Giovanni Gasparro: Revelations of the Human and the Holy by Richard Dellamorte

In terms of art, Italy could possibly be l’Antico ed il Nuovo Testamento e gli scritti dei santi the richest country in the world. Boasting many famous artists cattolici, Thomas Mann e la letteratura in genere, le altre from Giotto Di Bondone and Sandro Botticelli to Leonardo Da arti come il teatro e la musica, le opere di pittura e scultura Vinci and Masaccio, it seems fairly obvious that even today, del passato e contemporanee.” In addition to biblical there are artists exploring the depths of the extraordinary, scripture, Giovanni finds inspiration from literature, theatre, carving new frontiers in the world of art. In the last few music, and of course, art, past and present. However, months, I’d quickly become captivated and enamoured with Gasparro maintains that sensorial reality and nature prove the work of Italian artist, Giovanni Gasparro, and was lucky to be the main source of inspiration for him, stimulating his enough to speak with him about his work. creative and artistic muse.

Born in Bari, Gasparro had aspirations of becoming an artist Delving deeper into the psyche of Gasparro, one can ever since he was a child, realizing a strong affinity for envision the vast recesses of Italian history and art, fusing brushes and crayons, putting them to paper. He spent hours this amalgamation of the spiritual and the aesthetic. admiring works by Gaspare Traversi and Michelangelo, and Gasparro says his interest lies in the impulses governing according to Giovanni, both living in such a culturally rich the human soul — “mi interessa indagare le pulsioni che country as Italy, and experiencing so much artistic influence agitano l’umano.” Many of Giovanni’s works depict naked, has helped shape him as an artist: “è stato determinante twisted bodies and intertwined limbs; one reoccurring il fatto che vivessi in Italia, fra capolavori assoluti di tutti i element of his art includes imagery of hands — sometimes tempi.” cascading several hands in gesture across the canvas, as if in movement. When asked about this, Gasparro says the Gazing upon Gasparro’s awe-inspiring work, with so much figures and hands are a means of expression throughout detail and feeling put into each piece, it’s almost impossible his work, and suggest the idea of the variety of perception to fathom the synthesis of this artist’s thought-process. What — “La riproposizione dei corpi e degli arti è funzionale a inspires Gasparro to paint what he does? Clearly, there is suggerire l’idea di molteplicità della percezione.” Gasparro some religious aspect to many of Giovanni’s works, and he admits that his work exposes obvious references to more affirms this fact: “Fonti preziosissime [d’ispirazione] restano avant-garde ideas of futurism or cubism, and that the

62 “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo

by Richard Dellamorte

fragmentary nature (referring to both Braque and Picasso) and the multiplication of bodies in his works characterize a sensorial and spiritual perception over a physical one: “Per le mie opere la frammentarietà e la moltiplicazione dei corpi connota la percezione sensoriale e spirituale più che quella fisica.”

When asked what kind of themes run through his work, Gasparro says that the most important themes in his art are the holy and the human in all their possible variances, following formal channels and very old and conventional pictorial genres — like the portrait, the naked, the still life. Through these means, Gasparro establishes a unique style, combining elements of expressionism, realism, symbolism, and 18th century genre-painting, as well as the avant- garde, the metaphysical, and the abstract: “I temi principali della mia arte sono il sacro e l’umano in tutte le declinazioni possibili, anche ripercorrendo canali formali e generi pittorici antichissimi e convenzionali.” Working within all of these genres —with a propensity for historical art— Gasparro produces a new aesthetic, defined and refined by his many influences and vast knowledge of past and present artistic styles and genres. 63 VIVO “Per le mie opere la frammentarietà e GrabJab www.grabjab.com la moltiplicazione dei corpi connota la Giovanni has exhibited works in many major cities in Italy like Rome, Bologna, percezione sensoriale e spirituale più Florence, and Venice; his crowning work —a pictorial series of eighteen che quella fisica.” paintings— adorns the walls of the RESTAURANTDEALS church of San Giuseppe Artigiano in L’Aquila. This church is the only religious building re-opened in the centre of the city after an earthquake wreaked havoc there in 2009. $10 $15 $30 Currently, Gasparro is working on a $20 project involving mirrors of different dimensions. According to Giovanni, his examination of the human and the holy will be effectually represented onto the mirrors as it does to the canvas. Gasparro will soon have more exhibitions of his works in Italy, as well as France. During the interview, he was open to the idea of exhibiting in Canada – this would be an incredibly exclusive and exciting opportunity for art lovers and critics to experience the revelations and visions of one of Italy’s $25 $25 most intriguing artists. $50 $50

To check out more of Gasparro’s work, visit “I temi principali della mia arte sono il sacro e l’umano in www.giovannigasparro.com. $15 $15 $30 $30 tutte le declinazioni possibili, anche ripercorrendo canali To view a brief montage of his works formali e generi pittorici antichissimi e convenzionali.” hanging in the church of San Giuseppe Artigiano in L’Aquila, check out this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjfx6FjCguM

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