Q. Welcome to u1 Gallery. We deeply appreciate you taking the time to join us for this interview. To begin, could you kindly introduce yourself and share how your journey in art began?
A. Thank you for the warm welcome to u1 Gallery. It is a pleasure to be here.
My artistic journey began after middle school, with the decision to enroll at the Institute of Art in Modena, followed by studies in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. This educational path charted the course for my professional future.
At 23, I began teaching art subjects at the Bologna Art High School. Later, I became Professor of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, after winning the National Competition held in Florence.
Anche il cielo ci aiuta a vivere (The sky also helps us to live), 2022 50x50cm
Q. Among your body of work, is there a particular piece or series that you feel was especially pivotal in shaping your artistic career? Could you share a memorable story or experience from the creation of that piece?
A. My artistic practice centers on themes of landscape, nature, and the environment. A distinctive feature is the predominant use of the color red. Chosen for its intensity as the warmest color, red serves to symbolize the overheating of our planet. This chromatic focus allows me to express my thoughts and reflections on these pressing environmental concerns.
Q. Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach the development and expression of your ideas through your art? What role does the audience's reaction play in this process?
A. Through my artwork, I strive to foster public sensitivity towards respecting nature, emphasizing both its profound beauty and its indispensability. I also seek to focus our collective attention on the imperative to take action in response to climate change.
La luce della vita filtra tra le foglie (The light of life filters through the leaves), 50X100 cm, 2024
Q. Are there specific artists, movements, or works that have significantly influenced your artistic vision and practice? How do these influences manifest in your work?
A. Throughout the 1980s, my artistic practice was predominantly abstract, and my work garnered significant critical acclaim. However, by the early 1990s, I perceived that abstraction was perhaps no longer culturally resonant. This led me to the conviction that the focus of art could, and indeed needed to, shift towards engaging with landscape, nature, and the environment.
Q. Inspiration often plays a key role in an artist's work. Where do you draw inspiration from, and how do you develop these ideas into your creations? Could you give an example of a time when inspiration struck unexpectedly?
A. From a formal and creative standpoint, it wasn't easy to find innovative solutions. Then, while looking at a drawing my son made when he was about 5 or 6 years old, it made me reflect on the essence of forms, and new ideas came to mind.
Q. What do you hope audiences experience or take away when they engage with your art? Is there a particular message or meaning you aim to convey? How do you feel when audiences interpret your work differently than you intended?
A. The predominant theme in my work is that of landscape, nature, and the environment. This is conveyed through a simplified figuration, where a dreamlike, fantastical dimension expresses a vision representing nature in its primary and essential forms. Within my works, the small white houses serve to represent humanity, signifying our presence within the natural world. Furthermore, the titles of the pieces explore our relationship with creation.
Q. Looking ahead, do you have a dream project you aspire to undertake? Could you share some of your future plans or aspirations as an artist? How do you see the art world evolving, and what role do you hope to play in it?
A. Through my artistic research, I hope to contribute to raising awareness among people regarding the importance of respecting the environment, of which we are all an integral part. In fact, all the solo exhibitions I have held in recent years have consistently received the patronage of the most significant Italian environmental associations, such as FAI, Legambiente, and WWF. Looking towards the future, it is my sincere hope that my work will continue to offer a moment for reflection on climate issues and on how we can coexist harmoniously with all the diverse components of the created world.
La luna ci ama in silenzio (The moon loves us in silence), 2024
Q. How has your work evolved over time? Are there any specific themes or ideas you find yourself returning to throughout your career? What personal emotions or philosophies drive these recurring themes?
A. In my view, art possesses not only creative and aesthetic qualities but also serves a significant educational function, particularly for children and young people.
Q. Do you find that the context of your surroundings—whether cultural, social, or environmental—affects your artistic process or the themes you explore? Can you share an example of how a specific environment influenced a piece of your work?
A. My pictorial work contains my entire life and feelings, which I also convey through the titles of my paintings, such as: 'The Sun Speaks to Us in Silence(Il sole ci parla in silenzio)', 'The Stars Watch You(Le stelle ti guardano)', 'The Light That Is Within Us(La luce che è in noi)', 'The Sweetness of Silence(La dolcezza del silenzio)', 'The Leaves Tell Each Other Poems(Le foglie si raccontano poesie)', 'The Branches Intertwine to Love(I rami si intrecciano per amare)' and 'Illuminated by the Sweetness of Morning(Illuminati dalla dolcezza del mattino)'.
Q. Finally, is there anything you would like our readers to know about you or your work that we haven’t covered? What is the most important message you hope to leave with your audience?
A. Visual images can serve as powerful and immediate tools for conveying educational and social messages, specifically those promoting love for nature and for life.
L'incanto del cielo (The magic of the sky), 2024
Contact
Artist : Gianni Mantovani
Instagram : @gianni_mantovani50
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