Known for his Falling Man series of abstract figural sculpture, Ernest Tino Trova created hard-edge images that brought him widespread attention for their exploration of modern humanity, mortality, and the psychological effects of an increasingly technological society.

Interpretations of the Falling Man series have varied widely. Some viewed the works as references to the biblical Fall of Man, while others understood them as commentary on the mechanization and depersonalization of modern life. Trova himself explained that “falling” referred to humanity’s continual movement “from one position to the next in an eventual fall to inevitable oblivion.”

Although his reputation became national in scope, Trova remained closely associated with St. Louis throughout his life. Largely self-taught, he trusted his own instincts rather than pursuing formal artistic training, though his work reflects the influence of artists such as Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, and Willem de Kooning.

The Falling Man series emerged from a unique collaboration with the Famous-Barr department store in St. Louis, where Trova had worked as a window decorator in his twenties. In preparation for the city’s 1964 bicentennial celebration, the store granted him access to its materials, workshops, and staff in exchange for creating a major exhibition. With the assistance of carpenters, electricians, and painters, Trova produced a large body of paintings, assemblages, collages, and kinetic sculptures centered around the Falling Man figure. After the bicentennial exhibition, many of the works were sent to Pace Gallery in New York, where they received significant critical acclaim.

Regarding his process, Trova explained that he typically began with cardboard models before developing larger and often life-sized works. His primary interest lay in variations of shape and form rather than color.

Trova continued to live and work in the St. Louis area throughout his career and remained one of the city’s most recognizable modern artists.