What prompted you to get closer to art and become an artist (events, feelings, experiences...)
I started painting in my early childhood, but then moved on to dancing. Certified and accomplished choreographer, I returned to painting as an adult, quite by chance! When we opened the second dance school, it was necessary to decorate the white walls. a big renovation, there was no more money, I had to take brushes and a canvas and I tried to paint the dancers. I made it! I immediately understood that the visual arts were not just a painting that allowed me to express my thoughts and feelings, just like in choreography, the stage in this case being the canvas. Painting has also become a meditation for me, a painkiller after exhausting dance rehearsals and a means of self-fulfilment. |When I heard the good comments from my dancers on some of my early canvases that adorned the white walls of a new dance school, I felt like wings were growing on my back! I wanted to understand all the techniques of the visual arts! I started painting obsessively with different painting mediums. A few years ago, I discovered sculpture. Now nothing and no one can stop me!
What is your artistic background, what techniques and themes have you tried so far?
My work is a cry from the heart, my emotional state. I like not only to make people think, but also to speculate on what I have to say. In one way or another, an allegory hides in each of my sculptures. I started with carbon pencils and pastels and now I work mostly with acrylic, oil, resin and clay. I like to experiment with the most diverse textures and techniques. I try to make my works as lively as possible. My later works express my emotions more using a spray technique, which gives the figurative paintings and sculptures an expressionistic undertone in the background.
What are the three aspects that distinguish you from other artists and that make your work unique?
I distinguish myself from others by the fact that I cannot and do not want to confine myself to one of the techniques, but that I try to apprehend new styles, new techniques, both in the plastic arts and in the sculpture. I sometimes experiment with incompatible materials and discover new possibilities for ordinary things. My favorite theme in sculpture was the combination of recycling with clay and the technique of projection in painting, which has become my trademark. Aspects: 1.I think my work is perceived philosophically, but not superficially. 2.i don't want to prove anything to the world, i just want to arouse feelings with my sculptures and paintings. 3. I think I'm seen as a versatile artist so far.
Where does your inspiration come from?
In painting, I take on energy and inspiration from artists like Guy Denning, Anna Dittmann and Ewa Hauton! Among contemporary sculptors, I find the sculptures of Spanish artist Jesús Curiá and Michael James Talbot unmatched!!! And above all, my muse is my husband and our love!
What is the intention of your art? What visions, sensations or emotions do you want to arouse in the viewer?
My mission is to awaken people, to give them something to think about, to motivate them to realize their dreams, to love everything and everyone around them! Vision: that there will be no place in the world for pessimism and indifference and that love and beauty will rule the world. The main theme of my art is the love of life, everything around me, people, my work, love is universal!
How are your works born? Spontaneously or with a long process of preparation (technique, inspiration by art classics or other)?
I never plan what I'm going to do the next day. Depending on the circumstances of the situation and my state of mind, thoughts and images form in my head. For example, I cannot ignore the emergency situation in the world at the moment and therefore my latest sculptural works revolve around Ukraine and the war.
What are your favorite techniques and, if so, can you explain them?
In the plastic arts, I work preferably with acrylic in spray technique, the portrait and the figurative are my favorite subjects, both in painting and in sculpture. Almost all my sculptures are made in a mixed technique from self-drying clay and embedded metal or wooden parts, which makes them unique pieces for the most part!
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
Of course, like any creative person, I have my own technical secrets, how my clay sculptures achieve the hardness of stone without firing, and how I manage to install different materials. I only share this technique with my dear and loving - my husband.
Do you have a format or medium that you feel most comfortable with, if so, why?
Before, when I was just painting, I used to combine all kinds of colors and mediums, textures of fabrics, different textures in one painting, but I always lacked space on a canvas - it seemed to limit me. When I started making sculptures, I realized what I was missing - the 3D effect! I love this process: using clay paste to go from a metal frame to a full-fledged object . It's simply magical! And realizing that I'm doing this magic makes me happy.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a collective or private workshop? And how is your production organized in this space?
I have an art studio in my dance school, where I also teach art. But I prefer to work at home, in my small workshop. I feel good and calm there. With all this, I really enjoy being with the person I love next to me (my husband helps me weld metal frames for my sculptures) and we are inseparable.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, to attend shows or exhibitions? If so, what benefits do you derive from it?
We travel at every opportunity. We often exhibit in different international art exhibitions and fairs, which we often visit only to inspect ourselves and get aesthetic pleasure. Most of my sales are through online galleries and social platforms.
How do you envision your work and your character as an artist evolving in the future?
I would love to travel, discover new cultures, get inspired for new sculptures and paintings, be healthy and free, be creative. Be present in many live galleries and not only online. I want my sales to increase and stay stable. I would like to better organize and optimize my sales via social networks. I would like to organize my day in such a way that I spend more time creating than dealing with administration. I pursue these goals because I am extroverted by nature and always need strong emotions to create something unique and original. Just like Luft, I need recognition and attention. is only possible with the help of social networks and through live galleries.
What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?
The sculpture I am making is "Ikarus. Ready to fly!" mixed media. On a metal dump, I bought a rusty metal rack for car tires and at that moment I received the image of a young man ready to take off.
Can you tell us about your most significant exhibition experience?
The most significant and decisive for me was my first individual exhibition in my home town of Kiel, where I realized in 2012 that people liked what I was doing! When I received the first offer to sell my works, I realized that what I was doing made people happy and could bring me not only satisfaction, but also income. After some time, I joined a few online galleries. I am happy and proud to see that my works inspire and touch their owners all over the world!
If you could have created a famous work in the history of art, which one would you have chosen? And why would you choose it?
When I found casings in a junkyard, the first thing that came to mind was a Syrian girl building the sun with beautiful gold casings. While I was modeling a Syrian girl, the war started in Ukraine. My latest sculpture, Stolen Childhood, speaks of a little girl who lost everything and everyone during the war, but who, with the spontaneity inherent in childhood, found in the street, even without colors or pencils, many and beautiful golden sockets and made a smiling sun.
If you could invite one famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? What would you suggest he do to spend the evening?
I would love to chat with Michael James Talbot. His sculptures are inspiring and wildly beautiful. I think we would talk about beauty because "beauty will save the world" is the phrase of the great classic Fyodor Dostoyevsky. When talking about the beauty of a person, many think first of all of an attractive outer shell. But what is a beautiful shape without filling it? This is a question that all human beings should ask themselves. I am absolutely certain that beauty heals, uplifts and this "currency" is immortal! When it comes to art, some people may argue that it is not always beautiful, but in reality, the same piece should not be beautiful for everyone. After all, one person's views differ greatly from the other on many aspects of life, with each having a different understanding of peace, hope, love, and happiness. And even two very close people do not see the same work of art in the same way. Beauty is a subjective notion. It is reflected in your preferences. It is she who finds an answer in my heart! It is on this ability of people to be contaminated by feelings resulting from my work that my activity is based. ... Some people can achieve a sense of well-being by using my sculptures and paintings as therapy. They allow them not only to relax, but also to clarify their thoughts. My works express my inner feelings, have power over emotions, induce certain actions and sometimes even open their eyes to what people hadn't noticed before.
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
