Saul Zanolari answers FAD Questions.

1 When did you start to make art?

I’VE ALWAYS MADE ART. I’VE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS: PAINTING, SCULPTING, ETCHING AND ENGRAVING, …

I GUESS THAT, AS USUAL, ART IS SOMETHING THAT YOU FEEL. ANYWAY, I’VE BEEN WORKING AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST FOR 2 YEARS, STARTING IN 2005 WITH MY FIRST EXHIBITION IN LUCIANO INGA-PIN ART GALLERY IN MILAN.  

2 How did you evolve into a professional artist?

I BEGAN WITH DRAWINGS AND THEN I PAINTED, I’VE MADE SOME STONE SCULPTURES AND THEN TISSUE SCULPURES. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN ATTRACTED WITH THE ENGRAVURES AND THE LIGHT EFFECTS ON THE PLEXIGLASS ENGRAVED. I MOVED INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND DRAWINGS (EVEN IF I DON’T DO REALLY DO PHOTOS) IN 2005. I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA THAT THEY SEEM LIKE PHOTOS BUT THEY ACTUALLY AREN’T PHOTOS.

3 What drove you to make art as a professional vocation?

I GUESS THAT A VOCATION AND THE INSPIRATION ARE UNEXPLAINABLE  

4 Explain your inspiration?—  

5 In what way does your inspiration transform into ideas?

I GUESS THAT INSPIRATION TURNS INTO IDEAS WHEN IT ACHIEVES A MEANING AND THIS MEANING FITS, IS COHERENT WITH THE ESTHETIC VISION OF THE ARTWORK.  

6 From Ideas to production of art – how? And why?

IT IS A LONG PROCESS. AS I EXPLAINED i REALLY DON’T DO PHOTOGRAPHY. I REDRAW IT ,THE PHOTO IS ONLY A TRACE.

THE ARTWORK IS READY IN 2-3 WEEKS, WHEN ALL OF THE ORIGINAL PIXELS HAVE COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED.

ACTUALLY I REALIZE THAT THERE IS A NEW ARTWORK ONLY MONTHS LATER, WHEN I PHISICALLY PRINT THE IMAGE ON PAPER.

WHY? BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY WAY I FOUND TO TELL WHAT I REALLY MEAN. THE ORDINARY LANGUAGE IS UNUSEFUL COMPARED TO A STATIC, COHERENT IMAGE.  

7 Could your ideas be portrayed in any other medium? If so which?

I DON’T THINK SO OR, BETTER, NOT EXACTLY. I MEAN: I’VE CHOSEN THIS MEDIUM (PHOTOGRAPHY) BECAUSE IT IS TIMELESS, IT IS REPRODUCTIBLE, IT IS GLOSSY AND IT IS A PARADOX WITH THE TECHNIQUE I’VE ADOPTED (DRAWING OR PAINTING). PHOTO AND PAINTING: TWO LANGUAGES, TWO DIFFEERENT WORLDS.  

8 Which artists would you most like to blatantly rip off?

NO NAMES BUT I REALLY DON’T LIKE ARTISTS WHOSE WORK IS INCOHERENT. I MEAN: I DON’T LIKE ARTWORKS WHICH ARE NOT INDEPENDENT OF THEIR AUTHOR. I REALLY DON’T LIKE IT IF THE AUTHOR NEEDS TO EXPLAIN THE ARTWORK AND HE HAS TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS ARTWORK TO LET IT BECOME AN ART-WORK.  

9 Why is your art made?

WHY NOT? I MEAN, IT IS MY PERSONAL RESEARCH ON EXHISTENTIAL THEMES. I GUESS THAT IT IS MY CONTRIBUTION ON WHAT I CAN’T PUT DOWN IN WORDS.  

