brilliant ideas episode #9: francesco clemente · by the charm of each culture. clemente paid...

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Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente Pioneer of the Italian Transavantgarde Concocting a Mixture of East and West

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Page 1: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

Brilliant�Ideas�Episode�#9:�Francesco�ClementePioneer�of�the�Italian�Transavantgarde��

Concocting�a�Mixture�of�East�and�West

Page 2: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

The�1998�film�adaptation�of�Charles�Dickens’�“Great�Expectations”�was�a

visual�treat,�with�several�scenes�reminiscent�of�fairy�tales�as�the�story�was

presented�through�the�protagonist,�a�painter.�The�artist’s�unique,�elementary

drawings�of�nature�depicting�fish,�cats,�seagulls�and�stars�were�contrasted

with�mature�dark�portraits.�Although�the�dichotomy�was�quite�stark,�all�the

works�featured�in�the�film�were�created�by�a�single�artist:�Italian�painter

Francesco�Clemente.

A�student�of�the�classics,�Clemente�became�interested�in�Eastern�culture

through�his�travels.�Enchanted�by�the�aesthetics�of�India�in�particular,�the

artist�began�to�experiment�in�his�work�by�blending�East�and�West�together.

His�ideas�today�fuse�together�Italy’s�ancient�art,�literature,�mythology�and

religion�with�classical�Western�elements.�In�the�ninth�episode�of�Brilliant

Ideas�brought�to�you�by�Bloomberg�and�Hyundai,�meet�the�artist�and�his

eclectic�ideas.

Page 3: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

Clemente�was�born�in�the�beautiful�port�city�of�Naples,�in�a�family�with

aristocratic�roots.�From�a�young�age,�he�displayed�an�exceptional�talent�in

painting.�Referring�to�himself�as�a�“painter�by�default,”�it�was�this�disposition

that�played�a�decisive�factor�in�his�decision�to�leave�his�studies�in

architecture�at�the�University�of�Rome�to�pursue�art�on�his�own.�His�early

work�was�contemporary�with�the�Arte�Povera�movement,�which�had�been

dominating�the�Italian�field�along�with�other�conceptual�art�styles�featuring

everyday�objects.�However,�Clemente�and�other�artists�such�as�Sandro�Chia

and�Enzo�Cucchi�adhered�to�classical�painting�methods�and�mediums.�His

persistence�eventually�placed�him�at�the�forefront�of�the�1970s

Transavantguardia�movement�in�Italy.�Chia,�Clemente,�Cucchi�were�even

nicknamed�the�“Transavantguardia�Trio,”�recognized�for�their�Neo-

expressionist�efforts�to�return�to�figurative�painting,�yet�they�maintained�a

certain�distance�from�social�and�political�issues�of�their�time.�Italian

contemporary�art�critic�and�curator�Achille�Bonito�Oliva�identified�the�trio�as

the�most�unconstrained�souls�of�all�history.�Clemente’s�paintings,�rich�with

unique�form�and�painted�on�canvases�of�pure�imagination�and�intuition,

testify�to�that�freedom.�Timeless�themes�such�the�relationship�between�man

and�nature,�life�and�death,�are�also�found�in�the�artist’s�works,�relevant�to�his

interests�honed�through�his�experiences�abroad.

A�new�wave�of�Italian�art

Page 4: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

To�understand�his�art,�it�helps�to�first�look�at�Clemente’s�life�of�travel.�As�he

once�said:�“My�works�are�always�associated�with�travel,�and�inseparably

connected�to�the�indigenous�cultures�of�the�places�I�traveled.”�He�first�went

overseas�in�1972,�exploring�Afghanistan,�India,�Jamaica�and�Mexico,�attracted

by�the�charm�of�each�culture.�Clemente�paid�particular�interest�to�the�diverse

cultural�idiosyncrasies�he�experienced�in�each�locale,�and�his�paintings

reflect�those�details�as�cumulative�memory.

Working�across�a�range�of�media�such�as�watercolor,�pastel,�fresco�and�oil,

Clemente�creates�art�that�embodies�metaphysical�imagery�and�symbols

loaned�from�exotic�cultures.�The�different�themes�and�styles,�perspectives

and�emotions,�techniques�and�materials�he�found�in�India�allowed�him�to

move�beyond�the�Italian�transavantgarde�and�into�a�novel�realm�that�he

would�not�have�experienced�had�he�stayed�in�Rome.�While�living�in�India,

Clemente�was�most�drawn�to�the�country’s�cultural�and�spiritual�wholeness.

