Star

A recurring image in Gilberto Zorio’s vocabulary since the early 1970s, the five-sided star or pentagram symbolizes powerful energy that is constantly in flux. Across history, a variety of meanings have been associated with the star—magical, mystical, alchemical and political. The star contains the four elements of the universe: earth, water, air, and fire. At this scale, it also takes on the proportions of the human body with legs and arms outstretched, recalling the image of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man (c. 1490). The symbol of the star also relates to the tumultuous social context of the early 1970s, when it became associated with extreme left-wing and anarchist movements, such as the Brigate rosse (Red Brigades). Through the choice of the star, the artist combined his own interest in visualizing energy with the political tensions in Italy at the time. The javelin expands the energy of the star into the physical space where the viewer stands. The light beam from the miner’s lamp evokes the shape of one of the star’s points.