Ernest Trova
Ernest Tino Trova, born Feb. 19th 1927. A self-trained St. Louis native, became one of the significant artists of the late twentieth century. Best known for his signature image, the Falling Man, Trova considered his entire output a single "work in progress." A collector of classic American comic character toys, Trova admired their surrealism and used them in some of his pieces. He began as a painter, progressing through three-dimensional constructions to his mature medium, sculpture.
Source: © 1998 St. Louis Walk of Fame
http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/ernest-trova.html
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A major twentieth century silkscreen artist and sculptor, Ernest Trova has been classified as both a leading Surrealist and as a Pop Artist. Born in St. Louis, Trova attended no art school and rigorously rejected any form of academic training. In 1963 Trova created his first original silkscreens for the Pace Gallery, New York. Pace Gallery also launched his first one man show of prints and sculpture that year. Pace Editions published his silkscreen art until 1985.
During the late 1960's and into the 1970's Trova gained a huge international reputation for his representations of the human condition in his series both in silkscreens and sculptures of what he termed, "Falling Man". These complex works depict rising and falling man -- often half humanoid - in emotionally charged spheres and circles. In many ways his numerous representations of this theme became an icon or symbol for the dilemma of man in the modern age.
In 1969 Pace Editions published a large set of ten silkscreens by Ernest Trova under the title of Falling Man Manscapes Portfolio. Each was printed in sole edition of 175 signed and numbered impressions. Falling Man is one of these important works of silkscreen art.
Today the art of Ernest Trova is included in many public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC.
Source: Art of the Print
artoftheprint.com