Thus began the surrealist period, a crescendo of shadow plays and exaggerated perspectives that surpass the visible, in a sort of elimination of reality. Colorful canvases of medieval villages and hamlets, ridges and sunny plateaus that live in remote distant horizons, which I love to define as “Landscapes of the soul”. Always looking forward to different artistic experiences, the search for plastic three-dimensionality is my new challenge, modeling clay. Free my women, get them out of the canvas. From the heavy blocks of earth, little by little after many attempts, I created female figures in patinated terracotta of medium size, but with powerful and vigorous shapes which I gradually transformed into lean, almost thread-like, elegant and melancholy models.
In 2008 other new experiments, in search of the material working on canvas and on board, superimposing layers and encrustations of mixed color on various materials such as jute, fabric, cardboard and newspapers. This technique gives the surface of the work a sculptural solidity, sometimes scarred by abrasions, cuts, symbols, letters and numbers. It is the wrinkled layers of bright colors on a dark background that make the work dense with expressive and evocative energy, which metaphorically reflects the harsh condition of human existence.
For some years I have dedicated myself to teaching pictorial art with the aim of guiding and exploring the creativity of those who want to approach this wonderful art. The courses take place in my studio, a meeting place to learn the fundamental notions of painting but leaving the students the freedom to give vent to their imagination and creativity. An experience that I see as an exciting adventure, because involving and raising awareness of culture and artistic expression is a demanding but very rewarding challenge. Today like yesterday, the aim of my art is to pay homage to women, narrating the present surrounded by a subtle nostalgia for the past.
My girls and my women are portrayed in moments of everyday life, in moments of carefree and reflection, they “live” a true and gentle existence, in thoughtful waiting concentrated in a sort of suspension of time and space they reveal a serene resignation. The classic or post-classical postures enhance the aesthetic harmony of the body while the brightly colored dresses, embroidered with floral patterns enhance their natural beauty and femininity. The faces, sometimes emaciated or blurred, in antithesis, express the tormented torment of abandonment and loneliness. Ethereal spectators, enclosed within almost protective frames, gaze absorbedly at the scenario of life.
Nature is always an inexhaustible source of inspiration for artists. Animals have always had a privileged position in artistic representation since prehistory, both in solitude and in the company of man, offering them a fundamental role in the history of art. Recently I too have dedicated myself to animal art, creating pictorial and sculptural works that depict them. A sort of “zoological garden” in which the animals portrayed assume attitudes that enhance their physical and character particularities. The brightly colored canvases on wrinkled surfaces make the works with a strong visual impact. Animals are in tune with their natural habitat and offer themselves in all their magnificence and uniqueness. Aware of being observed, they turn their gaze towards those who are admiring them, posing naturally almost like humans.
After having observed these wonderful creatures with curiosity and admiration, from the block of clay and paper mache, I managed to shape small and medium-sized animal sculptures, with realistic and stylized shapes, which I finally patinated. Their creation is a fascinating art form that allows me to capture the grace and majesty of these extraordinarily beautiful creatures. This journey of mine to discover the animal world is intended to be a tribute to the greatness of nature, a message of love and gratitude towards the Animal Kingdom, to invite us to reflect on our behaviors, respecting the world around us.