Italian Artist Marisa Merz's 1st US Retrospective: "The Sky is a Great Space"

Marisa Merz (b Italy 1926) is associated with the arte povera movement throughout major Italian cities (late 1960's-early 1970's) which was mainly an all male collective.  The thrust of arte povera was to be provocative & questioning of the established political, cultural & social norms of this epoch.  The major industrial expansion of the time with governmental support was represented in unconventional works made from construction materials: aluminum, copper, clay, wire, paraffin, & the detritus found in the home as a means to call attention to rapid construction.  It was also a means for experimentation with new mediums & radical forms.  Merz iconic works are her oversized sculptures mostly made of aluminum.  She also produced a preponderance of madonna & mother/child imagery and smaller unbaked clay sculptures.  When you first enter the exhibit you are struck by the humongous aluminum sculptures resembling a futuristic spacecrafts & the other a type of underwater aquatic life.  The floral painting on the sculpture with long, cylindrical forms has a rather soft, ambling aesthetic.  The large horizontal & erratically shaped sculpture next to it has a more ominous feeling, especially if you stand directly underneath.  Note: there is a whimsical constructed aluminum chair situated just beneath.  It appears to beckon you to sit & expect to be beamed aboard.  (But, please, don't touch or sit on this chair or any of her other sculptures.)  This admonishment may seem obvious, however, her unbaked clay abstract figures are hard to resist.  In the last gallery, there are a number of small figureheads that seem to implore you to release them from their confinement in a paraffin lake.  This gallery also contains one of her largest scale paintings which features a Madonna imagery.  In front of this colorful and joyous painting are 2 long beams calling to mind the crucifixion.  On top of one beam sits a colorful blue orb that is mystifying & fanciful.  Also note the sculptures made from copper wire.  I was drawn to the wall sculpture with 4 by 4 rows of same sized woven copper wire shapes.  The overall effect is shimmery & magical.  Merz used her home as her studio and the placement of her works are limited & site specific.  Beatrica "Bea' her daughter born 1960 marks a turning point ot maternal & delightful wonder in her prolific body of work that would entice a young child.  This expansive exhibit displays her many paintings, sculptures, drawings that showcase an imaginative & unique artist whose creations are overflowing with splendor.