1967 Lithograph “Falling Man”, Study 1 by Ernest Trova

Description

Ernest Trova was a self-trained American artist blending elements of Pop Art and Surrealism. He profoundly influenced the art world … more Ernest Trova was a self-trained American artist blending elements of Pop Art and Surrealism. He profoundly influenced the art world with his expressive and innovative creations. Among his notable works is the series titled "The Falling Man," presented both graphically and in three dimensions through sculptures. In paintings and prints, « The Falling Man » is depicted as a flattened silhouette, repeated and repositioned, and has become a ubiquitous icon of post-industrial dystopia. Exploring a language rich in graphic and symbolic elements, Trova's poster prompts viewers to reflect deeply on human condition, vulnerabilities, and the quest for identity. Comprising 16 squares, the poster alternates illustrations of a man in various poses with geometric and directional elements, and moves beyond imagery-based narration to emerge as a universal metaphor for human destiny. The recurring motif of "the falling man" suggests a cyclical view of existence, punctuated by ascensions and declines. Each figure represents a snapshot of the human trajectory, captured in its inexorable gravitational pull towards its ultimate end.

Whether represented horizontally or vertically, the man is perpetually drawn to the ground, never directed towards the sky. A strict, straight, and identical line is repeated in each illustration of the man, connecting two small balls from the heart to the side of the square. Sartre once noted that modern man is lost in the fragmentation of his being.

Each square and its content structure the space and guide the viewer towards a deeper interpretation of the image. Forms appear not as simple ornaments; they compartmentalize and connect different instances of the falling man, thus reflecting the multiple facets and steps of the human experience. In this composition, the circle, the square, and the triangle are not simple geometric additions; they serve as psychological symbols of rigor, stability, and tension to regulate a framework from which one cannot escape.

The arrows scattered across Trova's poster indicate many possible paths, symbolizing free will and the decisions that shape each individual's life—those taken and those left behind. It's noteworthy that Trova's creation period for "The Falling Man" coincided with the rise of popular culture and extensive consumption. Trova addresses the alienation of modern humanity in the face of mass reproduction. The fall of 'man' in his work is not just a physical descent, it is the reflection of an existential search, a commentary on the human condition inscribed in space and time.

B I O - Courtesy from Laumaier Sculpture Park
Ernest Tino Trova was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1927. Best known for his signature series, Falling Man, he considered his entire output a single "work in progress.” Trova continued his ad hoc art education, seeking out painter Willem de Kooning and poet Ezra Pound, whose dual influences heavily impacted the young artist’s developing practice and philosophy. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was among the most widely acknowledged sculptors working in the United States, resulting in invitations to exhibit in three Whitney Annuals, three Venice Biennales, and Documenta 4 (1968) in Kassel, Germany. Trova's work has been shown in dozens of major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Trova was represented by Pace Gallery, New York, from 1963 to 1985, which held his first solo exhibition in April 1963. The artist died in St. Louis in 2009 at the age of 82.
The work is framed in a plexiglass box. less