You can illuminate anything with light and bring it to life.
Lighting equals life. Salvatore’s studio
Without any formal training, Salvatore’s art career began untraditionally in the dark recesses of iconic Studio 54 in New York City, when he was only 19. Working around the rich and famous, he mingled with some of the most creative icons of our time, artists including Mick Jagger, Calvin Klein, Valentino Garavani, and Andy Warhol. Salvatore described those days as a “party in an adult candy store.” Being around famous people who had no limitations made him realise that art is also limitless. Everything he saw in the club was art in some form: pliable and interesting, all with a potential to be transformed into something creative and expressive. Soon, his visionary traits and ambition led him to a position of a light technician at the club, allowing him to tap into his creative energies with the aid of illumination. “Lighting up the dance floor in spectacular ways fills up the soul,” he said. Watching people dance and move with the music and light every night inspired him to create illuminated light sculptures on the dance floor by experimenting with filter gels and projectors. “Lighting is everything,” he explained, “You can illuminate anything with light and bring it to life. Lighting equals life.” This luminary inspiration has stayed with him today in his studio loft, an artist’s haven of painted canvases, sculptures, and eclectic furniture, all magically lit up to create a groovy lounge vibe, like somewhere you would find in the trendy New York or Paris, but very discreet and by invitation only. Each month, Salvatore hosts a social gathering in his loft for friends and clients to come view his latest work while enjoying wine and canapés. He loves engaging with people, interacting with them in a relaxed atmosphere, and often paints or creates art during his socializing. Through these events, Salvatore combines 26 PHABRIK Fall 2014/Winter 2015
his latest venture, wine, with his art in the most appealing way. “Wine is an art form,” he remarked, “it activates imagination, spurs conversation, and brings people together.” Always the entrepreneur, he explained that he decided to try printing out some of his artwork on labels and attaching them to wine bottles just to see people’s reactions. It worked. Prestige Wine Group wanted his art and name attached to their wine imported from California, Italy, New Zealand, and Argentina. They created a special edition wine collection sold in various supermarkets across the United States that display Salvatore’s Heart Collection on the labels, making the bottles themselves works of art. It has been an impressive artistic evolution for someone who initially struggled to make a start in New York City. Nightclub life eventually took its toll on Salvatore, and he longed for a change to something more fulfilling. He wanted to contribute positively to the world, and to do this, he felt he had to reinvent himself. “I had this overwhelming need to create,” he described, “to escape this party life that was bringing me down.” One sleepless night, Salvatore decided it was the time to make a change. “I lay in a very still place and asked for help and guidance. Whatever it is I choose, I want to love it. I want to be an artist,” he recounted. In that moment, Salvatore felt some anxiety because he didn’t know what kind of artist he wanted to be. He remembered, “A voice inside told me to relax; it will come. Everything in front of your eyes that you can see is material you can create with, there is