Giovanni Spinicchia - Reflected Nature

The "Still Life" genre emerged in the early 17th century. It consisted of compositions of inanimate subjects, most often flowers or fruit. While initially it was an opportunity for painters to experiment with naturalistic or photographic reproductions of reality, with contemporary art, the "Still Life" also became a way of interpreting reality. Indeed, as happened, for example, in the Cubist avant-garde or in Giorgio Morandi, the in-depth exploration of objects was aimed at a conceptual representation, taken beyond the mere sensory aspect.

Still life is one of Giovanni Spinicchia's most focused genres, especially in his pastel works. The artist begins with the sensory data of the objects depicted but completely transfigures the representation into a dimension other than phenomenal reality. Indeed, the image produced seems to escape the contingency and concreteness of reality, instead taking on the appearance of a fleeting apparition. Conceptually, what Spinicchia seems to be grasping is a fleeting reflection of the subject, the ephemeral image of memory. For it is there, in our consciousness and not in sensory reality, that the artist seeks to unearth the true essence of the objects depicted. Formally, all this is expressed in a highly synthetic execution in which the fruits are emptied of their materiality and plastic concreteness. The forms are still discernible, but as the result of a pure vibration of color. Everything appears extremely lively and dynamic, almost elusive, like images lodged in the memory. The use of light is also very particular, uniforming the entire surface of the work to a single color tone.

Giovanni Spinicchia was born in Florence in 1937. He graduated in set design from the Academy of his hometown. In 1961, he moved to Sicily to teach drawing in middle schools in the Peloritani mountains. In 1966, he moved to Rome, where he continued teaching and frequented galleries. He participated in exhibitions and met artists such as Pino Pascali and Tano Festa. He returned to Florence, where in 1971 he became a full professor of Figure and Ornamental Drawing at the Florence Art School. Giovanni Spinicchia's work has been featured in important group and solo exhibitions, both in Italy and abroad. His work has consistently met with critical and public acclaim.

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