Headless Leader Painting by Artfux

About the Item

A great image by the collaborative group Artfux founded in 1990. This work was most likely influenced by one of the founders Ray Arcadio. From his website the following; To artist Ray Aracdio, Occupy Wall Street is the epitome of American freedom. It's about time, he said, that workers Challenge corporations. The "headless leaders" have control, which should be with everyone else, said Arcadio, a North Bergen resident. "Our government's subsidizing of corporations with tax payer dollars has been like a stab in the heart of every hard working citizen and OWS is the blood seeping from the wound that our headless leaders has inflicted on us." He took the image of a 'headless leader' to signify the elite group making decisions that do not line up with the rest of society. The piece is titled "Headless Leaders" and it is a symbol representing the ineffectiveness of the elected or appointed leaders of our country. It is an oil on canvas painting. It depicts a headless figure in a business suit wearing an American flag pin. The image is one that he created when he founded an art collaborative called Artfux. The group emerged as a reaction to the government's cutting of art funds but went on to protest cigarette corporations by modifying their tobacco ads on billboards that were located in poor neighbourhoods and near schools, he said. The group also protested the first Iraq war as well as the happenings on Wall Street. "When OWS began, I knew I had to participate in some way again so I made the painting in support of the protesters. I logged onto their website and sent them the image," he said. Arcadio's art mostly deals with social issues meant to stir conversation and to make a statement. "I like to say that it's about people's necessity to go to extremes with their beauty, beliefs or expression. I'm fascinated by the physical manifestation of these extremes. I believe Art must say something. It should not just match the couch, it must exist as a tool for social consciousness and awareness, to stir emotions, educate, inform, shed light, start conversations and even protest." Arcadio earned his bachelor's degree from New Jersey City University, and since has shown his work around the country, including at the Jersey City Museum.

Creator:

Arflex (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 26 in (66.04 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

Late 20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

1990s

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Good with some soiling around the edges and some corners, newly framed.

Seller Location:

Palm Springs, CA

Reference Number:

1stDibs: U12040283501672

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Arflex

From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.

Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.

One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.

In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.

Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.