Oval Parody—Graphic Memory, Mechanical Reproduction & the Evolution of an Icon
In 2022, Erik Brunetti returned to a core symbol from his practice: the oval form that first appeared in his FUCT graphics in the early 1990s. The resulting body of work — Oval Parody— consists of twelve acrylic paintings on canvas.
First exhibited at Spazio Maiocchi in Milan on September 22, 2022, the series marked a significant expansion of Brunetti’s long-running investigation into graphic language, brand authority, repetition, and the persistence of symbols under advanced capitalism.
This past December (2025), the Foundation released a new limited silkscreen print edition produced in collaboration with Brand X Editions in New York. These large-format prints (42" × 28.5" on Stonehenge White, 250 gsm, 4-color silkscreen) extend the conceptual and visual language of the original paintings. Each impression is signed, numbered, and fully documented.
The oval mark itself has a deep print history: the very first edition based on it was produced in the mid-1990s by legendary Los Angeles printmaker Richard Duardo.
Select paintings from the Oval Parody series remain in the Erik Brunetti Foundation archive and are available by inquiry. The current print edition is limited to 65 impressions plus artist, printer, and museum proofs.
Oval Parody continues Brunetti’s decades-long engagement with corporate identity systems, appropriation, and the politics of the image. The prints are now available through the studio and the Foundation.