He�was�inspired�to�create�works�that�explore�Hinduism,�mixing�in�Western

classicism�through�a�distinctly�Italian�set�of�eyes.�This�approach�often

manifested�itself�in�depictions�of�conflicting�elements�like�life�and�death,

male�and�female,�day�and�night.�He�continued�to�draw�on�paper�and�sought

new�subjects�for�his�work.�With�the�human�form,�particularly�the�female

figure,�the�artist�created�unique�interpretations�that�emphasized�sexuality,

myth�and�spirituality.�People�are�often�his�main�subject,�displayed�in�strange

poses.�Some�of�his�paintings�reveal�female�genitalia,�plainly�depict�sexual

activities,�human�excrement,�and�overall�do�not�shy�away�grotesque�imagery.

All�of�these�elements�can�be�traced�to�his�time�in�India,�in�response�to�the

Portraying�the�charm�of�the�East

Page 5: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

commonly�seen�sculptures�of�female�deities�that�symbolize�fertility,�growth,

abundance�and�prosperity.

From�1978�onwards,�Clemente�began�self-portraiture�in�earnest,�which�was

his�way�of�giving�physical�form�to�the�idea�of�meditation�and�self-reflection

through�yoga,�a�practice�native�to�India.�Through�this�form�of�art,�one�can

gradually�come�to�know�the�self,�particularly�through�the�act�of�peering�into

the�inner�self,�and�the�act�of�finding�one’s�self�at�one�with�nature.�By�drawing

his�image�onto�a�Hindu�deity,�the�artist�sought�to�express�a�common

understanding�amongst�Indians�that�gods�and�humans�share�identical�form.

“The�gods�who�left�us�thousands�of�years�ago�in�Naples�are�still�in�India,�so

it’s�like�going�home�for�me.�In�India,�I�can�feel�what�it�was�like�[in�Italy]�many

years�ago.”�The�artist’s�comment�is�no�exaggeration�to�the�affection�he�holds

for�India�where�he�has�resided�and�worked�frequently�over�the�past�several

decades.�For�Clemente,�India�is�where�he�discovered�a�desire�to�reclaim�the

bygone�heritage�of�Naples,�the�strong�pagan�undertones�of�myriad�symbols

and�myths�that�once�populated�the�city�in�the�south�of�Italy.�Perhaps�it�was

the�nostalgia�he�experienced�within�a�non-Western�setting�that�kindled�his

desire�to�return�to�traditional�painting.�He�returned�to�traditional�painting

materials—canvas,�watercolor,�pastel�and�paper—and�experimented�with

ideas�gained�from�philosophy,�literature,�myth�and�religion.�Leaving�behind

abstract�imagery,�Clemente�began�to�paint�figurative�forms�in�brilliant�colors,

and�continues�to�maintain�that�style�today.�Clemente�is�a�genuinely,�yet

unassumingly�curious�artist�who�can�spend�days�in�the�library�researching

religious�and�spiritual�texts,�while�also�collaborating�with�Indian�sign�painters,

miniaturists�and�papermakers.�His�works�embody�unique�interpretations�of

the�exotic.�His�paintings,�which�can�range�from�the�simple�to�the�complex,

always�contain�this�history�of�discovery.�What�brilliant�idea�will�Clemente

Page 6: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

present�next,�through�his�seamless�mixing�of�diverse�cultures�in�a�single

painting?�■�with�ARTINPOST

Francesco�Clemente�<Anna�Netrebko>�2008Courtesy�the�artist�and�BlainSouthern

Page 7: Brilliant Ideas Episode #9: Francesco Clemente · by the charm of each culture. Clemente paid particular interest to the diverse cultural idiosyncrasies he experienced in each locale,

Francesco�Clemente�was�born�in�Naples,�Italy,�in�1952.�He�is�one�of�the�most

prominent�artists�of�the�Italian�Neo-Expressionist�movement�of�the�1980s,

referred�to�as�the�Trans-Avantgarde�(Transavantguardia).�Though�in�his

youth,�Clemente’s�interest�lay�in�poetry�and�painting,�he�was�formally�trained

in�architecture,�but�painting�eventually�inspired�him�to�become�a�formidable

self-taught�painter.�Clemente�uses�diverse�materials�such�as�oil�paints,

pastels,�watercolors,�and�prints�in�his�works�to�explore�and�capture

observations�of�human�appearance,�sexuality,�mythology,�spirituality,�and

non-Western�symbolism.�The�artist�has�long�been�an�audience�favorite�for

the�eccentric�and�curious�figures�in�his�works.�

Clemente�has�been�active,�presenting�in�numerous�solo�and�group�shows.

During�the�1990s,�major�retrospective�shows�were�presented�internationally

at�distinguished�venues,�including�the�Philadelphia�Museum�of�Art,�the�Royal

Academy�in�London,�and�the�Centre�Pompidou�in�Paris.�His�work�was�also

featured�in�the�movie�‘Great�Expectations’�which�premiered�in�1998.�A

member�of�the�American�Academy�of�Arts�and�Letters,�the�artist�lives�and

works�in�New�York,�Madras,�and�Rome.

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