Self portrait in 18th Century Costume
Gianluca Capaldo
Even at first encounter it is abundantly clear that this artist and his works embody immense depth, and layer upon layer of symbolism threaded finely through by mythological and biblical narratives are all further testament to that fact. In his own words, his chosen opening line to introduce the core philosophy of his work is:
“Il corpo come custodia dell’anima è il mezzo attraverso cui essa svolge l’esperienza della vita.
La vita è il percorso verso il sublime e necessario fine che noi chiamiamo morte; la paura della morte nasce dalla dimenticanza di chi noi siamo, dall’aver perso il contatto con le componenti della nostra intima essenza”.
Translation:
"The body as the custody of the soul is the means through which it carries out the experience of life.
Life is the path to the sublime and necessary end we call death; The fear of death arises from the forgetfulness of who we are, by the loss of contact with the components of our intimate essence. "
For Gianluca, painting is like holding up a mirror to oneself, as though as a world appears from thin air onto the surface of a canvas, every stroke of his brush draws something out from within him. It is essentially a path towards self-knowledge. A path which we are all on whether we choose to be tuned in or to be ignorant.
Everywhere he is striving for Beauty which for him is the same as striving for Truth. The ancients said that art should contain beauty, truth and insight and it through the spiritual journeys that characterise The Iliad, The Odyssey and other ancient and sacred texts that Gianluca seeks his own path, through art, towards these ideals. For him a work of art is not just a beautiful object to be admired, it is a journey too and it can be a font of illumination for any seeker.
"Età ultima” The Last Age
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
“La Poetessa” The Poetess
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
However there is a sometimes overwhelming darkness in his paintings, perhaps an expression of the unknown, the unchartered depths of our existence. His palette of colours is earthen, chosen instinctively and they ground his mythic scenes in the gritty and tangible human kingdom.
His method is to begin with darkness, all around, and then particle by particle he brings out light and form from murky waters, out from the depths of the unknown. His ideas aren’t laboured, they come freely like dreams and then a project is born and the work begins. His paintbrushes fly over the canvas, full of emotion and yet his touch is as delicate as a falling leaf.
His protagonists are not immune to age, their skin is luminescent but touchable, real, human. In their own ways, they embody the very essence of being human, the paradoxes to which none of us are immune; darkness and light, knowledge and fear, birth and death, youth and age, beauty and decay, all that which we seek and all that which we seek to evade.
"Il Ritrovamento di Elcare” Elcare’s Finding
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
"La tentazione” The Temptation
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
Time is suspended in a still of a scene, as though its passing were an illusion, but life in all it’s aching beauty and indifferent suffering is playing out on Gianluca’s canvas. It is not only the characters but the landscape that tells a tale. Each infinitesimal detail is a sign, a symbol, plunging us headfirst into a living canvas that brings the pages of the mythical odysseys to life and brings forth questions about where we fit into the canvas of life. Leading us to ask how are our lives are linked to these stories? Do we see our essential desires and our fears in them? and ultimately to consider what it means to be human.
"Gli Artefici” The Craftsmen
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
"E nei tempi egli sarà risvegliato” And in Time He Will be Reawakened
Oil on Canvas
Gianluca Capaldo
This artist is one to watch and undoubtedly a star in the making and 2017/8 will see his art reach new heights, stay tuned to be front row for his ground breaking new collection.
Meanwhile to tempt you here is a Three Graces Galleries exclusive preview..
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