Cappelle sul Tavo, Italy, 1960 . Lives and works in Cappelle sul Tavo, Italy
La luce e il colori, verde del prati, 2011
Colour impasto and gold leaf
39 X 39 in
Italian artist Ettore Spalletti is renowned for his pieces in different tones of blue, cobalt, pink, gray and dusky red, a palette that has allowed him to experiment with the possibilities of these colors for several decades. Through his production he analyzes themes like geometry, precision and the spiritual properties of simple materials.
In order to create pieces like La luce e il colori, verde dil prati and Bianco del geso, oro, the artist prepares an impasto with oils that he dilutes with various pigments in addition to powdered chalk. He puts a layer of paint on the canvas and repeats the process for several days, at the same time each day. The final color is not achieved until the pigments are spread across the surface using a process of abrasion or frottage that gives it an opaque, velvety aspect.
The edges are also very important parts of these pieces. In works like Bianco del geso, oro they make it such that at first glance we are not even sure of the exact shape of the canvas. Rather than a traditional, square-format painting, what we see is really a sort of rhomboid whose sides are of different thicknesses. For its part, the gold leaf that serves as a key element of Bianco del geso, oro and La luce e il colori, verde dil prati lends a luminous quality to these pieces.
Spalletti plays with forms, colors and shadows, creating pieces that are in constant transition.