Sauls website  Sauls Blog

10 What does being an artists mean to you?

I ALWAYS THINK THAT THE GREEK CONCEPT OF THE ARTIST IS A VALID ARGUMENT TODAY TOO. REPRODUCTION OF THE INEFFABLE, RESEARCH OF THE TRUTH. STUFF LIKE THIS.  

11 Are you happy with your reasons for making art? i.e Are there any trade offs that make life hard?

QUITE A LOT. YOU HAVE TO THINK THAT REASEARCH NEVER ENDS. SO… I’M ON THE ROAD.  

12 When does your art become successful?

IT IS A SUCCESS IF YOU CAN ACCEPT IT.  

13 What is art?

WHAT IS ART FOR ME? AT THIS MOMENT IT IS AN OBSESSION.  

14 How do you start the process of making work?

IT STARTS WITH AN IDEA WHICH WILL CHANGE HUNDREDS OF TIMES UNTIL THE END OF THE ARTWORK. IT IS A WORK IN PROCESS.  

15 Who prices your work? And how is the price decided upon?

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ART MARKET WE HAVE TO CONSIDER ARTWORKS LIKE ANY OTHER PRODUCT, SO… THE MARKET HAS ITS LAW. NAMED “PRICE”.  

16 What is your next; move,project,show etc?

I’M WORKING ON TWO DIFFERENTS SERIES OF PORTRAITS:

-         FAR EAST PORTRAITS AND

-         TWILIGHT OF GODDESS

I’VE PLANNED SOME EXHIBITIONS FOR 2007.

U P C O M I N I G  E X H I B I T I O N S   (2007-2008) ———————————————————————- — ENGLAND/  2007: Group exhibition // Limited editions of paper prints from the new series / Brick Lane Gallery, Brick Lane 196, London E1 SA6 — ITALY/ April 2007: Solo exhibition // Luciano Inga-Pin Contemporary Art Gallery. Via Pontaccio, 12/A Milan — ITALY/ May – September 2007: Group exhibition // Selected images curated by Micol Di Veroli, Habitart Hotel, Rome — FRANCE/ May - June 2007: Group exhibition // Metropolart- MBgallery Galerie Mamia Bretesché, 48 Rue Chapon, Paris — ENGLAND/ 29th June – 22nd July 2007: Solo exhibition // Brick Lane Gallery, Brick Lane 196, London E1 SA6 — CHINA/ June 2007: Solo exhibition // F2 Gallery, No. 319 Cao ChangDi, Chaoyang District, 100015 Beijing— CHINA/ September 2007: Solo exhibition // Old Fairy Tales in a new world / 1918 ArtSPACE, No. 78 Chang Ping Road, Shanghai — USA/ 1st September – 31st December 2007: Group exhibition // Safotofestival, San Antonio, Texas — ITALY/ November 2007: Solo show // Solo show for the opening of the Gallery / Campo de’ Fiori, Rome (curated by Micol Di Veroli) — JAPAN/ 2008Solo exhibition // Gallery Dazzle, 2-12-20 Kita-aoyama Minato-ku, 107-0061 Tokyo, Japan 

17 What are the pros and cons of the art market?

I DON’T LIKE TO THINK ABOUT THE MARKET. I PAY MY ARTGALLERIES TO DO THAT.  

18 Which pieces would you like to be remembered for?

IT IS LIKE ASKING: WHICH ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN DO YOU PREFER THE MOST?  

19 Any routine in making your artwork? If so what?

NOT YET.

20 Who has been the biggest influence on you?

MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS INFLUENCED MY WORK (AND VICEVERSA).  

22 How many artworks have you given away and to whom?

BEFORE ART WAS MY WORK I GIFTED MANY PEOPLE WITH MY ARTWORKS.

SCULPURES, ENGRAVINGS, PAINTINGS (NEVER A PHOTO).

I GUESS IT WAS A QUESTION OF SPACE AND I LIKED TO SEE THE HAPPINESS ON PEOPLE’S FACES WHEN THEY RECEIVED THEM.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 26th, 2007 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Art, Art Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.