Michelangelo Pistoletto was born in Italy in 1933. He started out making figurative paintings, including many self portraits in the 1950s. He later started using polished steel instead of canvas and painting life size human figures and other objects on that surface (http://collections.walkerart.org/item/event/5). Other than the human figures and very few other objects, the rest of the painting is empty. However because the polished steal is shiny and very mirror-like, it incorporates the surrounding environment into the painting.
The painting above is Three Girls on the Balcony. The painting itself only contains the figures of the three girls and the railing two of the girls are leaning on. The rest of what is seen in the painting is from the room it is in. The doorway on the far left of the painting and the man standing there with the camera are not part of the painting. Even though the copy of the painting above does not have any color to it, I was able to find another copy of this painting that had color in them. The only color present in that copy was on the skirts of the two girls which were black and the girl on the far right was wearing a green top. However, it is very hard to tell if that green color was a reflection of something because there was a green tint to the jacket on the girl on the right and some green color present on all three of their stockings. All three of the girls look relaxed and look as if they are looking down at something.
The first copy of this painting I saw caught my eye because its background was filled and it took me a while to differentiate what was the painting itself and what was the reflection on it. The copy above is one I found with the least amount of reflection on it.
The painting above is Three Girls on the Balcony. The painting itself only contains the figures of the three girls and the railing two of the girls are leaning on. The rest of what is seen in the painting is from the room it is in. The doorway on the far left of the painting and the man standing there with the camera are not part of the painting. Even though the copy of the painting above does not have any color to it, I was able to find another copy of this painting that had color in them. The only color present in that copy was on the skirts of the two girls which were black and the girl on the far right was wearing a green top. However, it is very hard to tell if that green color was a reflection of something because there was a green tint to the jacket on the girl on the right and some green color present on all three of their stockings. All three of the girls look relaxed and look as if they are looking down at something.
The first copy of this painting I saw caught my eye because its background was filled and it took me a while to differentiate what was the painting itself and what was the reflection on it. The copy above is one I found with the least amount of reflection on it.
