Best of Life

Material

Mixed media and artist frame; 196.2 x 292.1 cm

Dating

1989

About the artwork

His personal painting style started to take shape towards the end of the 1980s. His oeuvre bears Expressionistic influences and is forceful and colourful. It includes self-portraits amongst others and makes use of written characters and collages. As Stallone stated himself, he started to paint because he felt a strong creative urge. The motifs relate to his evocative biography, his acting career and to his emotions.
When he started to paint in 1975, the works were not meant for the public until the art-interested Stallone decided to stand by his painting. In 2011, over 30 of Stallone’s works were shown at a retrospective in St. Moritz. Afterwards they were exhibited in the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.

About the artist

Silvester Stallone grew up in an Italian-American family in a suburb of Philadelphia. Since his childhood he has been interested in acting. Although people advised him to stay away from acting because he had suffered a partial facial palsy during birth, he managed to establish himself and use his special facial expression and pronunciation to his advantage. With characters such as the boxer Rocky Balboa and his work as a screenplay writer, director and producer he developed into one of Hollywood’s greats.