Untitled (Alpino 1976)
2006
Oil on canvas
335.9 x 326.4 cm (132 1/4 x 128 1/2 in.)
The illusion is perfect: the hyperrealist painting Untitled (Alpino 1976) looks exactly like the archival document on which it is based. The contrasts of black and white photography, smudges of the stamp, traces of wear and tear, staple holes and creases are reproduced with unnerving fidelity on a large canvas.
The painting is based on the artist's military ID photograph, taken when he was 20. It belongs to the large series of realistic portraits Rudolf Stingel began painting from photographs in 2005. They are radically different from the in situ installations that made him famous. A striking autobiographical work, Untitled (Alpino 1976) also reveals the Italian artist’s extraordinary technical skill.
It was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the 2009 exhibition "Mapping the Studio" (Palazzo Grassi, Venice).
The painting is based on the artist's military ID photograph, taken when he was 20. It belongs to the large series of realistic portraits Rudolf Stingel began painting from photographs in 2005. They are radically different from the in situ installations that made him famous. A striking autobiographical work, Untitled (Alpino 1976) also reveals the Italian artist’s extraordinary technical skill.
It was presented for the first time by the Pinault Collection during the 2009 exhibition "Mapping the Studio" (Palazzo Grassi, Venice).
Exhibitions
Photo by Stefan Altenburger, Courtesy the artist
