MEET VISUAL ARTIST GIANLUCA LATTUADA

Opening straight into the meat of it, we begin with Gianluca’s artist’s statement. The recurring themes in Lattuada’s work are the energy of bodies, eroticism, violence and the transience of life (as per the “memento mori” philosophy). The body therefore becomes the perfect tool to represent all of this in a universal way, to remind us that we are all human flesh, without any distinction.

He believes that art should mostly talk about life, desires, subconscious, dreams, deep secrets and pain of those born on the margin of society. Faces are often not recognizable because everyone is metaphorically the same, regardless of the city or country, as well as their age, ethnicity and geographical origin. His work carries two goals: to give an overview of the issues of contemporary society and to create a new vision of the world that can help taking a step forward tomorrow.

He deals within the realm of the visceral— what can be felt through our mind’s eye, through memory, through deep emotional upheaval. Naturally intrigued by his dark, moody themes, we had to get to know the artist. “Since I was a child, I have always drawn and written. I think that eventually we all feel the need to express ourselves. However, sometimes something magical happens, and someone who you do not know and who may live on the other side of the world, begins to identify with what you have produced. The work takes on its own life and generates emotions (positive or negative) in others. And that's when something can be considered art.

This happened for the first time with the publication of my first book "Cleopatra Kills Herself"—a collection of poems and micro stories about youth in troubled areas, and later with my drawings and paintings that have the advantage. Like all visual arts, of speaking a universal language, without the need for translations or reworking. This was the greatest obstacle I was able to overcome over the years: moving from an artistic language like writing that has great barriers (language and reading time) to painting that is accessible anywhere and at any time (also thanks to the potential of social media).”

Expression in various forms has always come naturally for Lattuada, and his family recognized this early on. “I do not come from a family of artists. However, my parents have supported every personal and professional choice I have taken since I was young, allowing me to explore and choose my own path. I think I have been very lucky. For over a year now, I have left Italy to live in Madrid, Spain, where I currently have my art studio.”

Though the world is saturated with art and he’s blessed to live in the epicenter of much of the richest art history, Lattuada draws many of his ideas from the books. “I find inspiration mostly in literature. I am very fond of the authors of the beat generation (Ginsberg and Burroughs above all) for their courage to go against the established order and against the mainstream, supposedly radical, reaction against that order, creating their own vision of the world. For what concerns contemporary authors, I am interested in those who are able to delve into the depths of the human psyche, such as David Foster Wallace, Amy Hempel, or Tiffany McDaniel who describe in words the discomfort and human suffering. I would like my art to give those who look at it new keys and lenses to interpret the different forms that suffering and despair have in everyday normal life.”

One of the first things I noticed in his work was his proclivity to draw or depict torsos (across genders). This is important as a psychological or physiological bridge as it alludes to our “gut instincts“, gut reactions (or impulses), and denotes the most primal aspect of who we are. Our identity is first animal before ego—when we are in a state of bliss or pride, we stretch ourselves out. And when we are most hurt or fragile we recoil inward, often mirroring fetal position. The use of the torso as a subject in his works speaks to this, which is what makes Lattuada’s work so emotionally responsive.

“The subjects greatly depend on the project that I am working on. For example, one of the last projects I completed started with a series of drawings in the Prado Museum in Madrid, updating baroque works in a contemporary way. This series was followed by large-scale oil paintings on canvas, using only one first coat of black on canvas. The “technical” approach was to start from light (the white color of the canvas) and only paint shadows (the black darkness). The opposite of what Caravaggio did, who started by painting the black background and then highlighted the light in his characters. In general, the most recurring subject is the body that is placed at the center and used as a tool to represent beauty and at the same time the transience of life.”

As for the overall themes within his body of work, Gianluca explains, “the most recurring themes drawing from Greek mythology, are Eros and Thanatos—the two impulses that dominate human beings. On the one hand, life, eroticism, love and primal desires. And on the other, existential unease, dreams, the subconscious, neuroses and death. In my work, spectators are faced with a mirror and confronted with their own shadows. The faces are often unrecognizable, indicating that we are all equal regardless of time, geographic origin, age, and social status. I often make references to literature, cinema, music and underground culture to form a puzzle that the spectator, through their personal tools, can decipher and rebuild, finding a meaning to the work and the message it wants to convey, in a continuous journey of intimate and spiritual tension.”

Lattuada’s work serves a deeper mission by starting those harder conversations. “There are issues that touch us all closely and that are intergenerational and global—social inequalities, gender and race discrimination, and climate change, to name a few. Artists should never lack the courage and audacity to take a stand and produce works that challenge the status quo, highlighting the contradictions of contemporary society.”

These conversations are transcontinental, and as such deserve to be observed more closely in different parts of the world. “I would like to create projects and exhibitions outside of Europe, starting with the United States, a country that I love. I would like to find an American gallery that can support my work on an international level.” There are so many from New York to California, and I’d even stretch to say Washington state and our own home base in Texas, which has grown increasingly more inviting to introspective contemporary art. However, at least for now he tells us, “I have several exhibitions scheduled in Italy and Spain. But my work continues in parallel with autonomous projects, especially in the field of urban and street art, which I would like to delve into more and more in the future, as a means of reaching people directly without intermediaries and at the same time creating new meanings in the public space where I intervene.”

In regard to street art and public spaces, Lattuada has a philosophical ethos. “Being anarchic means not conforming to the current fashion or what the market demands, and thereby finding your own unique expressive language. It is a way to always be true to yourself, which is the most important thing in art.”

For all of those interested in connecting or becoming a patron, “there’s an easy way to support my work: follow me on Instagram (@gianlucalattuada) and spread the word among your friends. One of the greatest satisfactions is to be able to reach a worldwide audience with one's art. You also can find my art on my website (www.gianlucalattuada.art), where anyone can reach out to me to share his or her thoughts and, if interested, to inquire about purchasing my artwork.”

The PEPPER Magazine team is also open to speaking with any of our American galleries who may be reading this and considering hosting Gianluca Lattuada for a solo or group exhibit in the future.