Italy

Luca Gastaldo

Varese

PUNTO SULL'ARTE International Contemporary Art

Painting

Stella del mattino

Parsimonia

Oltre il mare

Istanti gelidi

Attraverso la nebbia

Al nido del corvo

Il tuo centro

The powerful and evocative painting of LUCA GASTALDO will be on display at PUNTO SULL'ARTE Gallery with the solo exhibition SEEDS OF SPIRITS, where the artist paints the complex and magical universe of our imagination. The OPENING RECEPTION will be held on SATURDAY, May 4 from 11am to 1pm at the main Gallery in Viale Sant’Antonio 59/61, Varese (Casbeno).  The "SEEDS OF SPIRIT" in the title are born from the stories that Gastaldo collects from childhood readings. They are seeds of imagination, the non-material part of our being, from which the Milanese artist has always drawn for his paintings, characterized by a vivid romanticism, in search of the lived experience that becomes matter. In his paintings, there is always a source of light, whether it be from an illuminated window or a moonbeam, the glow of a sunrise or the flickering of distant street lamps. It is a guiding light, a restless soul that ultimately belongs to the artist, the flame of creation, the spark of memory. It is the same trust that humans have always had in change, in the spontaneous evolution of an idea, the materialization of a dream, a desire capable of giving colorful emotions.  «Gastaldo paints blue skies, the color of introspection and deep emotions, but also of spirituality. His landscapes sometimes depict the earth as merely a strip, a foundation on which to place the enchantment of matter, the memory of sounds, words, gestures, and stories that suddenly reveal themselves. This is how the story begins, the unconscious narrative of something that has long remained hidden deep within, sedimented in layers of memories, sometimes distant, others the result of immediate sensations evoked by music or a poetic verse», reads the critical text by Mario Chiodetti.«As a child, Luca used to listen to cassette tapes with fairy tales recited by famous actors, an extraordinary way to 'stock up' on an imagination that now serves as both a palette and a defense against a world that is too fast-paced. And that little house that often appears in his paintings is the one in his mind, illuminated by fantastic characters and incredible yet captivating stories».His paintings start with an idea, but often along the way, the direction changes, and imagination takes over. A lush sprout is grafted onto the initial story, as new sensations and memories emerge on the horizon, perhaps evoked by a musical listening or a poetic verse. Gastaldo searches within himself for the child who was fascinated by fairy tales and now explores the feelings of writers and poets, from Pascoli to Pavese, but also those of beloved musicians like Louis Prima, Fats Domino, or Tracy Chapman, a constant source of inspiration along with chromatic experimentation. In Luca's landscapes, the human figure rarely appears, but man, despite being absent, is the protagonist of the emotions conveyed by Nature, in a sort of ideal communion between spirit and matter. «My paintings come out on their own, maybe the initial idea is different, then it evolves into something else, but I don't forcefully seek novelty. I would like those who look at my works to express their own emotions just as I have expressed mine. For this reason, I would like to place a armchair in front of each canvas, to allow the exhibition visitor to sit as in a living room and "enter", through listening, into the story that I have visualized. In the past, in fact, I have also painted paintings related to songs, and I have created installations by placing hay bales on the ground in front of the works and spreading the scent of freshly cut grass in the air», says Gastaldo. The titles given to the canvases are also imaginative. «After finishing the painting, I put on some music to inspire me for the title, and sometimes I arrange a line from a poem or a verse from a song. It's a suggestion for interpreting the artwork».  The artist will be present at the Opening reception that will be held on SATURDAY, MAY 4 from 11am to 1pm at the main Gallery in Viale Sant'Antonio 59/61, Varese. The Gallery will then remain regularly open from 2 pm to 5 pm.The exhibition will be open until Saturday, June 1, 2024.  LUCA GASTALDO  was born in Milan in 1983. He graduates in painting at the Brera Fine Arts Academy and since 2006 he has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions all over Italy and abroad, among which it must be mentioned La casa di questa mia sera (2008) and La luce e il buio at Bianca Maria Rizzi Gallery in Milan, Tra suggestioni romantiche e vibrazioni contemporanee, at the European Parliament in Brussels (2010), La luce e il suo contrario at Fondazione Bandera per l'arte in Busto Arsizio, Varese (2011) and the trio show Lucenergia at PUNTO SULL'ARTE Gallery in Varese (2012). In the last few years the artist has taken part in many important solo shows all over Italy and he has often exhibited in Contemporary Art Fairs. Among his last exhibitions it must be mentioned Comunque a casa at Rubin Art Gallery (2017) and Sinestesie at PUNTO SULL’ARTE in Varese (2018).Luca Gastaldo's works have one main character: the sky, a vast lightened wing against which a world of shadows, of elements seen against the light is outlined, to create emotional atmospheres. Even if he applies the most diverse techniques, such as bitumen, rags, acrylic, paintbrushes, chalks, his works always derive from an almost unrestrained development of the initial concept. There are no incorporeal silhouettes, but perceptible volumes which, although hidden in darkness, are expressive, mobile, throbbing, like the thoughts filling and frightening our souls. Gastaldo does not paint trees, mountains or rivers, but emotions, memories, desires. A truly romantic painting, soaked with expected tragedy, fear of abandonment, attraction towards the phenomena of Nature, a powerful and still unknown element, like the emotions agitating life. He lives and works in Induno Olona (VA). 


Semi di spirito

Semi di spirito

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