Tore Canu - Port of Portici

Granatello Port of Portici

Landscape has always been a central theme in artistic research, both as a setting, as a backdrop, and as a subject itself. The naturalistic depiction of landscape has been a constant aspiration for painters. Each historical period has offered its own interpretation of landscape, contributing to the evolution of its depiction: first with an exploration of space, through Brunelleschi's perspective in the early Renaissance; then with atmospheric rendering in the 16th century; up until the depiction of every single vibration of light on objects in Impressionism. The "seascape" in particular is a recurring theme among artists. First, for the lyricism implicit in views overlooking the sea or in romantic images of small harbors. Second, because the depiction of aquatic surfaces allows painters to give free rein to their chromatic flair, thanks to refined interplays of reflections and reverberations.

Tore Canu's artistic production fits perfectly into a pictorial movement that combines realist themes with a predominantly expressionist language. Indeed, if the subject matter is the world of work and the working classes, the style calls for a synthetic interpretation of reality. In a two-dimensional space, everything is simplified to transfigure reality in an expressive and symbolic sense. The process of abstraction, therefore, is conducted by the painter to extract the essence from sensory data. The subject is thus resolved in a juxtaposition of chromatic zones, with vivid and brilliant colors, which geometrically decompose the view. In this way, Canu creates an image charged with primary, immutable values, thanks to its expressive simplicity and chromatic strength. The application of color in fields, reminiscent of Gauguin's à plat, is achieved through dense, full-bodied brushstrokes. The light invades the entire scene, further crystallizing it in a timeless dimension.

Tore Canu was born in Sassari in 1930 to a modest family of artisans. His tumultuous and chaotic life began at the age of five when he began painting in the Piazza del Duomo in Sassari, causing considerable trouble for the priests, who often resorted to the police. His first works were mostly charcoal drawings of horses. He worked as a farmer and held a variety of jobs, but painting always remained his true love. He debuted with his first exhibition in Naples in 1952, after which he began touring Italy with highly successful solo exhibitions, where shepherds, workers, and priests were the focus of his pictorial world. Tore Canu passed away in 1982.

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