Feofeo - Et in arcadia ego

The work of Alexandrian artist Feofeo is always nourished by a variety of stimuli, continually experimenting with new languages. Her subjects draw essentially from an expressionist and abstract aesthetic that sees a recontextualization of the post-World War II American art scene. From this foundation, Feofeo moves in her own original direction, always open to new inspirations. The work here, for example, is part of a series that draws on an informal aesthetic and a contemporary fascination with the written word as a signifier. But the very meaning of the quoted phrase points to a very specific inspiration. Indeed, the line "Et in Arcadia ego" appears in several Renaissance paintings, especially in the 17th century, drawing on a distinctly classicist context (like that of contemporary Arcadian poetry). The phrase is one of the most enigmatic in the history of art and usually appears on funerary inscriptions or, in any case, with a reference to the afterlife, probably as an allusion to the earthly glory of the deceased (I too was part of Arcadia) to be passed down to posterity.

As we can infer from the premise of the subject, this work by Feofeo presents, conceptually, a complexity that is also resolved in its execution. Indeed, the piece was created using an elaborate mixed technique, combining acrylic paint with materials such as quartz and sand, to create a dynamic and iridescent surface, almost alive in the artist's hands. On this elaborate surface, the emblematic phrase "Et in Arcadia ego" is branded. The literary reference to the artist's otherworldly glory is thus invested with a pop recontextualization, becoming, visually, a mark of quality, to be stamped indelibly on a work of art to certify its fame. The presence of the circle, a symbol of perfection and perhaps another reference to the subject's classicist influences, adds a touch of further hermeticism to the work.

Federica Oddone, alias Feofeo, was born in Alessandria in 1969. Within the contemporary art scene, the artist's unique figure stands out for her identity, achieved by escaping trends and conformity, progressively consolidating an expressive path balanced between intimate abandon and refined intellectual meditation. Exhibitions have been held in Berlin, Brussels, St. Petersburg, Bratislava, Oslo, Stockholm, Monte Carlo, and Los Angeles. She participates frequently in international art fairs in New York, Miami, Paris, Barcelona, ​​and London, and her solo exhibitions and art shows in Italy and abroad are countless, as evidenced by her publications with world-renowned publishing houses. Her first monograph, Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori, was published in November 2016 with a critical preface by Professor Giovanni Faccenda.

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