By: Bridey Heing Category: ART+FASHION Date: 25.Jul.2014

 

Salvatore Scarpitta, Trevis Race Car (Sal Gambler Special), 1985. Photo Lee Stalsworth

 

A new exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden honors the career of Salvatore Scarpitta, becoming the first solo exhibit of his work in the US in ten years and the first such exhibit ever on the East Coast. Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler will be on view through January 11, 2015.

Scarpitta’s work focused on post-war racing, using the high-stakes sport to explore ideas of death and movement, among other themes. Combining race cars, sleds, and canvases, the Hirshhorn’s Traveler reflects Scarpitta’s unique way of reflecting some of humanity’s most pressing questions in the post-war world. Although highly regarded in Europe, he did not have a large following in the United States at the time of his death in 2007.

Salvatore Scarpitta: Traveler can be seen at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.