KEROUAC BEAT PAINTING Edited by Sandrina Bandera Alessandro Castiglioni Emma Zanella Cover Untitled, n.d. oil on paper, 24 x 32 cm (detail g. 25) Design Marcello Francone Editorial Coordination Vincenza Russo Editing Piera Tenconi and Niahm Blande Layout Evelina Laviano Translations Lauren Sunstein and Darcy Lynn Di Mona for Scriptum, Rome First published in Italy in 2018 by Skira editore S.p.A. Palazzo Casati Stampa via Torino 61 20123 Milano Italy www.skira.net © Il Rivellino LDV; Jack Kerouac Estate Greenwich (CT) © 2018 Skira editore © Ettore Sottsass by SIAE 2018 All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed and bound in Italy. First edition ISBN: 978-88-572-3779-4 Distributed in USA, Canada, Central & South America by ARTBOOK | D.A.P. 75 Broad Street Suite 630, New York, NY 10004, USA. Distributed elsewhere in the world by Thames and Hudson Ltd., 181A High Holborn, London WC1V 7QX, United Kingdom. KEROUAC BEAT PAINTING Gallarate, Museo MA*GA 3 December 2017 – 22 April 2018 Exhibitions, Events and Communication Vittoria Broggini, Fondazione Galleria d’Arte Curator Conservator Moderna e Contemporanea President “Silvio Zanella” Marketing and Private Mayor Luca Missoni Events Andrea Cassani Founding Members Daniela Costantini Board of Directors Città di Gallarate Councillor for Culture Lino Bozzola MiBACT Education Department Isabella Peroni Brunella Cardani Lorena Giuranna, Chief Co-founding Members Enrico Consolandi Culture Section Chief Children and Families Lombardy Region Mario Lainati Manuela Solinas Marika Brocca Province of Varese Luca Missoni Elena Scandroglio Emma Zanella, President Adult Training ex-officio member Sandrina Bandera Francesca Chiara Sandrina Bandera, Director Research and Web Projects ex-officio member Emma Zanella Alessandro Castiglioni Founding Members Management Board Secretariat and Francesco Aspesi Sandrina Bandera, President Administration Franca Bellorini Cristina Boracchi Monica Colombo Lino Bozzola Mauro Croci Cecilia Cagnoni Luoni Library Francesca Raimondi Brunella Cardani Daniela Anselmi Francesco Tedeschi Enrico Consolandi Security and Reception Carla Micaela Donaio Auditor Gilles Ielo Paolo Gasparoli Guido Senaldi Alberto Vernale Piero Giardini Scientific Technical Sofia Mele Nicola Giuliano Committee Monica Ghiraldini Mario Lainati Andrea Cassani, President Michela Morelli Paolo Alberto Lamberti Giovanni Orsini Giuseppe Merlini Installation Emma Zanella Luca Missoni Giacomo Zaniboni Luciano Caramel Rosita Missoni Paolo Lamberti Graphic Design Studio Marcello Morandini Luca Molinari MMG Design, Gallarate Giovanni Orsini Maurizio Pastorelli Collection Curation Press Office Cinzia Puricelli and Management CLP, Relazioni Pubbliche, Alfredo Sardella Giulia Formenti, Milan Massimiliano Serati Senior Conservator Web Site Angelo Zanella Laura Carrù, Registrar LabUCdesign Organization and Treasury Financial Consultant Secretariat Studio Trotti, Busto Arsizio Daniela Costantini Employment Consultant Studio Colombo, Gallarate Surveillance IVNG, Gallarate Housekeeping Olexandra Zaliska Exhibition curated by Scientific Committee Organization Sandrina Bandera Enrico Camporesi Monica Faccini Alessandro Castiglioni Stefania Benini Paola Pastorelli Auser Emma Zanella Franco Buffoni for MA*GA Francesco Tedeschi Honorary Committee Conservation of Works Roberto Maroni, President on Display Catalog Texts of the Lombardy Region Laura Carrù Sandrina Bandera Carla Di Francesco, Giulia Formenti Stefania Benini Secretary General, MiBACT Franco Buffoni Communication and Events Andrea Cassani, Mayor Enrico Camporesi Vittoria Broggini of Gallarate Dario Franceschini Raffaele Cattaneo, Council Educational Activities Virginia Hill President of the Lombardy Marika Brocca Ada Masoero Region Alessandro Castiglioni John Shen-Sampas Gunnar Vincenzi, President Francesca Chiara Arminio Sciolli of the Province of Varese Lorena Giuranna Francesco Tedeschi Isabella Peroni, Gallarate Elena Scandroglio Councillor for Culture Sections and Work Entries Installation Antonio Lampis, Museum Alessandro Castiglioni Claudio Mascero Director General, MiBACT Giacomo Zaniboni Fabio De Chirico, Director General of Contemporary Graphic Design Studio Art and Architecture and MMG Design, Gallarate Urban Outskirts, MiBACT Press Office Marco Edoardo Minoja, CLP, Relazioni Pubbliche, Director Secretary General Milan of Lombardy, MiBACT Stefano L’Occaso, Director Social Media of Museum Hub Lombardy Erika La Rosa Antonella Ranaldi, Graphic Design Installation Superintendent of Art Massa Studio, Gallarate Archeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape, Milan Insurance Luca Rinaldi, Superintendent