Fabio La Fauci
Purple Thoughts, 2023
Oil and acrylic on panel
24 x 20 in
61 x 51 cm
61 x 51 cm
Unique
In terms of artists (living or dead) is there anyone that has inspired your practice?
There are many! From film directors, to experimental theater companies, photographers and of course a lot of painters. There are many talents out there, and it's a very prolific moment for art in general. I'm curious to see the effect of Covid-19 and this period of isolation has on art production.
Why are you drawn to portraits in particular? Have you ever explored other themes?
For the last 2 years I've been focusing on portraits. In the past, I've used different techniques for different paintings, and then I tried to bring them together. The thick paste for the face, the oil color for the body and gestural movement to give the final image more rhythm. I always research new things, however I never post the majority of my studies. I consider them very personal and intimate, or sometimes I also just throw them in the trash. Now I'm working on two different paths, one more classical with faceless portraits, and the other is a sort of pure abstract project.
Can you give us some insight into your new process - I know you had said you moulded a completely different shape for this series, what makes this different from your previous work?
For this series, I shaped a new face that is slightly different and it has ears. I thought that detail could bring something extra to my work.
Can you tell us some more about how you came to merge your moulding skills with painting? Did you previously begin as a painter and incorporate this technique - or did you always work on both together?
The moulding skills came after. When I started with oil color I was only painting in a traditional way, then I started discovering the thickness of oil color. The only problem is that when you do something very thick with oil, it will have problems in the future. That amount of paint will be completely dry in 200 years and there are too many factors changing during this time. You can't predict them, humidity, dryness, direct sun exposure etc. For the very thick elements of my work I use water based components. The water can evaporate pretty fast!
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January 7, 2024
