Mauriza Cattelan

Maurizia Cattelan’s work represents symbols that offer complex and intertwined meanings. It refuses to take a precise moral or ideological position which forces to viewer to come to their own conclusions. A lot of his pieces use irony and humor in a very “stick it to the man” way. He’s known simultaneously as both as a prankster and a great artistic poet of our time. His subjects range widely from pop culture to organized religion and often reveal contradictions at the core of today’s society; particularly a critique of authority and the abuse of power.

L.O.V.E., 2010 Carrara marble, figure: 470 x 220 x 72 cm; base: 630 x 470 x 470 cm

An excellent example of “sticking it to the man” is Cattelan’s work L.O.V.E. which is sculpted out of Carrara marble like that of Michaelangelo’s David. This sculpture is a gigantic hand with middle finger raised high and mighty over the surrounding land. It is controversial as some people find it obscene and others hilarious. No matter how you look at it, the message is always clear, “Fuck you”. I think the ambiguity he aims for in his work is important in this piece because it allows the viewer to tailor that middle finger to whatever they’re frustrated at; making the piece very personal, but also in a way encouraging and uplifting to think that you can always” stick it to the man” too.  

Frank and Jamie, 2002, life size

Novecento, 1997, Taxidermied horse