Alessandro Tomassetti

ALESSANDRO TOMASSETTI

Your blue Jesus stares and your blush colored lilies the shadows crossing past pursed lips Animal Lover I am your purring beast.

My models are the Beardos, Surfers, Slicksters, Femmes, Machos, Dandies and Neo-hippies that populate social media, where the Selfie has made the painted face all the more special. I’m interested in documenting the versions of masculinity these men represent while flipping the script on the male gaze and re-introducing the intimate and the sensual to the contemporary male portrait.

Alessandro Tomassetti

he Queen Is Dead he Big Time What She Said Animal Lover I Know It’s Over Still Ill he Killing Of A Flashboy Animal Nitrate he Asphalt World Various Studies Various Drawings his Night Has Opened My Eyes

KLOOSTERBOER on TOMASSETTI From an early age, artist Alessandro Tomassetti (born in Toronto, Canada, 1970)

of the painted portrait. Tomassetti clariies his choice of subjet matter, saying,

acquired a taste for ine art during summers spent in Rome on family visits.

“Around the time I started painting, it became clear that my favorite artists

Especially inspired by the Italian Masters of the Baroque and Renaissance eras,

throughout history had painted males but my favorite contemporary igurative

such as Caravaggio and Bernini, he studied Fine Art and Art History at McMaster

artists mostly focused on female subjets. Contemporary male portraits still seem

University, speciically focusing on lithography and painting. In continuation,

reserved for “important” men, that is, conventionally powerful men.”

Tomassetti enhanced his artistic foundation by studying Computer Animation,

which led to creating special efets for the movie industry in Los Angeles,

This insight prompted him to eschew more blatantly heroic or allegorical themes

California. Dissatisied with the lack of autonomy involved with ilm work,

by portraying males with the same vulnerability and intimacy that is used to great

Tomassetti went on to study Fashion Design, starting his own menswear label

efet by his contemporaries who paint women. This new formulation of presenting

named Filius and launching a concept store called All Purpose.

the male igure in a more tender and romanticized way has led to his current body of work. In regards to his creative expression, Tomassetti states, “I’m interested

Unforeseen circumstances regarding his immigration status drove Tomassetti and

in documenting the versions of masculinity these men represent while lipping

his husband to leave the US and travel around the world while they searched for a

the script on the male gaze and reintroducing the intimate and the sensual to the

more welcoming place to settle down. After a year-long journey that ofered life-

contemporary male portrait.”

changing experiences they relocated to Barcelona, Spain, which serendipitously

opened up new opportunities regarding the arts. While attending classes held by

While Tomassetti doesn’t consider himself a true academic or technical painter,

renowned Spanish igure painter Eloy Morales, Tomassetti found a new form of

his artwork is irmly planted in traditional naturalism without the need to describe

expression painting the human igure using oils—he found his voice and hasn’t

every single detail—instead, he renders the pitorial qualities of hair and skin in

looked back since.

broader, more unifying gestures and loosely lowing brushstrokes. His striking and elegant compositions and intense, often dusky color palette are undoubtedly

Tomassetti paints men, describing his models as “the beardos, surfers, slicksters,

inluenced by his background in fashion editorials and animated storytelling, where

femmes, machos, dandies, and neo-hippies that populate social media.” He irmly

vivid visual impat plays a highly prominent role, here serving to enhance his

believes that today’s age of the digital selie has increased the value and standing

portraiture tremendously.

he Queen Is Dead oil on aluminum 24x18 2017

THE QUEEN IS DEAD he Queen Is Dead is the fruitful result of a photo shoot with a Dutch model whom Tomassetti initially feared looked too young and too pretty to create an impactful portrait of. Using a sheepskin rug as a cloak, the model was asked to imagine himself as the ambitious next in line to the throne. This astute request for theatrical role playing resulted in this remarkable portrait in which Tomassetti masterfully captures not only the model’s delicate features and exquisite radiance, but also his regal, steely expression which is further enhanced by the juxtaposition between the sharp rendering of the face and hair and the loosely painted hands and fur.

THE BIG TIME Tomassetti’s painting, entitled he Big Time, is a portrait of Swedish model Chris who designs and builds custom motorcycles. To add a quirky sense of strangeness to his model’s classic good looks, Tomassetti asked him to wear a lace glove—an interesting and unexpected feature that not only enhances the subject matter but stretches it beyond its classical characteristics—beautifully ofsetting the warm colors of the lawless skin against the muted blues of the background and eyes.

he Big Time oil on linen 25.5x19.75 2015

WHAT SHE SAID Tomassetti’s on-going Duo Series are paintings that capture individual moments in a short time span, yet need not be seen together as a diptych to impact the viewer. In What She Said 1 & 2 Tomassetti portrays Aaron, a Los Angeles based jewelry designer with a large following, known for posting suggestive selfportraits on social media. Tomassetti, who describes this model as a gentle soul, sought to capture both sides of his personality—the media savvy irebrand and the soft-spoken gentleman. Tomassetti expertly juxtaposes the splendid warmth of skin tones against cooler colors found in clothing and background, balancing the composition and emphasizing a rich variety of textures.

ANIMAL LOVER Animal Lover 1 & 2 are the irst in Tomassetti’s Duo Series, depicting Jack, an attractive long-haired illustrator from London holding an elegant bouquet of pink and white lilies. The shifting sunlight plays a prominent role in this pair of paintings, as Tomassetti not only uses it to gracefully deine facial features but also captures the light bouncing and scattering of the luminescent lower petals. The strong chiaroscuro enhances the primal masculinity of the model while the delicate lowers counterbalance the softer, more feminine aspect in these striking portraits.

