Early in his life, Crovello studied art at Rhode Island School of Design and at The Art Students League of New York. While serving in the U.S. Air Force in Korea and Japan from 1954-55, the artist was introduced to the ancient traditions of the East and classical calligraphy had a great impact upon him. After returning to New York, he studied Japanese language and culture at Columbia University. He then returned to Japan in 1957 and spent four years studying calligraphy and found himself enchanted with the philosophies and technical execution of the ancient Japanese artform. When he returned to New York again in 1961, the artist began incorporating the flowing and undulating lines of calligraphy into his artwork. He moved to Spain in 1968 and began working exclusively in sculpture. From this era onward, his sculptural works mimic the fluidity, grace, and complexity of calligraphy’s brushstrokes.

Steel Study is a work in contradictions with its curved and straight lines, light and dark surfaces, open and closed circuits, heavy and light mass, symmetry and unpredictability of composition. To fully engage with the work, you must move around it, experiencing the sculpture in the round, with each angle delivering a different view. Crovello was inspired by Modernism, whose sculptors sought to visually manipulate traditional heavy materials such as marble and steel with a sense of ease and pliability. One of his best-known works is Cubed Curve (1972), a five-ton geometric mass of curved stainless steel painted in bright blue that took pride of place in midtown Manhattan for over forty years. The work can now be found, in its permanent place, on the grounds of Berman Museum near Philadelphia.