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• 1 2023-11-27T00:01:30+00:00 The Disorienting Nature of Nuclear Power in Gianni Dova's Explosion 57 image_header 2023-12-23T21:27:57+00:00

  By Ella Allan-Rahill

   

  Who is Gianni Dova?

  
  Gianni Dova was an Italian artist born in Rome in 1925. His works developed over time from the style of surrealism to more of an abstractionist or avant-garde style, especially around the 1950s. He was first seen as a member of the "Art Autre" movement, focusing on abstractionism, in the 40s and 50s. Then, in the 1950s, Dova joined Enrico Baj, Sergio Dangelo, and Gianni Bertini in founding the artist group responsible for creating the arte nucleare movement. This group of four published two manifestos and their work was born as a response to the nuclear age. Much of Dova’s status was attributed to these works he contributed to the nuclear art movement. Dova created over 1,000 works before he died in 1991, at the age of 66.

  Explosion

  
  One of Dova's works, Explosion, was a part of the nuclear art movement and is featured in a collection called “Arte Nucleare” by Tate. Dova created this piece in 1953 by using a number of colors of enamel, which he poured on a canvas. The work features a large multi-colored circle in the center of the canvas; the right quarter of the background is a two-toned blue rectangle, while the left three-quarters of the background is black. The circle in the center of the canvas is somewhat evocative of a globe. Its core is primarily green, while the colors scattered amidst and around it include red, white, yellow, purple, blue, and black. There is an almost uninterrupted rim of white around the circle, one of the more controlled-seeming parts of the work considering the relatively scattered look of everything else. Given when this painting was created, and the collection it is a part of, much analysis ought to be done considering this piece to be some commentary on the nuclear age. Because of the abstract style of the piece, it is difficult to draw clear conclusions where it might be easier to with more straightforward modes of representation such as photographs. When analyzing this work, the key things to note are the combination of bright poppy colors in the center circle, the shapes of these many colors, and the background sections.  

  See the work in full here!

  This chaotic combination of colors in the image might lead the viewer to imagine the earth exploding, especially given the circle in the center, similar to the shape of the globe, combined with the title of the piece. One might also view this on a smaller scale, as a single nuclear explosion that has obscured whatever was initially there and turned it into a mixed cloud of all of its separate parts. Either of these interpretations offers a good explanation for the many colors shown here, especially when we think of each color as an object influenced by a nuclear explosion. On either scale, the few red splatters around the circle might be evocative of blood. Combined with the white handprint-like features at the bottom of the painting, these two elements add a human aspect to a painting that otherwise would likely not make the viewer think of humans. While the combination of bright colors gives the painting a playful look, the red splotches and the handprints add to a more sinister feel. 

  Next, the viewer might wonder about the reason why the background is divided into two sections: the right quarter a two-toned light blue, and the left three-quarters black speckled with white. If we imagine that this painting depicts the direct aftermath of a nuclear bombing, the background colors could be explained as the ocean and the night sky, or perhaps the sky and the ground. The ocean argument makes particular sense if we relate this painting to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both oceanside cities, the bombings of which took place just eight years before the creation of this piece. However, with either of these explanations, we’re forced to consider why Dova would have oriented the piece this way with the “ocean” on one side and the “sky” on the other versus on the top and bottom. My best interpretation of this would be that in the aftermath of a nuclear event, everything is turned around, jumbled up, and disoriented. The impact of these events is so great that up and down don’t matter as much anymore; many common things become less significant.

  
  While the abstract form of this painting may be confusing to some viewers, when the key aspects of the work are examined: its colors, their shapes, and their orientations, it becomes a piece that captures the insanity of the nuclear age. The multitude of colors are evocative of the many living things on earth, all thrown together and mixed up after a nuclear explosion. Some of the shapes of these colors, such as the white rim or the red spots are reminiscent of other images, such as a cloud of dust, or splotches of blood. Finally, the circular center image may make the viewer think of it as the Earth, while the orientation of the background leads to confusion, a feeling that is likely to be a response to the experiences of nuclear explosions. This painting appeals to those with an eye for abstractionism while also commenting on the absurdity of nuclear power.
   

  
   

  Bibliography

  ‌“Gianni Dova.” MuranoNet, www.muranonet.com/en-us/blogs/unfold-venice/gianni-dova. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

  ‌Gianni. “Gianni Dova.” Mutualart.com, Gianni Dova | 1,348 Artworks at Auction | MutualArt, 2023, https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Gianni-Dova/675EC28C2EECCD60#:~:text=%20Gianni%20Dova%20%.

  “Gianni Dova, Notes of Biography, Gallery Champetier.” www.mchampetier.com, www.mchampetier.com/biography-Gianni-Dova.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

  Tate. “Art Autre – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/art-autre.

  ‌Tate. “Arte Nucleare – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/arte-nucleare.

  Tate. “Gianni Dova 1925–1991.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/gianni-dova-1026. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.

  Tate. “Tachisme – Art Term.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/t/tachisme. Accessed 27 Nov. 2023.