What She Said oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

What She Said 2 oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

Animal Lover oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

Animal Lover 2 oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

I KNOW IT’S OVER Another pair of paintings in the Duo Series are I Know It’s Over 1 & 2, portraits of Barcelona singer Oscar who shows rapidly changing facial expressions from one piece to the next. Highly inluenced by his previous career as a special efects animator, Tomassetti elaborates, “To quickly convey the direction an animation will take, we created key frames that marked the beginning and end of important transitions.” Fascinated by the speed in which a smile can disappear and how intensely this transforms a face, these portraits capture split seconds immediately before and right after hearing bad news. The title, I Know It’s Over is also the title of a song from one of Tomassetti’s favorite bands, the Smiths.

STILL Ill Tomassetti’s painting entitled Still Ill is a portrait of his barber, Alberto, who brought some of the tools of his trade as props to the sitting. On a whim, the barber held a razor blade between his lips, which resulted in a cut. While Tomassetti would have preferred the model to remain unhurt, he was fascinated how the bright red blood echoed the intense magenta rim light, hence creating a wonderful repetition of vivid iery color that enlivens the overall muted palette and adds intensity to the sublime chiaroscuro.

I Know It’s Over oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

I Know It’s Over 2 oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

Still Ill oil on aluminum 14x11 2017

THE KILLING OF A FLASHBOY he Killing of a Flashboy is another portrait of Jack the illustrator, also seen in Animal Lover. The seated igure is illuminated by a window with blinds just outside the picture plane, creating an interesting play of light on the loosely painted skin and texture of the striped sweater. Despite the use of a broad brush, the details are exquisite—especially the hands. Tomassetti skillfully used a cool palette of colors for all areas except the lushed skin, which seems to radiate and bounce of of its surroundings. Tomassetti says, “There is a resignation in his expression and a feeling of unease created by the composition that I think serve to pique the curiosity of the viewer.”

he Killing Of A Flashboy oil on linen 39.5x28.75 2016

ANIMAL NITRATE Animal Nitrate shows Colombian model Ricc who works as both a male and female on runways and in editorial, and whom Tomassetti describes as incredibly expressive and highly energetic. Wearing an extravagant white shirt designed by Tomassetti himself, the model poses as if in deep conversation, gesticulating with his hands while his cascading hair mirrors the mass of ribbons and crochet tendrils exploding out from underneath the epaulette.

Tomassetti masterly captures the intensity and gravity of his subject, as well as his unique androgyny.

Animal Nitrate oil on linen 25.5x19.75 2015

THE ASPHALT WORLD Inspired by the juxtaposition between the delicate quality of translucent skin and shock of red hair of his model Jake, Tomassetti painted he Asphalt World, echoing the contrast within a lively yet elegant color palette. This piece celebrates a variety of expertly rendered and highly detailed textures, such as fabrics, jewelry, peeling paint on wood, and the slightly-showing intricate tattoos of lawlessly rendered Leonardo DaVinci drawings and personal symbols the subject wears. His momentary expression of longing and introspection inspired the painting’s title, which is based on a song about a lover lost to another by the band Suede.

he Asphalt World oil on linen 32x25.5 2015

STUDIES Tomassetti’s studies are very loosely painted renderings—he describes them as “liberating”—in which he seeks to capture colors and details while they are still fresh in his mind. These studies are a timestamp for an idea or technique that he’s often trying for the irst time. Studies ofer Tomassetti the pictorial, gestural, and compositional insights he needs in order to develop a vocabulary that is later applied in depth to his more elaborate work.

DRAWINGS Tomassetti’s series of drawings were created when he was still working as a fashion designer. He invited friends over to pose wearing an assortment of handmade armor pieces made from a diversity of fabrics, such as Velcro and industrial felt. Tomassetti captured the fascinating transformations in personality that took place when his models posed with these intriguing fashion accessories.

Study of Vic | oil on paper | 12x9 | 2017

Study of Trent | oil on polypropylene | 12.5x8.75 | 2016

Study of Ben 1 | oil on paper | 12x9 | 2017

Study of Ben 2 | oil on paper | 12x9 | 2017

Francesco ink, pastel, pencil 25.5x18 2012

Alon ink, pastel, pencil 25.5x18 2012

JD ink, pastel, pencil 25.5x18 2012

Wes ink, pastel, pencil 25.5x18 2012

THIS NIGHT HAS OPENED MY EYES Tomassetti’s cover painting, entitled his Night Has Opened My Eyes, is a portrait of Barcelona-based media founder Adriano, who impressed the artist for being a hardworking social media maven whose high intensity pursuit of the next contentcreation cycle seems never-ending. The wristwatch, symbolically relecting the idea of always being on the clock to satisfy the voracious appetite of an audience that always wants more, embellishes the intense pose. While the dark, subdued palette and exquisite brushwork reference classical painting, Tomassetti succeeds in creating an unadulterated contemporary vision and capturing the personality of a distinctly energetic man.

his Night Has Opened My Eyes oil on linen 32x25.75 2017

W E B S I TE

www.alessandrotomassetti.com I N STAGRA M

@sosayssandro

www.poetsandartists.com GOSS183 PUBLISHING HOUSE 604 Vale Street Bloomington, Il 61701 USA Publisher Didi Menendez Managing Editor and Writer Lorena Kloosterboer Intro Poem by Didi Menendez

Your blue Jesus stares and your blush colored lilies the shadows crossing past pursed lips Animal Lover I am your purring beast.