«Bright spots to the rescue of the offended eye for staring into horrible darkness» ~ NIETZSCHE
The art of gesture, the courage to expand one's consciousness on a two-dimensional surface by jotting down numbers, figures, symbols in a whirling ascent into oneself. A path of art that in its expressive fury brings the mind back to an equally difficult inner and esoteric path of ‘sinister’ memory. A style of painting that first and foremost manifests itself through a ritual, a private ceremony, where the artist interrogates and investigates the currents that flow through him. Emanuele Fortunati's paintings seem to be realised in a short space of time, indeed, the creative rush seems to accompany the work at every moment as it runs out before our eyes through tears, lacerations, metempsychic migrations [from the greek μετεμψύχωσις, composed of μετά (proposition indicating “transfer”), ἐν («inside») and ψυχή («soul»).].
The painting would thus emerge as the last stage in a creative and inner process that had begun earlier. The attentive, inspired eye catches the chromatic traces of the fight that took place on a plane that we are not allowed to see, but of which we discern the traces left on the canvas.
Every now and then, incrustations surface, feeble moments in which the material seems to ripple, become less fluid and the process that brought it there becomes obscure and disordered.
One can sense that the artist in those moments ran astray in some communication problem, and a kind of disregarded frequency emerged, perhaps unexpected, which imploded upon itself without expressing itself clearly. These traces are like spontaneous abortions, words and thoughts that have not been grasped and are self-destructing.
Hence, Fortunati's painting seems to tell us of interrupted, but dramatically sought-after, wanted and held dialogues. The artist seems to know that time is his enemy. Inspiration must be sought until the crucial moment, when one must quickly register what is passing before it fades away. Just as Fortunati's paintings seemed to me to be the fruit of phantasmal apparitions, so I have tried to translate them into equally elusive words, so that they remain a letter understood only by those who have glimpsed those same effluvia.
The focus of Emanuele's interest is people: “For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in the concept of identity. We do not know who we really are: we have a family, we belong to a given society, we do a certain job that gives us a specific role. It is a way of life through which we have labels of various kinds put on us. Identity, thus, becomes a complex concept as it is linked to others and everything around us except what we really are. [...]”
Emanuele Fortunati embodies an approach to art and life that challenges boundaries and overcomes barriers. There are two ways to live: accept rules and limits, or see every boundary as a springboard to new discoveries. Fortunati fully embraces the second, living as a rebellious heart and a free spirit.
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With each brushstroke and each creation, he invites those who view his works to join him in this wonderful adventure, to see beyond boundaries and rediscover the immense potential that resides in each of us.
Listen to the full interview here.
