Giuseppe Borrello - Dreaming of Salsomaggiore

Giuseppe Borrello, painter, engraver, and figurative graphic artist, dedicated his life to study, research, and experimental experimentation, thus embracing the Renaissance concept of "disegno," understood as a pictorial work. "Since painting is drawing," according to Vasari, the artist succeeded in developing a new painting technique that allows for the creation of true paintings simply by replacing traditional paintbrushes with today's ballpoint pens.

Borrello thus achieved chiaroscuro effects superior to those normally achieved with traditional techniques. This gave rise to "ballpoint painting," consisting of a series of countless, extremely thin and homogeneous marks that convey an impression of lightness. These marks are closely juxtaposed, seamlessly, to cover the surface of the paper, reflecting light, penetrating transparency, and embracing shadows in a world of new, captivating figures that seem to be molded from an ethereal yet concrete material, endowed with an unprecedented expressive intensity that not only alters but actually revolutionizes the substance of the drawing itself, precisely because of the particular pictorial characteristics it assumes.

In reality, the pen is a graphic tool that artists of every age have used; just think of Pisanello, born in Pisa in 1395 and died after 1450, and Parri Spinelli (1387–1453). But because it is a hard instrument, does not allow erasure and leaves clear, uniform traces, its use has until now remained confined mostly to the creation of sketched images.

In any case, its use requires great design ability and extreme precision in carrying out the work.

And this is why "ballpoint pen painting" is considered a very demanding and high-level technique, as each time the artist must be able to reproduce, after having visualized and mentally analyzed it, the modulated path of the contiguous lines – traced on the sheet without making the slightest error and, what's more, in a manner that is not obvious, otherwise the work will be lost – necessary to obtain the finished image of the paintings.

The most difficult task "therefore lies in the artist's ability to think through the entire painting, to have it in mind, in order to be able to paint it successively with warmth and as if in one go".

Borrello proposes a different way of conceiving the painter's work and a twofold innovation in drawing methodology, with the introduction into the noble universe of painting of a successful new use of pens and inks, the product of today's industrial technology and until now exclusively intended for writing or tracing geometric designs and "sketches" with clearly defined lines.

Giuseppe Borrello therefore acts as a link between a well-known and ancient figurative art form – drawing – and the emergence of modern tools – ballpoint pens – and new working methods (painting by drawing).

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