Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is best known for his subversive, hyper-realistic sculptures—including depictions of Pope John Paul II being hit by a meteorite, a child-size Hitler kneeling in prayer and a suicidal squirrel. For W’s Art Issue, he conceived a politically and religiously charged portfolio featuring supermodel Linda Evangelista. “She’s a still actress,” says Cattelan of Evangelista. “At the end, she was so tuned-in that all she needed were a couple of words and she knew what we wanted.” A new piece by Cattelan is included in “Pop Life: Art in A Material World,” an exhibition at the Tate Modern in London that runs through January. In February a show focusing on his large-scale works will open at the Menil Collection in Houston.

Photographer : Pierpaolo Ferrari

wmagazine.com