Pietro Scampini

In the early eighties, Pietro turned to Greek mythology as the inspiration for a new project, a series of sculptures in wood and marble entitled Muse, after the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Though symbolising the supreme ideal of art in terms of primordial sensibility, the plastic creation once again reflects Pietro's African experiences. Africanism and Cubism come together in these sculptures, embodying both fantasy and reality and reflecting the expressive dictates of sculptures with tribal and totemic qualities. The prime concern was to convey the force and power of natural energy by partially distorting the body, which, as such, was devoid of significance but for the power unleashed. The mystery of life and the creative drive for a better world are recurring cosmogonic myths in African sculpture that Pietro draws on. Hence, the Muse were a source of inspiration or superior forms of spiritual life to be invoked in order to arrive at the truth, in all its guises. The different colours serve as a reminder that each muse is a patron of a specific area of art. Mocking and authoritative, yet, at the same time polyvalent and unique, they are genuine expressions of vitality, a synthesis of plastic and pictorial values.