Troupe Muscolini 1915

Francesco Cangiullo made ‘Troupe Muscolini’ as a drawing in pen and ink on paper, and when I look at it I think of the body as a construction site. The artist seems to have been playing with basic shapes, balancing, and stacking them to create an abstract figure. Cangiullo is part of a conversation that's been going on for a long time about what a body is, or what a person is. It feels like an alphabet. The marks are economical, yet playful and inventive. I can imagine him feeling his way through the composition, trying out different combinations and rhythms. The texture of the paper peeks through, reminding us of the delicate balance between intention and accident. The artist invites us to explore the dynamic relationship between form and feeling, echoing the work of other futurist painters who sought to capture the energy of modernity. Ultimately, it’s about the process of making and thinking. Like all artists, Cangiullo builds on those who came before, while also pushing the boundaries of what painting can be.