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STAMPA
ARTECULTURA 2001/1
ARTECULTURA 2001/2
LANDSCAPES OF THE MIND IN THE WORLD OF LIFE
A solitary, intimate dialogue with light emerges from Fiorella Bertuzzo’s intense paintings. In her work, the paint unfolds like an open autobiography rich in impulses, suggestions, and charming sensations. At the heart of all this lies the artist’s full conviction of her own creative tension, but also her realization of the infinite possibilities of the “traditional” pictorial language, which, if properly used, can offer glimpses of candid and sensitive poetry, as is the case with her art.
Bertuzzo employs an expressive language that explores emotions. Memories, reflective and pensive moods, enchanting settings, at times pervaded by a vaguely oriental flavor, evoke an energy she infuses in her paintings in great abundance, without resorting to exaggerated tones or shapes. From this point of view, her pictorial influences seem to reflect a penchant for “Impressionist” art, yet only in her awareness of the “fundamental” role played by feelings in the magic and meaning of painting. Furthermore, Impressionism aims at attaining a “naturalistic” and “external” understanding of the mutable and ever-changing plays of light and its infinite reflections. Bertuzzo, on the other hand, observes emotions or the luminous pulse of a color, as a means to personal introspection, conferring a “contemplative” aura upon her paintings.
She embarks on a cultural and psychological journey, drawing inspiration from Renoir’s billowing forms, so to speak. She then elevates herself elegiacally toward a warm and soft light holding the space in an all-pervading loving embrace. The outward quality of Impressionism is underplayed in favor of more “intimate” chromatic tones, which are more a reflection of the artist’s psychological state. After all, this was the approach taken by Bonnard, who delved deeper into Impressionist art making it more voluptuously meditative. As for Bertuzzo’s painting subjects, in Interiors, Still Lifes, and Portraits the female figure predominates, emphasizing the intimate psychological subtlety that animates her expressive journey. Her visual imagery is neither ostentatious nor emphatic. Rather, it possesses the ordinary intuition of the poetic mystery of daily life, as found in the objects and people of our own unique existence.
On a more strictly “technical” level, the consistency of her painting style is worthy of note, causing light to fragment into an organic luminous substance that transfigures solid matter. Matter is no longer volume, but a simulacrum, almost a sort of natural apparition. Light and matter interpenetrate, forming chromatic atmospheres of a sensitive vibration. Color is entirely absorbed by light, as clearly illustrated in Symphony in Pink, pictured on the cover. Space is saturated with light, yet, at the same time, becomes open and fluid and seems to evoke a sense of time and its passing. Although visibly recognizable, space is not a physical place in Bertuzzo’s paintings, but rather a soul dimension, a reflection of the passing of time, and the transformation of situations, as captured by her memory as she experiences them. It would be inaccurate to define her work as an “intimate escape.” On the contrary, she performs a detailed analysis of emotions, not through the abstraction of doctrinal evaluations or models, but following the impalpable flow of life.
A solitary, intimate dialogue with light emerges from Fiorella Bertuzzo’s intense paintings. In her work, the paint unfolds like an open autobiography rich in impulses, suggestions, and charming sensations. At the heart of all this lies the artist’s full conviction of her own creative tension, but also her realization of the infinite possibilities of the “traditional” pictorial language, which, if properly used, can offer glimpses of candid and sensitive poetry, as is the case with her art.
Bertuzzo employs an expressive language that explores emotions. Memories, reflective and pensive moods, enchanting settings, at times pervaded by a vaguely oriental flavor, evoke an energy she infuses in her paintings in great abundance, without resorting to exaggerated tones or shapes. From this point of view, her pictorial influences seem to reflect a penchant for “Impressionist” art, yet only in her awareness of the “fundamental” role played by feelings in the magic and meaning of painting. Furthermore, Impressionism aims at attaining a “naturalistic” and “external” understanding of the mutable and ever-changing plays of light and its infinite reflections. Bertuzzo, on the other hand, observes emotions or the luminous pulse of a color, as a means to personal introspection, conferring a “contemplative” aura upon her paintings.
She embarks on a cultural and psychological journey, drawing inspiration from Renoir’s billowing forms, so to speak. She then elevates herself elegiacally toward a warm and soft light holding the space in an all-pervading loving embrace. The outward quality of Impressionism is underplayed in favor of more “intimate” chromatic tones, which are more a reflection of the artist’s psychological state. After all, this was the approach taken by Bonnard, who delved deeper into Impressionist art making it more voluptuously meditative. As for Bertuzzo’s painting subjects, in Interiors, Still Lifes, and Portraits the female figure predominates, emphasizing the intimate psychological subtlety that animates her expressive journey. Her visual imagery is neither ostentatious nor emphatic. Rather, it possesses the ordinary intuition of the poetic mystery of daily life, as found in the objects and people of our own unique existence.
