Ugo Mulas

Ugo Mulas (August 28, 1928 – March 2, 1973) was an Italian photographer noted for his portraits of artists and his street photography.

Mulas (in profile) between Man Ray and Paolo Monti

Life and work

Mulas began his studies in law in 1948 in Milan, but left to take art courses at the Brera Fine Arts Academy.[1] In 1954 he was asked to cover the Venice Biennale, his first professional assignment. He went on to photograph every Venice Biennale through 1972 and to document his work in an art book.

Mulas worked for a number of Italian magazines and did commercial work for advertising campaigns including clients such as Pirelli and Olivetti. In 1959 in Florence, Mulas discovered Veruschka who later became a well-known model and artist. While covering the Spoleto Festival in 1962, Mulas befriended sculptor Alexander Calder, who later became a major subject of Mulas' photography and writings.

While photographing the 1964 Venice Biennale, Mulas met several American artists, art critics, and the art dealer Leo Castelli. This meeting led to his travel to New York City and his documentation of the Pop art scene. This trip to New York and Mulas' resulting book and exhibits, New York, the New Art Scene became Mulas' best known work. The exhibit included enlargements of Mulas' contact sheets and environmental portraits of Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Barnett Newman and Roy Lichtenstein.[2]

Mulas died in Milan following several years of serious illness.

Legacy

References
  1. Mulas' biography on his website
  2. Vetrocq, Marcia E. (February 2001), "Ugo Mulas: The New York Portraits - Leo Castelli Gallery, New York", Art in America, archived from the original on 2006-06-18, retrieved 2007-04-27
  3. Pitchfork.com Archived 2007-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  • Ugo Mulas by Germano Celant, Federico Motta Editore (1993), ISBN 88-7179-002-2

Bibliography
  • New York; the new art scene, Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1967)
  • David Smith in Italy, by David Smith and Mulas, Charta (1997) ISBN 88-8158-024-1
  • Vent'anni di Biennale, 1954-1972, Mondadori (1988), ISBN 88-04-31254-8
  • Calder by Mulas and H. Harvard Arnason, Studio (1971), ISBN 0-670-11219-4
  • Calder by Mulas, Milan: Officina Libraria (2008), ISBN 978-88-89854-21-1
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