Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian artist known for his satirical sculptures, particularly La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour), depicting the Pope John Paul II struck down by a meteorite.
Cattelan’s personal art practice has led to him gaining a reputation as an art scene’s joker. In 1995 he began his line of taxidermied horses, donkeys, mice and dogs; in 1999 he started making life-size wax effigies of various people, including himself.
One of his best-known sculptures, ‘La Nona Ora’ consists of an effigy of Pope John Paul II in full ceremonial dress being crushed by a meteor and is a good example of his typically humorous approach to work.
Another of Cattelan’s quirks is his use of a ‘stand-in’ in media interviews equipped with a stock of evasive answers and non-sensical explanations. It’s the kind of stuff that makes you stand in front of it and say hmm as you realize every image provides space to think a little bit deeper.
And that’s why we love his work. In a day and age where thinking isn’t regarded as an important activity, Cattelan brings us back to baseline with thought, creativity and a little bit of necessary weird.
His work has most notably been on display at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC.
Images via Maurizio Cattelan