BIG Broker Insurance Group of Archeology, Fine Arts, – CiaccioArte and Landscape CO, LC, MB, Shipping PV, SO, VA Liguigli Fine Art, Lodi Maurizio Savoja, Superintendent Director Photography of Archives and Libraries Michele Lamassa of Lombardy Auser for MA*GA Social Team The organizers and curators Thanks to Paola Pastorelli Erika La Rosa would like to thank the Marika Armini Sandra Amoedo Marta Bergamin lenders of the works who Raffaella Bentivoglio Ravasio Angela Bellora Sara Biancardi made this exhibition Cristina Boracchi Carolina Bianchi Christian Bianci possible, in particular Santa Brumermane Franca Ermelinda Caso Marco Caccianiga Arminio e Paolo Sciolli Ilaria Bruno Valentino Cerasani Edoardo Carabelli (Il Rivellino), EFG Art Walter Camarda Mirko Ceriotti Myriam De Salvo Collection Svizzera, Daniela Cecchini Elena Galazzi Martina Filaferro The Museum of Fine Arts Massimo e Gabriele Ciaccio Daniela Magni Luca Gadda Huston, RAI Teche, Luca Ciardiello Giuseppe Paccione Gaia Gandolfi Archivio Corriere della Sera Giuseppe Curonici Maria Teresa Saielli Nicol Girardi Fernanda Pivano Luciano Fontana Luisa Simoventi Lorenzo Imperiale Martin Kunz Lorena Soffritti Simona Livrieri Enrico Maria Mancuso Genny Randisi Sarah Lombardo Donatella Manzan Antonella Sanzone Pietro Maurino Francesca Martinoli Elena Semenova Ester Miri Andrea Mascetti Emmanuele Occhipinti Luca Morari Lorenzo Padovan Sergio Pagani Matteo Papatola Simonetta Romagnolo Riccardo Planca Maurizio Savoja Silvia Porro Davide Simone Alessandro Saltafossi Paola Strada Francesca Tramma Special thanks to John Shen-Sampas Founding Members Co-founding Members Officially Recognized Museum Associate Museum Institutional Supporter In collaboration with With support from Main partner Technical Sponsors With the sponsorship of TES OF TA A S M D E E R T I I C N U.S.CONSULATE GENERAL A U C O L N A R S E MILAN UL N ATE GE In our collective imagination, Jack Kerouac is the icon of a restless and rebellious generation, the symbol of the Beat movement. On the Road, which legends hold was written in just three weeks on a roll of telex paper, is a long seller that still casts its spell on young people today, thanks to the yearning for freedom, the value of friendship, the Wanderlust and search for authenticity that it represents. Yet Kerouac is an extraordinarily complex figure, an intellectual who resists all attempts at being pigeonholed or forced to conform, with an eclectic talent that found expression in an array of different mediums. The novelty of this exhibition is its success in putting all this versatility on display. To start with, it gives visitors the chance to admire Kerouac’s drawings and paintings with the benefit of input from many different sources: art historians, poets, philologists and translators, artists, filmmakers and visual arts experts. It’s a priceless opportunity to relive the cultural climate of those times and the dreams and contradictions of the “beat-up and beatific,” as well as discover a lesser-known but equally fascinating side of Kerouac and his personal and artistic journey. This exhibition is further proof, if any is needed, of MA*GA’s commitment to contemporary art, as it turns the spotlight on an artist whose career left an indelible impression on our own more recent past, and whose works dialogue with those of the museum’s superb permanent collection. MA*GA is an exhibition space that is open to culture and cultural exchanges. It is a major player on its own city’s scene with an international calling as well; I won’t hesitate to call it one of Italy’s most important institutions devoted to contemporary art. Dario Franceschini Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism I was enormously curious to explore Jack Kerouac’s career as a painter, and I was duly astonished to learn that this was hardly a minor interest of his, but on a par with and parallel to the preeminent literary career we all know so well. Say “Kerouac”, and you summon up that longing for freedom, that life on the road that characterizes the Beat Generation, the cultural movement that kept its hold on an entire generation of artists from the 1950s to the 1970s. The exhibition at MA*GA is the perfect opportunity to acquaint oneself with the author of On the Road far from his beloved road, inside a museum that is the first in Italy to offer a solo exhibition so rich in artworks and significance. For our museum, the importance of the show is twofold: Kerouac’s mystique is a surefire draw to attract new visitors to the venue, and it also signals the new direction undertaken by MA*GA president Sandrina Bandera, who was handed a mandate to cast