Totem painting Italian Outsider Art with musicians, Francesco Magli, 1977.

Totem & Trumpets – A spiritual groove painting from the 1970s by Francesco Magli. Let’s start with what we see: a curious totem figure, joyfully cryptic, wings spread like a celestial referee, flanked by two very groovy stick figures, fully in rhythm — perhaps invoking something ancient, or simply really vibing. Painted in 1977, this boldly spiritual composition flirts with Art Brut — all instinct, rhythm, and raw imagination. The totem at the center stands like a sensitive juke-box god, surrounded by two animated musicians with square heads and elongated limbs, one blowing into a trumpet-like shape, the other caught mid-boogie. Are they priests. Dancers. Space-age shamans. We don’t know, but that’s why we’re here. Painted in a limited yet striking palette — inky black, dark purples, and cool blues — punctuated by tasty reds that almost wink at you. But don’t be fooled by the smooth lines and bold flat areas: this piece is richly textured, with thick, relief paint that gives the surface a topographical energy. It’s tactile, a bit strange, and totally alive. Our brilliant restorer at the University of Amsterdam gave it a light cleaning and couldn’t help but notice its unique technique. It’s not just painted — it’s sculpted with pigment, or pigment relief. The composition feels both sacred and swing. Like jazz in a temple. Wherever you hang this piece, it brings a presence. It’s both a painting, a spiritual session, and a cosmic concert. And then comes the twist, as if we were expecting it: this painting is not only spiritually electric — it’s historically charged. About the artist: Francesco Magli. This vibrant totem painting from the 1970s is not the work of an anonymous wanderer — it’s by Francesco Magli, the beloved nonno-writer from Milan, a street art sage with a taste for rebellion and a heart full of paint. Born in Calabria in 1945, Magli left his mark — literally — on the concrete skin of Milan, trading grayness for bursts of color and poetry. His most famous act. Scribbling "Che uomo è un uomo che non rende il mondo migliore" ("What kind of man is one who doesn't try to make the world better?") on the wall of a subway station. This led him to court, of course — but also into the hearts of a new generation of muralists, including Pao, whom he inspired and mentored. Before becoming a city-wide crusader for color, Magli was already pouring his bold spirit onto canvas. This early painting reflects that same momentum — to disrupt, awaken, beautify, and blur the boundaries between art, poetry, and action. This painting is a rare old piece, capturing Magli’s desire to elevate the ordinary. So, when you hang this painting — electric, tactile, a visual totem with dancing figures — you’re not just displaying art. You’re carrying the banner of someone who painted to pull the city out of its grayness and into legacy. With its relief textures, mystical figures, and a palette that defies gloom, this painting is a vibrant act of rebellion — made for dreamers, disruptors, and all those who believe one thing above all: color always wins. Francesco Magli|Boogie & Belief|Abstract painting with relief surface|Totem and musicians, 1977.