What inspired you to create artwork and become an artist? (events, feelings, experiences...)
I believe that the need to create and express one’s vision or a feeling through art, begins with a visceral need at the dawn of incarnation, a gift from birth. The rest is research, study, exploration and application, in order to articulate narratives, necessary guides for the observer. Throughout my adolescence I found refuge in drawing, while creating a window on a world of dreams, possibilities, freedom. The inner battles that we experience during adolescence are generators of intense, sometimes shocking creativity and it is important to capture their essence. Unfortunately the current society forces pure souls to diminish, seeing art above all as a business where only a handful of individuals control the narrative, I find that very sad. These last years were decisive for me, to give myself entirely to painting, the pandemic was the opportunity. We are currently going through a dangerously transformative period and I think it is essential to preserve humanity, in order to evolve into a higher stage of consciousness, beyond the machine, which I see as a trap for the spirit.
What is your artistic background, the techniques and subjects you have experimented with to date?
Having left school very young, I set out on the tortuous paths of life in order to confront myself with the opportunities and obstacles encountered. I do not come from a privileged or artistic background, but I am proud and grateful to my family who gave me a solid foundation, allowing me to stand on my own two legs today. I had the chance on my journey, to meet people who brought very creative and humanly rich experiences into my life. Never having been very materialistic, I was able to accumulate a multitude of episodes enriching me on the level of the spirit and the heart. Throughout the past 40 years plus of my adult life, I have approached everything self taught. With tenacity and curiosity I have learned to master several skills. As a result, I have never been conditioned by educational courses, I have always conducted my research and studies freely. I experimented with several techniques of 20th century abstract art, ranging from gestures to improvisation…
Since 2021 my work has focused on abstract geometry, composed of flat areas of contrasting colours and executed with a hard-edge technique. Currently I am developing new works that will combine several techniques and effects of representation, as well as on various supports.
What are the 3 aspects that differentiate you from other artists, making your work unique?
Generally I don’t follow trends, I seek first of all to honestly express the uniqueness in what I want to share with the world.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Part of my inspiration arises in feelings of frustration, injustice, transcended by the act of creating a pictorial work, in order to accomplish the alchemy of black toward the light. I am also inspired by the forgotten, hidden history…by philosophy, spirituality, the human story throughout the ages, the question of origins, the universality of geometry ranging from microcosm to macrocosm.
What is your artistic approach? What visions, sensations or feelings do you want to evoke in the viewer?
I wish to trigger in the observer questions evoking beauty, purity, authenticity, simplicity, spirituality, impermanence, our place as humans in the universe…
What is the process of creating your works? Spontaneous or with a long preparatory process (technique, inspiration from art classics or other)?
always have paper on me to take notes, or to crunch a thought, an idea, a vision. Back in the studio I would draw up a sketch, a series of sketches in order to define the forms, composition, the palette and express roughly a cohesive outcome. Very often i let myself be guided by intuition in order to be surprised and realised this inner strength that cannot be learned, but is tamed and released.
Do you use a particular working technique? if yes, can you explain it?
am in the process of experimenting with new methods, but generally what is most important to me is the discipline of ritual, in order to access discoveries, evolutions and revelations.
Are there any innovative aspects in your work? Can you tell us which ones?
What I can say about this is that I am innovative in the measure of my uniqueness, through the expression of a universal consciousness.
Do you have a format or medium with which you are most comfortable? If so, why?
I am comfortable on medium format, but I am preparing work that will be presented on XL formats with various supports.
Where do you produce your works? At home, in a shared workshop or in your own workshop? And in this space, how do you organize your creative work?
Currently I produce my works in my studio, in my house, surrounded by nature.
Does your work lead you to travel to meet new collectors, for fairs or exhibitions? If so, what does it mean to you?
So far my physical encounters related to my art have occurred in London between 2021 and 2022.
Having recently moved back to France, I am in the process of connecting in order to present my work in France and beyond, in the months to come…
How do you imagine the evolution of your work and your career as an artist in the future?
Given my biological calendar, I intend to create as many physical works as possible. I want to deepen my knowledge on preservation, sustainability and duration. I am wasting as little time as possible with digital because I believe it can disappear very suddenly.
What is the theme, style or technique of your latest artistic production?
My most recent productions have been very strongly influenced by the pandemic, the precariousness of our freedoms and rights, especially in urban areas. Translated into my urban compositions, as well as abstract portraits, representing despite the masks, our ability to transcend the limitations imposed, and to dream new realities. My latest series is more minimalist, reflecting my life today, away from urban chaos, surrounded by nature, listening to what is important and vital.
If you could invite any famous artist (dead or alive) to dinner, who would it be? How would you suggest he spend the evening?
There are several, but this time I would invite René Magritte, for an exchange about other dimensions, parallel worlds, the importance of symbols in a work of art…
Olimpia Gaia Martinelli
