Franco Balan - Untitled - SMOR001

Landscape has always been a central theme in artistic research, both as a setting, as a backdrop, and as a subject itself. The naturalistic depiction of landscape has been a major aspiration for artists of every era. Each historical period has offered its own interpretation of landscape, contributing to the evolution of its depiction: first with an exploration of space, through Brunelleschi's perspective in the early Renaissance; then with atmospheric rendering in the sixteenth century; and finally with the depiction of every single vibration of light on objects in Impressionism.

This work is a stunning example of the graphic art of Franco Balan, a prominent designer and advertiser. His style stands out for its ability to create simple yet powerfully expressive images. This is evident in this work, which brings together two small views. The two landscapes are rendered in negative, with a black, patchy application that almost casually gives shape and spatial presence to the subjects. The work's expressionism is connected to the artist's gestural expressiveness, which is evident not only in the vibrant rendering of the buildings but also in the abstract strokes he allows to flow across the two panels. The colors are strong and aggressive, in a sophisticated contrast with the prevailing black.

Franco Balan was born in Aosta in 1934 and passed away in 2013. In addition to being a painter, he was also an important graphic designer, focusing primarily on posters and advertising, amassing, over the years, a vast archive of drawings, sketches, and drafts. Over the course of his long career, during which he trained numerous graphic designers and taught in schools of all levels in Aosta and around the world, he won numerous awards, including the 1978 UN Prize for Graphic Design; the design of the logos and signage for the Gran Paradiso National Park; the creation of the Espace Mont-Blanc logo; and the posters for the 2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games.

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