Dario Damato - In the Garden of the Finzi-Continis

The work is an abstract composition. "Abstract" derives from the Latin term "abstrahere," meaning to extract or draw out. The process of abstraction, in fact, consists of eliminating the particular and individual aspects of an object to derive a universal concept. From Kandinsky to Mondrian, from Pollock to Mirò, many painters have pushed the process of abstraction to the limit in their works, paradoxically creating pure forms and colors that do not exist in nature, or translating their emotions and instincts into images. The process of abstraction undertaken by Dario Damato shares the geometric element with many of his illustrious predecessors, but it evolves by contaminating the work with different expressive mediums on different semantic levels. Emblematic in this case is the direct reference to Giorgio Bassani's literary masterpiece.

The work is highly significant in demonstrating the variety of insights and stimuli that Dario Damato's work can exert on the viewer. This begins with the structure of the work, which, upon closer inspection, could be interpreted as a modern reinterpretation of a triptych. The composition is divided into three panels, and at the bottom is a true predella, a narrow strip that runs the entire length of the work. The tripartite division is established by the presence of the three squares, fundamental elements in Damato's aesthetic, which draws on a simple, iconic, and sacred geometry, undoubtedly drawing on Malevich's Suprematism. Beneath the squares lies a second level of interpretation, in the abstract representation of the garden, with a soft and light touch that provides a visual reference to the work's theme. In the predella, the semantic layers are enriched in a kind of multimedia mosaic: there are tangible photographic portraits alongside the symbolic presence of the written word. All of this is tied together by a subtle symbolism of references and underlying messages conveyed through various communication methods. The coexistence of geometry and multimedia is one of the key characteristics of Dario Damato's "Verbo-Visual" aesthetic.

Dario Damato was a prominent Foggia-born artist, born in 1937 and passed away in 2013. His pictorial production can be divided into two main currents. One is non-figurative, expressed through abstract representations of geometric figures with a strongly sacred and symbolic tone. The other, figurative, focuses on mysterious and provocative female figures whose complexity is conveyed through a captivating graphic style. The presence of signs and symbols is fundamental to both styles, so much so that his artistic practice has been defined as "verbal-visual" painting. Throughout his career, Damato interacted with artists such as Giorgio De Chirico and Renato Guttuso. He founded the Academy of Fine Arts in Foggia, of which he served as director for many years. Dario Damato's works have been exhibited in over 200 shows both in Italy and abroad.

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