On a more strictly “technical” level, the consistency of her painting style is worthy of note, causing light to fragment into an organic luminous substance that transfigures solid matter. Matter is no longer volume, but a simulacrum, almost a sort of natural apparition. Light and matter interpenetrate, forming chromatic atmospheres of a sensitive vibration. Color is entirely absorbed by light, as clearly illustrated in Symphony in Pink, pictured on the cover. Space is saturated with light, yet, at the same time, becomes open and fluid and seems to evoke a sense of time and its passing. Although visibly recognizable, space is not a physical place in Bertuzzo’s paintings, but rather a soul dimension, a reflection of the passing of time, and the transformation of situations, as captured by her memory as she experiences them. It would be inaccurate to define her work as an “intimate escape.” On the contrary, she performs a detailed analysis of emotions, not through the abstraction of doctrinal evaluations or models, but following the impalpable flow of life.
ARTECULTURA 2001/3
Then, naturally, thanks to her talent and sensitivity, the painter avoids any pedantry and “immerses” the viewer in the quasi-“magnetic” energy stemming from light and chromatic expansion.
The “static” quality of Bertuzzo’s paintings is only apparent. Beyond the surface, we perceive movement, which is not so much developed visually, but rather as a sort of spiritual energy penetrating through shapes and making them pulsate with life. It is in the very silence and omnipresence of this vital energy, that we find an echo of her own personal “introspective realism,” which is aimed at the exploration of an inner spiritual journey, rather than the depiction of clearly recognizable figurative images.
Bertuzzo’s painting style unravels within its learned mnemonic tension, where memory becomes a coherent research element that fosters a creative interchange between past and present. The painter manages to place a soft emphasis on atmospheres arising not only from light and color, but also from the enigmatic presence of the objects, as catalysts of feelings, thoughts, or meditations.
This does not mean that the artist indulges in metaphysical pursuits, far from it. Rather, she intensifies reality to the point of condensing it into an idea which is “pure” yet charged with poetic carnality. Her representation of “Hands,” in which the truth of objects and a reflection on that very reality coalesce into a vigorous synthesis, is a telling example.
Bertuzzo’s pictorial style is reminiscent of 19th century art and literature, which, after all, were the highest expression of the psychological realism so finely pursued by the artist and which was certainly not developed as a form of anachronistic replication. Rather, the painter drew poetic inspiration to reproduce a privileged and lucid analysis of her own self and the own subconscious landscapes of her mind and body, in the turbulent climate of contemporary visual arts.
The “static” quality of Bertuzzo’s paintings is only apparent. Beyond the surface, we perceive movement, which is not so much developed visually, but rather as a sort of spiritual energy penetrating through shapes and making them pulsate with life. It is in the very silence and omnipresence of this vital energy, that we find an echo of her own personal “introspective realism,” which is aimed at the exploration of an inner spiritual journey, rather than the depiction of clearly recognizable figurative images.
Bertuzzo’s painting style unravels within its learned mnemonic tension, where memory becomes a coherent research element that fosters a creative interchange between past and present. The painter manages to place a soft emphasis on atmospheres arising not only from light and color, but also from the enigmatic presence of the objects, as catalysts of feelings, thoughts, or meditations.
This does not mean that the artist indulges in metaphysical pursuits, far from it. Rather, she intensifies reality to the point of condensing it into an idea which is “pure” yet charged with poetic carnality. Her representation of “Hands,” in which the truth of objects and a reflection on that very reality coalesce into a vigorous synthesis, is a telling example.
Bertuzzo’s pictorial style is reminiscent of 19th century art and literature, which, after all, were the highest expression of the psychological realism so finely pursued by the artist and which was certainly not developed as a form of anachronistic replication. Rather, the painter drew poetic inspiration to reproduce a privileged and lucid analysis of her own self and the own subconscious landscapes of her mind and body, in the turbulent climate of contemporary visual arts.
ARTECULTURA 2002/1
ARTECULTURA 2002/2
THE REALITY OF THOUGHT IN THE PURE LAMINATE OF LIGHT
We can state with absolute certainty that the only, true, decisive contemporary art revolution began once artists abandoned mythological depictions, battle scenes, or devotional representations of the Sacred History. Embarking on the difficult and often impenetrable exploration into the world of feelings and infinite and subtle emotional patterns, they redefined the relationship between art and thought, artistic image creation and perception in a new way. This transition started in the Romantic era, in the early 1800s, with visions that were idealistic (Friederich), leaning toward the sublime (Turner, Constable) or, else, steeped in expressive heroism (Delacroix). However, we should stress that this research attained its most intense and fascinating results, when the analysis of feelings and inner reality was not so much connected with the world of dreams and fantasy, but rather the continuous unfolding of life, observed in the thick of its existential and daily conflicts. Fiorella Bertuzzo’s pictorial research falls into this very psychological and cultural dimension.
