Open, curious, and always in motion—this is how one could describe Schifano’s artistic work. He himself says: “Every two years, I feel the need to revolutionize my work in order to invent something new. In fact, I haven’t destroyed anything; my works are always a further development of the previous ones.”
The early untitled drawing from 1963 depicts a section of the “Autostrada del Sole” (A1), Italy’s then new north-south connection, built in the 1960s. The image testifies to Schifano’s interest in his own present and its visual signs. A road with its characteristic white lane markings runs horizontally across an abstract landscape, filling the entire format in a simple and concise manner. This motif can also be interpreted as a metaphor for Schifano’s search for new paths.
Twenty years later, in La vita è dura fra gli aborigeni (1984), the idea of being on the move remains central. Here, the artist depicts two paths. On the right, architectural landmarks of Rome—including Piazza del Popolo, the place where his career began—are lined up along a vertical axis. To the left, a paved path extends into the depths of a dark forest. Past and future, memory and departure stand side by side.
In Trasloco (1995), the motif of movement is intensified. Houses and chairs whirl around in a state of confusion. The title, which means “moving house,” can also be understood figuratively: Schifano is fascinated by the idea that his paintings circulate and find new homes in people’s apartments, offices, and everyday lives. In the year the painting is created, he signs a contract with an Italian teleshopping channel, through which he now sells most of his works. In doing so, he makes his art accessible to a wider audience. Although this step is viewed critically by the art world and the accompanying inflationary production reduces his market value, Schifano once again uses new distribution channels to sell his works just a few years before his death.
