology and Renaissance painting, 20th Century politics, through to modern day popular culture.

Each cultural snaphot, perceptively selected, cropped and coloured for its visual impact and wit, is branded with a unique palindromic phrase playing upon its individual subject. The relation between the boldly proclaimed text and its iconic image is animated by the viewer’s individual response to the text’s expressive voice, and the message created by the juxtaposition. Never quite an idiom, the phrases toe a line between poignant and cryptic, allowing clarity to both rule and slip out of reach; this precise quality between palindrome and image is extended by their mirrored composition to create a harmony across the mediums.

Each artwork, although unique in expression and emotional response, and vastly differing in original source, are brought together by compositional uniformity and historical significance. Displayed in series, the viewer moves between works that speak intensely to isolated and accentuated aspects of human nature, complete with polar contradictions: good, evil, beauty, greed, hope and prejudice hang together in equal measure. In communication and effect, these compelling and richly allegorical artworks reinterpret the iconic themes of our heritage with a contemporary material and voice, referring back to the past whilst proclaiming their truth in the present.

“We know that all extremes eventually meet at a common point just like a palindrome illustrates, but what we don’t always know is how to find that essential balance. In my work I aim to depict connections, which are both historic and timeless, giving us a sense of continuity and progression. The work symbolizes something different to each individual just as a mirrors reflection changes depending on who’s standing in front. I encourage people to physically move around in order to fully engage with the work, everyone is different and everyone has their own point of view. Seeing the art from different angles allows your eyes to find their own place naturally.”

Originally from New York, Massimo Agostinelli is an emerging American Italian contemporary artist, based between London and Zurich. Educated in Switzerland, he obtained his BA from Webster University (Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Art), before pursuing apprenticeships in printmaking at Alastair Lockhard in London, amongst others. His works have been featured in public and private collections in Europe, North America and South Africa.

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www.HusGalleries.com

www.MassimoAgostinelli.com

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