Her paintings depicting scenes ranging from “interiors” to highly personal interpretations of the female figure, from still lifes to landscapes, express this very desire to understand the invisible realm of emotions and the unpredictable and spontaneous movements of the mind. Her representations become poetic, sensitive transfigurations of impulses, stimuli that are not abstract, but weave the intangible patterns that form the fabric of human relationships. In terms of style, Bertuzzo’s paintings exhibit a marked figurative orientation, which is vibrant and luminous. Her art is instinctive and the ductility of her technical experience does not hinder, but rather fully enhances her natural inclination towards the pictorial dialogue. Her figurative choice is neither “New” or “Classical.” Rather than emulating the abstraction of certain artistic theories, it reflects her inner creative sphere, expressing her own psychological universe with intelligence and elegance. In this case, the artist’s figurative representation does not linger on the narrative or anecdotal, but draws nourishment from memories, the silent recollection of a thought, a perception, or desire, to which the figure provides a unique and most befitting frame. Can we detect an impressionistic imprint in her paintings? Without a doubt, the artist works on impressions. These impressions however are not merely ocular or external. They come from reality, her objective references, yet at the same time are transformed by the work of the mind as well as a constant reflective and self-reflective sensitivity.
We can state with absolute certainty that the only, true, decisive contemporary art revolution began once artists abandoned mythological depictions, battle scenes, or devotional representations of the Sacred History. Embarking on the difficult and often impenetrable exploration into the world of feelings and infinite and subtle emotional patterns, they redefined the relationship between art and thought, artistic image creation and perception in a new way. This transition started in the Romantic era, in the early 1800s, with visions that were idealistic (Friederich), leaning toward the sublime (Turner, Constable) or, else, steeped in expressive heroism (Delacroix). However, we should stress that this research attained its most intense and fascinating results, when the analysis of feelings and inner reality was not so much connected with the world of dreams and fantasy, but rather the continuous unfolding of life, observed in the thick of its existential and daily conflicts. Fiorella Bertuzzo’s pictorial research falls into this very psychological and cultural dimension.
Her paintings depicting scenes ranging from “interiors” to highly personal interpretations of the female figure, from still lifes to landscapes, express this very desire to understand the invisible realm of emotions and the unpredictable and spontaneous movements of the mind. Her representations become poetic, sensitive transfigurations of impulses, stimuli that are not abstract, but weave the intangible patterns that form the fabric of human relationships. In terms of style, Bertuzzo’s paintings exhibit a marked figurative orientation, which is vibrant and luminous. Her art is instinctive and the ductility of her technical experience does not hinder, but rather fully enhances her natural inclination towards the pictorial dialogue. Her figurative choice is neither “New” or “Classical.” Rather than emulating the abstraction of certain artistic theories, it reflects her inner creative sphere, expressing her own psychological universe with intelligence and elegance. In this case, the artist’s figurative representation does not linger on the narrative or anecdotal, but draws nourishment from memories, the silent recollection of a thought, a perception, or desire, to which the figure provides a unique and most befitting frame. Can we detect an impressionistic imprint in her paintings? Without a doubt, the artist works on impressions. These impressions however are not merely ocular or external. They come from reality, her objective references, yet at the same time are transformed by the work of the mind as well as a constant reflective and self-reflective sensitivity.
ARTECULTURA 2002/3
Bertuzzo’s expressive approach follows in the steps of the more established pictorial tradition. The artist shows a distinct predilection for a fluid evanescence of the flesh, finding its endless self-renewal in light. This very quality confers a high degree of sensitivity upon the figure, which the painter regards as a matter of poetic existential projection, rather than mere representation. In order to achieve this result, the form sheds its arid or aseptic plasticity, turning into a “veritable embodiment of atmosphere.” We then sense the quiver, the organic vibration of light, the space coming to life. Thus, it is worth noting that, despite borrowing some techniques from Impressionist painters, Bertuzzo amplifies their visual expression through a tonality that does not refract into thousands of rivulets of reflecting light, but rather becomes a terse interpenetration of thought and vision. Over the course of her career, she has been able to maintain and refine her own personal artistic style in her visual representation. At the same time she was not influenced by the experimentation of the historical or neo avant-gardes or pompous academicism. Her art springs from the desire to investigate the human mystery and explore it pictorially in the realities of its own emotions and unique atmospheres that stem from it. The paintings illuminated by the most intense light, are evocative of Bonnardian qualities.
