Following is a review of work by the artist by Marina Galici in Agrigento, Italy, July 5, 2011. It was posted on Demotix: The Network for Freelance Photojournalists.

The titanic sculptures by Igor Mitoraj can be seen lying amongst the natural surroundings of the Valley of the Temples, in what the Polish sculptor considers to be his most important exhibition yet.
Igor Mitoraj (Oederan, March 26, 1944) is a Polish sculptor, son of a Polish mother and French father. After studying painting at the School of Art at the Art Academy in Krakow and Krakow under the leadership of Tadeusz Kantor, took part in several collective exhibitions, obtaining the first solo exhibition in 1967 at the Gallery Krzysztofory in Poland. In 1968 he moved to Paris to continue his art studies.

Shortly after he was fascinated by art and culture of Latin-American and decided to spend a year traveling and painting in Mexico. This experience came to sculpture.

He returned to Paris in 1974 and two years later he held another solo show at Gallery La Hune, in which sculptures were included. The success of the show convinced him to devote himself full time to sculpture.

After working with clay and bronze, after a trip to Carrara in 1979, he decided to switch to the working of marble. In 1983 he opened a studio in Pietrasanta. Currently he divides his time between France and Italy.

Mitoraj style is deeply rooted in the classical tradition, with a particular emphasis on busts male. Mitoraj has, however, also a post-modern turn, paraded through the exaggeration of the damage suffered by classical sculpture, obtained through the implementation of limbs and heads cut off.

Greater knowledge of the classical world archaic Mitoraj so inspired by mythological characters in his works are easily recognizable: Eros, Venus, Icarus, the Centaur ... which translates into sculptures that are like pieces, none of his works presents a pristine form. Images are fragmented, mutilated, crossed by gaps that stimulate the imagination to complete the missing parts.

On April 15, opens in the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento what he identifies as his most important exhibition, the longest time, eight months, and space, eighteen works for a mile of the park.

Online Source:
www.demotix.com/news/793533/igor-mitoraj-sculptures-valley-temples#media-792978

Igor Mitoraj (born 1944) is a Polish artist born in Oederan, Germany. He studied painting at the Kraków School of Art and at the Kraków Academy of Art under Tadeusz Kantor. After graduating, he had several joint exhibitions, and held his first solo exhibition in 1967 at the Krzysztofory Gallery in Poland. In 1968, he moved to Paris to continue his studies at the National School of Art.

Shortly afterwards, he became fascinated by Latin American art and culture, spending a year painting and travelling around Mexico. The experience led him to take up sculpture.
He returned to Paris in 1974 and two years later he held another major solo exhibition at the Gallery La Hune, including some sculptural work. The success of the show persuaded him that he was first and foremost a sculptor.

Having previously worked with terracotta and bronze, a trip to Carrara, Italy, in 1979 turned him to using marble as his primary medium and in 1983 he set up a studio in Pietrasanta. In 2006, he created the new bronze doors and a statue of John the Baptist for the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Rome.

In 2003 he returned to Poland. Mitoraj's sculptural style is rooted in the classical tradition with its focus on the well-modelled torso. However, Mitoraj introduces a post-modern twist with ostentatiously truncated limbs, emphasizing the damage sustained by most genuine classical sculptures.

Source:
"Igor Mitoraj", Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Mitoraj

He studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, among others. with Tadeusz Kantor (1967-1968). For the next two years, he continued his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In the mid-1970s, he devoted himself to sculpture, creating intimate heads and torsos with characteristic veils and bandages. He showed them at his first individual exhibition in 1976 in Paris, which brought him success with the public and art dealers. I

n his art, he refers to the tradition of antiquity, treating its legacy as relics of the golden age of culture and everlasting patterns. He is considered one of the most outstanding contemporary artistic personalities. His sculptures, often of gigantic size, can be found in representative places in many cities in Europe, the USA and Japan. Since 1976, Igor Mitoraj's sculptures and drawings have been shown at 120 individual exhibitions.

Igor Mitoraj is a renowned contemporary Polish sculptor known for his classical beauty and fragmented aesthetic in his sculptures. He gained international acclaim after moving to Italy in 1979, where he found inspiration and success in Pietrasanta, a town known for its sculpting community. Mitoraj's work reflects a dialogue between modernity and tradition, embodying the concept of beauty surviving through imperfections and fragmentation. His sculptures have been exhibited worldwide and have been commissioned for various monumental projects.

Igor Mitoraj is a renowned contemporary Polish sculptor known for his classical beauty and fragmented aesthetic in his sculptures. He gained international acclaim after moving to Italy in 1979, where he found inspiration and success in the town of Pietrasanta. His work embodies the ideal of classical beauty while also reflecting the destructive effects of time through fragmentation. Mitoraj's sculptures have been exhibited in various countries and he has received commissions for monumental projects in cities like Paris, Milan, and Rome.

Igor Mitoraj is a renowned contemporary Polish sculptor known for his classical beauty and fragmented aesthetic in his sculptures. He gained international acclaim after moving to Italy in 1979, where he found inspiration and success in the town of Pietrasanta. Mitoraj's work reflects a dialogue between modernity and tradition, embodying the beauty of imperfection and the destructive effects of time. His sculptures have been exhibited in various countries and have received commissions for monumental projects.

Igor Mitoraj is a distinguished contemporary sculptor from Poland. He studied painting in Kraków and later continued his studies in Paris, where he shifted his focus to sculpture. Mitoraj's work primarily features the human body, drawing inspiration from ancient art and mythological heroes. He is known for his idealized depictions of male torsos and faces, often incorporating bandage motifs into his sculptures. His monumental compositions can be found in major cities across Europe and the United States.