22 September – 3 November 2006
Mon - Fri 11-19, closed Sundays and holidays, Sat by appointment.

Opening during art weekend in Milan
Friday 22 September, 12:00-21:00
23-24 September 12.00-20.00

Galleria Paolo Curti/Annamaria Gambuzzi & Co. is proud to present the exhibition by the American artist Ryan McGinness, opening 22 September at via Pontaccio 19, Milan.

Two-dimensional forms, images like stylized icons, flat colors and abundant use of scribbles and flourishes: by mixing these elements, Ryan McGinness (1972, Virginia Beach, VA, lives and works in New York) obtains effects that attract the gaze like powerful magnets. Once captured, we are drawn into a fantastic world in which we immediately feel at ease, because more or less consciously we sense the presence of points of contact with our everyday reality.
This seductive power comes from McGinness’s experience as a graphic designer and his ability to recover and condense the iconography of modern life with its frenetic rhythms, the great importance of logos, symbols and images in general, and the increasingly decisive role played by the computer. The artist is like a sponge, absorbing stimuli from everything that surrounds him: pop illustration, signage, plants, but especially graffiti, the world of hip-hop and street culture.
McGinness draws on this repertoire in a free, fragmentary way to create a sort of collage open to interpretation by the viewer.
The openness of McGinness to any input from the world in which he lives is also reflected in his continuous experimentation with surfaces: not only canvas, but also T-shirts, cups, soccer balls, skateboards, stickers, etc, taking part in the great American pop tradition. His aim is not to work only for museums or collectors, but also for ordinary people; he wants to communicate the idea that art is not just something for an elite, but possesses that vital energy capable of making us see everyday life and everyday objects with new eyes.
For this exhibition the artist has created a large installation composed of eight large paintings made especially for the occasion, and one large wall painting.
Ryan McGinness has shown his works in many prestigious settings, including PS1/MoMA New York; he has also participated in the traveling group show Beautiful losers, which was also held at the Palazzo dell’Arte (Triennale) of Milan in February-March 2006.
In 1999 his first book, Flatnessisgod, met with great critical acclaim. Since then he has published eight more volumes.
His works are included in many important collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, Saatchi, Norton Family Foundation, Saatchi collection.

The artist will attend the opening.