Uomo di schiena Michelangelo Pistoletto, 1962 Painted tissue paper on polished stainless steel 123 x 65 cm 48.42 x 25.59 in Uomo di schiena will be one of Michelangelo Pistoletto's historical works that Galleria Continua will present at the Frieze Masters Seoul in a dedicated stand (Booth M3) from 2 to 5 September 2022. Uomo di schiena, an important step in Michelangelo Pistoletto's research towards the definition of the mirror painting. ... In the early 60's Pistoletto carried out a series of experiments aimed at attaining as high a degree as possible of the objectivity he had seen in the pictures with a black background. He tried using a variety of materials to make the background more reflective, including aluminum sheets which he applied to the canvas, as in Grey Man from Behind [Uomo grigio di schiena] (1961). Finally he found in stainless steel polished to a mirror finish the material best suited to obtaining this effect. To give the maximum of objectivity to the figure portrayed as well, he decided to make use of photography. At first he tried to apply a cutout of the photographic image directly onto the sheet of steel as in Man from Behind [Uomo di schiena] (1962), a solution that he decided not to pursue because in that way the photograph would have created the impression of an object that had been inserted, in contrast with the immateriality of the reflected image. He also tried using an ordinary mirror as a support for the photograph, but had to reject this solution too because the thickness of the glass that covered the reflective surface of the mirror would have resulted in a mismatch between the plane of the reflected image and that of the photographic image. Eventually he developed the technique which he would use to produce his Mirror Paintings [Quadri specchianti]: a sheet of stainless steel polished to a mirror finish, onto which he applied an image made by tracing a photograph blown up to life size on flimsy paper. #uomodischiena #michelangelopistoletto #pistoletto #frieze #friezeartfair #seoul #galleriacontinua @galleriacontinua @friezeofficial