L'Italo-Americano

The IIC Presents: Four Artists Who Defy Convention United Lodges of Southern California, Order Sons of Italy in America and Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California Celebrate Columbus Day Nicola Verlato, Fulvio di Piazza, Marco Mazzoni, and Agostino Arrivabene are fierce artists fired up about figurative art. The Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles will be hosting the Juxtapoz Italiano exhibit fea- turing their world-class contem- porary artwork. Figurative art is very repre- sentational, portraying images clearly derived from real objects. In an interview with Matteo Sapio, Marco Mazzoni describes how he became interested in the medium. "Ever since I was a kid, my parents wouldn't hang up any of my paintings unless they could recognize a shape or form! Even as a child, I tried my hard- est to create the most realistic work possible." Alas, figurative style wasn't always as refined and sophisti- cated as Mazzoni's sketch "Bride" or Arrivabene's painting "Il Re". Fulvio di Piazza specu- lates, "I believe that painting connects us to the concept of humanity, like when cavemen would mark symbols on rocks to depict the reality in which they lived but did not understand." It appears that even the most primi- tive Homo sapiens had an ele- mentary grasp of the concept. Di Piazza's "Green God" oil painting conveys a striking image of a human head made from mossy greens and engulfed by smoky clouds. He adds depth to the painting with timid trees emerging from the head, topped L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 4 off with his signature splash of orange. Di Piazza captures audi- ences with intriguing paintings that connect us with the "con- cept of humanity" in a cos- mopolitan, caveman-esque way. Social media has dramatically transformed the art world, allow- ing these four artists to achieve great popularity on social media platforms. Nicola Verlato states, "I've always been a strong pro- ponent of the revolutionary importance of digital media in the art field. Art absolves its functions only if it is legitimized in a social sense." Di Piazza adds, "By sharing images of your work on Facebook, you create a crowd of followers, and you spread your work at a speed that was before inconceivable." JANE huSON Sadly, Italian museums have yet to support figurative art. Arrivabene laments, "They aim instead to make figurative art disappear by favoring conceptual and post-Dadaist avant-gardes." Verlato continues, "Italian muse- ums are, for the most part, late in the game because they give expositional space to lifeless cul- tural currents rooted in a socially irrelevant vision of art." Luckily, digital media can offset the stodginess of Italian museums. Arrivabene asserts, "I view the Internet as a necessary weapon in demolishing the course thus far taken by contem- porary art." From Nicola Verlato's electri- fying "Breaking Point" painting depicting a scantily clad woman plunging from a Chevrolet car into a vulnerable eagle's nest to Arrivabene's refreshing "Amor Vincit Omnia", the figurative artists defy convention in an exciting way. Di Piazza says, "Art brings us back to our human essence. In front of an artwork, we reflect and are silently moved." IIC directors Massimo Sarti and Michela Magri are proud to play host to this exhibition, stat- ing, "Verlato, di Piazza, Mazzoni, and Arrivabene are four artists whose work, while being different in many aspects, produces images of extraordi- nary impact through a peculiar technique. Presenting their works at the IIC allows them to open dialogue about a new way to dis- cover and experience art." Michela Magri emphasizes the importance of a convergence, or juxtaposition between the dif- ferent yet connected artistic tra- ditions of California and Italy. The exhibition began to form in 2013 with former IIC director Alberto Di Mauro, and then evolved under the guide of Massimo Sarti and Michela Magri. With the collaboration of magazine publisher Gwynn Vitello, co-founder Fausto Vitello, and curator Matteo Sapio, this exhibition was ready to go. They met the four artists in Milan at the Galleria Giovanni Bonelli, which co-sponsored the event along with the IIC. September 9 th marked the grand opening night, in which guests of honor included the magazine's founder Robert Williams and the distinguished art collector Greg Escalante, along with New Zealand singer Kimbra. Come enjoy the exhibit from now until October 1 and be silently moved. Let your emo- tions run free with Verlato's paintbrush and di Piazza's orange splashes. Susan & Robert Williams, Michela Magrì, Greg Escalante, Matteo Sapio, and Gwynn Vitello The United Lodges of Southern California, Order Sons of Italy in America and the Federated Italo-Americans of Southern California will jointly celebrate Columbus Day with the civic ceremony The artist Nicola Verlato and program on Sunday, October 12, 2014 at Casa Italiana, 1051 North Broadway, Los Angeles. The event will begin at 12:30 p.m. Admission is free to the event. The festivities will start with a wine and hors oeuvres reception followed by a short civic program featuring speakers and entertainment. The keynote speaker will be Salvatore DiVita, retired pub- lic school teacher and author of the book, "Looking into the Mouth of the Wolf". A Panino Imbottito (light lunch), compliments of the Federated, will be served fol- lowing the program. Valet parking will be available. For those wishing to arrive early, you are invited to attend the 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. Peter's Italian Catholic Church. Mrs. Vita Zaccaria is chair- person of the event. SAVE the DATE and join us in cele- brating Columbus' discovery.

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