Carla Accardi

Estate of the artist

Dorotheum Vienna, 17 May 2018, lot 308

Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

Germano Celant, Carla Accardi, Milano 1999, no. 1972 23, p. 339, illustrated

•  A quintessential example of the artist's use of transparent sicofoil.
• Executed in 1972, marking a key period of experimentation in Italian post-war abstraction.
• Features the signature 'sign' motif, demonstrating the rhythmic structure inherent to her work.

This compelling work, Segni neri, engages the viewer through its unique material. Executed in 1972, the painting employs an application of black lacquer on sicofoil, a transparent plastic material. The composition is defined by a rhythmic scattering of the artist's characteristic linear marks, or "signs," which create a vibrating optical field. Because the plastic support is translucent, the work responds dynamically to light and the wall upon which it is hung, allowing the viewer's surrounding environment to integrate visually with the abstract pattern itself.

This work from 1972 is an example of the artist’s most innovative and defining period. Having been a co-founder of the Italian abstract art movement Forma 1 in 1947, Accardi pushed the boundaries of painting, transitioning from early abstraction to the highly influential Formalism movement. The introduction of sicofoil in the mid-1960s was a radical material choice that became central to her practice.

Accardi's work has been showcased in numerous retrospectives and is held in major museum exhibitions globally. Recent displays of her lasting influence include a exhibition at the Palazzo Esposizioni Roma in 2024 and her frequent inclusion in collections and exhibitions, such as the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and group shows at institutions like the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Centre Pompidou, reinforcing her international acclaim.