Salvatore Arancio | Untitled (2018)

Salvatore Arancio | Untitled (2018)[[specs start]] Glazed ceramic 30 x 21 x 30 cm [11. 8 x 8. 3 inches] Variable edition of 15 in two colourways (green and purple), accompanied by a signed and numbered certificate. Produced by the artist with Ceramica Gatti, Faenza. [[specs end]] [[work start]] About the work Salvatore Arancios edition for the Whitechapel Gallery resembles an exotic plant and was conceived as a smaller, younger relative of his large scale work created for the

[[specs start]]

Glazed ceramic
30 x 21 x 30 cm [11.8 x 8.3 inches]
Variable edition of 15 in two colourways (green and purple), accompanied by a signed and numbered certificate.

Produced by the artist with Ceramica Gatti, Faenza.

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About the work

Salvatore Arancio’s edition for the Whitechapel Gallery resembles an exotic plant and was conceived as a smaller, younger relative of his large scale work created for the Whitechapel Gallery exhibition Surreal Science: Loudon Collection with Salvatore Arancio (25 August 2018 – 6 January 2019). Produced in two colour-ways in a total edition of 15, the form of each work is loosely inspired by the leaves of a Mandrake, a plant known for its anthropomorphic shape, hallucinogenic quality and popular mythologies.

The ceramic sculptures were created by Arancio whilst working at Ceramica Gatti in Faenza. Using special glazes and lustre each piece is fired three times in order to achieve an iridescence quality. In the exhibition the sculpture is placed above an anatomic bust, symbolising a sort of human’s metamorphosis but at the same time reimagining iconic drawings of Mandrake’s roots.

Through a process of mimesis and decontextualisation of unusual natural shapes, these ceramic sculptures expand Arancio’s interest in biomorphic forms. Arancio manipulates and re-invents memories of encounters with geological specimens, transforming them into grotesque and disturbing forms, suggestive of his reflections on natural phenomena.

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About the artist

Salvatore Arancio (b. 1974 in Catania, Italy) graduated with an MA Fine Arts Photography from the Royal College of Art (UK) and taught at the London College of Communication. At the centre of Arancio’s artistic practice lies the potential of images and how images and their meaning can be re-framed or re-viewed. This manifests itself through the use of a range of media such as ceramics, etching, collage, animation and video.

Each aspect of his practice contains an intertwining and juxtaposition of the roots and representation of images: natural and artificial, mineral and vegetable, two-dimensional and three-dimensional, scientific and mythological. Departing from their literal meaning, he creates new juxtapositions that are both beautifully evocative and deeply disquieting in what has been described as an ‘Atlas of Confusion’. Arancio lives and works in London.

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Selected Exhibitions

Selected exhibitions include Villa Audi Mosaic Museum, Beirut, Lebanon (2018);  Viva Arte Viva, 57th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (2017); Oh Mexico! Kunsthalle Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland (2016);  Fashioned to a Device Behind a Tree, Camden Arts Centre, London, UK (2015);  Une Taxonomie des Sens et des Formes, Centre d’art contemporain La Halle des bouchers, Vienne, France (2015); Project 09: Salvatore Arancio, Contemporary Art Society, London, UK (2015); The First Humans, Pump House Gallery, London, UK (2015).

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Whitechapel Gallery editions are generously donated by the artists. All proceeds from the sale of these works directly support our exhibition and education programmes. As is traditional in editions publishing, prices will rise as an edition starts to sell out. 

The price shown includes VAT, taxes will be calculated at checkout. 

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