Backgrounds are very important in the artist’s work. They are not mere projection planes, but pure layers of energy emanating from and permeating the figure. By observing her compositions, more emphasis must be placed on the value of light, a light capturing the emotional tensions of the paintings with vigorous tonal cuts. It is hard to say whether she corrodes or illuminates her figures and landscapes. As a result, her forms are smooth and fluid. They are capable of revealing the torsions of a past carnality that pulsates with energy, revealing itself in its highest dimension of coherent beauty, particularly in the depiction of hands. In her figures, we perceive her abandonment of all abstractly classical ideality. For her, “personal experience,” devoid of any rhetoric, must be the only authentic point of reference, as an endless source of inspiration.
Backgrounds are very important in the artist’s work. They are not mere projection planes, but pure layers of energy emanating from and permeating the figure. By observing her compositions, more emphasis must be placed on the value of light, a light capturing the emotional tensions of the paintings with vigorous tonal cuts. It is hard to say whether she corrodes or illuminates her figures and landscapes. As a result, her forms are smooth and fluid. They are capable of revealing the torsions of a past carnality that pulsates with energy, revealing itself in its highest dimension of coherent beauty, particularly in the depiction of hands. In her figures, we perceive her abandonment of all abstractly classical ideality. For her, “personal experience,” devoid of any rhetoric, must be the only authentic point of reference, as an endless source of inspiration.
ARTECULTURA 2002/4
Bertuzzo’s naturalistic approach is not based on a mere documenting narrative. Rather, she constructs visual pictorial spaces, which transfigure reality lyrically, weaving a thin layer of dreams into it. With her highly sophisticated technique, she celebrates painting for the exploration of its expressive means, its internal pulsating heart, without resorting to methods or processes that do not resonate with its essence. Fortunately, there has never been a “return to painting” for Bertuzzo. Painting is her natural means of communication and, most importantly, a testimony to her unique personal identity.
Her work reveals an ancient flavor, the feel of a tradition that is capable of self-renewal, if perceived by open, non-judgmental minds. A constant in her compositions is her expressive dynamism, as an “internal” painting quality, rather than an external perceptive element. In this respect, the pictorial movement suggested by the artist, although visually discernable, is more psychological than physical. After all, it appears quite obvious how this concept might be difficult to grasp, as it does not stem from limitations or comparisons with external reality (typically seen in Impressionism and Futurism, with different purposes). Instead, it is the result of feelings, true poetry, of that type of intelligence defined by Pascal as esprit de finesse. In her images Bertuzzo charmingly unveils the organic magic of matter and nature, made of impulses, sudden chromatic ascensions, translucent surfaces, transparencies. Her paintings reveal a sort of Baroque of the subconscious, rising from the depths of the soul. Without exuberant, phantasmagorical manifestations, they breathe life and vitality into figures, bodies, faces shaped by her intense and vibrant brushstrokes.
Finding artists with such determined faith in painting is not easy today. It used to be so in the past, but currently it is a harder, more insidious, yet more fulfilling task. The immediacy of photography, video and installation laid the foundation for the so-called “Mass Avant-Garde,” as Calvesi defined it.
Her work reveals an ancient flavor, the feel of a tradition that is capable of self-renewal, if perceived by open, non-judgmental minds. A constant in her compositions is her expressive dynamism, as an “internal” painting quality, rather than an external perceptive element. In this respect, the pictorial movement suggested by the artist, although visually discernable, is more psychological than physical. After all, it appears quite obvious how this concept might be difficult to grasp, as it does not stem from limitations or comparisons with external reality (typically seen in Impressionism and Futurism, with different purposes). Instead, it is the result of feelings, true poetry, of that type of intelligence defined by Pascal as esprit de finesse. In her images Bertuzzo charmingly unveils the organic magic of matter and nature, made of impulses, sudden chromatic ascensions, translucent surfaces, transparencies. Her paintings reveal a sort of Baroque of the subconscious, rising from the depths of the soul. Without exuberant, phantasmagorical manifestations, they breathe life and vitality into figures, bodies, faces shaped by her intense and vibrant brushstrokes.
Finding artists with such determined faith in painting is not easy today. It used to be so in the past, but currently it is a harder, more insidious, yet more fulfilling task. The immediacy of photography, video and installation laid the foundation for the so-called “Mass Avant-Garde,” as Calvesi defined it.
ARTECULTURA 2002/5
Perhaps, due to a type of “knowledge” that is not immediate, but the result of a long and complex practice, painting will soon become an elite medium. More secluded or hidden, far from useless clamor and more open to perceiving the secret depths of human emotions, beyond sociological diatribes and the pollution of the so-called “Entertainment society.” This possibility does not seem to worry Bertuzzo in the least. On the contrary, it stimulates her continuous pictorial exploration in order to deepen the meaning and wonder of pictorial research. Through painting she expresses her clear approach in terms of style and form. These goals are attained thanks to her sensitive mastery of color, space, and gestural strokes. In light of these fascinating premises, Bertuzzo’s paintings will surely open up new expressive horizons, in which shapes and colors can freely define the infinite facets of the human condition and its pressing and extraordinary contradictions.
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