2012 - Galleria Gagliardi, San Gimignano
NOTES FOR REBUILDING BEAUTY
(We reduced ourselves to butchered meat and then ate ourselves.) press relaise
Ten new paintings from two developing pictorial series that share a single context: “Appunti per la ricostruzione della bellezza” (Notes for rebuilding beauty).The first series, “hasta mañana mi amor” investigates the affectionate gestures and tenderness shared by lovers portrayed in intimate moments, captured just when they wish each other goodnight; there’s a hypothetical night of sleep or oblivion in front of them, which could also metaphorically be “a nuttata”*, as quoted in the Italian comedy of Eduardo de Filippo**, which they face with this uncomplicated and disarming optimism determined by the certainty of their reciprocal passion: ”see you in the morning my darling”.The second series “blues” are single female portraits captured in moments of thoughtful abandon, immersed in their mystery; apparently unfathomable and “untellable” moods that find communicative release thanks only to their unbridled sincerity, like a blues, hence the name.Flesh and the body are the human spectacle par excellence; the most mysterious and less mysterious of all. Everything depends solely on the gaze of the spectator.It is possible to rebuild beauty, because we have the rubble in front of us.In his personal show, for the very first time artist Riccardo Mannelli presents a series of pictorial works with a clear message: all of us, now more than ever before, have a strong inner need to regain a sense of beauty: beauty as harmony, balance, perception of subtle emotions. The search for beauty as a positive value, reaching truth in sentiments and relations with others.The beauty of rediscovering the enchantment of life.
* "a nuttata" : a long and difficult night. (In Italian, the meaning of this sentence is: “let’s hope to overcome a particularly difficult time.” )Eduardo de Filippo (Naples, 24th May 1900 - Rome, 31st October 1984) playwright, actor, film and theater director, poet, was one of the leading exponents of 20th century Italian Culture.
NOTES FOR REBUILDING BEAUTY solo exhibition by Riccardo Mannelli, from 31/03/2012 to 22/04/2012 - Galleria Gagliardi