Art in Focus: Piero Gilardi
During the late 20th century, the sunflower took new forms and was given new meanings. Piero Gilardi (1942–2023) saw his international breakthrough in 1967 with his “nature carpets”. Made of soft polyurethane, they presented a wide array of climates and terrains.
Girasoli Caduti (1967) represents a field of yellow sunflowers flattened by a storm. It looks both artificial, plasticky and highly realistic. Nature is portrayed in an idealised original state, with few visible signs of human interference. At the same time, the square section makes the vegetation appear tidy, almost like a consumer item. In line with the 1960s striving to dissolve the boundaries between art and life, Girasoli Caduti was intended to be used as a carpet, while the synthetic material points at Gilardi’s early interest in biotechnology.
The artwork is currently on display in Artipelag’s exhibition, I Follow the Sun, which is on view until January 5 2025.