Iela Mari returns

My, how time flies! 

It's been almost a year since Animalarium's first post about Iela Mari, 

and four months since I grabbed the beautiful catalogue of her exhibition 

at the Bologna Book Fair with the intention of sharing it here.

First edition of The apple and the butterfly, 

published by Bompiani in 1960 with case and spiral binding

prototype and original illustration for The apple and the butterfly

This was the first Italian monographic exhibition dedicated to Iela Mari's works,

and the catalogue, published by Babalibri, contains the reproductions of many 

original illustrations, preparatory studies and prototypes from the artist's personal archives.

Various essays and a rare recent interview with Iela complete this precious volume,

offering new insights into the work process and very private personality of 

this highly innovative and influential but still understudied author. 

 

illustrations from Animali nel prato, late 1970s.

"This book doesn't tell a story in words. It tells as many stories, through pictures,as there are 

animals in a meadow. Stories of races and games, struggles and traps, colors and smells."

Animali nel prato originated from the design for a fabric for children's pillows.

This is a detail from the print reproducing the entire drawing (cm.176x95).

The book has not been reprinted and is difficult to find, even in libraries.

Prototype with case and spiral binding of Mangia che ti mangio, 1980. 

Every spread shows a predator chasing its prey, which in turn becomes a predator when you turn the page.

Giusi Quarenghi describes it in the catalogue as "a mortal Ring Around the Rosy of hunger and satiety..."

Printed spread and prototype from Mangia che ti mangio

cover and original illustrations for C'era una volta il riccio di mare

An associative chain of shapes and figures that in the end, like a circle, returns to the original idea. 

Iela Mari's last published work Il paesaggio infinito (The infinite landscape), 1988,

consists of 16 cards that can be mixed and matched to create many different sequences and stories.

More Mari

“I would like to draw attention to shapes, in reaction to the image bombardment produced by television.” 
Iela Mari, 1968

Enzo Mari met his future wife Iela at Brera Academy in Milan. Towards the end of the

 sixties, Iela started creating children’s books, first alone, then together with her husband.

 Later, while Enzo was busy at work designing toys, objects and furniture, 

Iela became professor at Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design and continued illustrating 

books on her own. All her creations are wordless narrations of natural cycles and 

playful transformations. Her revolutionary conceptual approach is clean and essential, 

graphically striking and innovative. The following books are published in Italy 

by Babalibri (I have included reference to the titles and publishers 

of the original American editions when available)

Il palloncino rosso, 1967 (The Magic Balloon, S G Phillips)

Iela Mari’s first book, Il palloncino rosso, describes the metamorphosis 

of a chewing gum bubble with a minimalist language made of white space, 

black line drawings and simple red shapes.

L’albero, 1968 (The Tree and the Seasons, Barrons Juveniles) 
photos from PAUL's flickr photostream

In her following books, Iela Mari explores the world of nature with her innovative eye: 

“… one needs to start with analysis in order to arrive at synthesis, not the other way around. 

For example, one needs to first draw all the details in a leaf and then erase, erase, erase…”

L’uovo e la gallina, 1969, with Enzo Mari (The Chicken and the Egg, Pantheon Books)

“During the war, in Milan, we were hungry. I raised chicken, I know how chicks are born! 

I also love looking at the growth of my green plants. The landscape doesn’t interest me.

 What I enjoy, is to lay on the ground in the woods, to feel an ant climbing, 

feel myself being pushed by the roots.”

La mela e la farfalla, 1970, with Enzo Mari (The Apple and the Moth, Pantheon Books)

Hopefully, this post will be followed by one on Mari's later books, 

if I can get a hold of them! Some are currently published in Spain and Japan...