Salvatore Scarpitta (1919–2007) was an American artist of Italian descent born in New York City. His father, an Italian sculptor, and his mother, of Polish-Russian origin, moved to Hollywood shortly after his birth. Growing up in California, Scarpitta developed a fascination with car racing, regularly attending events at the Legion Ascot Speedway.
In 1936, he moved to Italy to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, graduating in 1940. During World War II, he was active in the Italian resistance and later joined the U.S. Marines. Post-war, he returned to Rome in 1946, where his artistic career began to flourish. By 1948, he was exhibiting at major venues like the Rome Quadrennial and, later, the Venice Biennale (1952, 1956, 1958).
Scarpitta gained recognition for his innovative “extroflexed canvases” and bandage works, debuting them in 1958 at Galleria La Tartaruga in Rome. That same year, he met Leo Castelli, who invited him to exhibit in New York, marking the start of a long collaboration. Scarpitta’s career expanded with exhibitions of his racing cars and later “sled” sculptures, reflecting his lifelong passion for speed and movement.
He continued creating and exhibiting internationally, with works featured in major museums, including MoMA (New York), the Hirshhorn Museum (Washington, D.C.), and the Museo del Novecento (Milan). His art combined dynamic themes with material innovation, leaving a lasting legacy in contemporary art.
Scarpitta passed away in New York in 2007, leaving behind a body of work celebrated in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide.