Comparing Cascio

Continuing on from my last art post, here's another of my favourite contemporary artists. I came across Lorenzo Cascio when travelling around the French and Italian Riviera, where I made close ties to the artists' family.

Principally, Cascio's work is evocative of Greek sculpture, his passion for horses seeping through into the majority of his work. However, when I look at his works I can't help being reminded of a range of other influences, from the frivolous compositions of the Futurists to the pronounced, linear figures of Picasso.

When I met Cascio, I couldn't resist asking him if he was inspired by any of these artists. He simply said, I paint what I paint. What I deciphered from this was that he had not been directly influenced by specific artists. I have therefore come to the conclusion that his work must be a subconscious amalgamation of various historical genres and periods in time.

The following painting, Modelle, I felt to be a kin to La Mariee by Chagall. Both images create a sense of inevitability, emphasised by the mysterious abyss surrounding the woman. The endlessness and complete randomness of life is evoked by the sense of floating through a languid river (or sky, depending on your perception) with a violin playing goat. In the words of Richard Curtis (immortalised by Julia Roberts in Notting Hill), 'happiness isn't happiness without a violin playing goat'.

Marc Chagall, La Mariee, 1950 Lorenzo Cascio, Modelle, 2003

Going back in time about 40 years, one of my favourite artistic movements, Futurism, certainly springs to mind when looking at some of Cascio's works. The Futurists aimed to capture the concepts of speed and movement within a single image. They were painting in the early 20th Century when the Industrial Revolution was rearing full speed ahead. Cars and electric vehicles were becoming more common place, so you can imagine their fascination with the aforementioned attributes. The colourisation of both of these images creates a sense of urgency and the frantic linear compositions exaggerate the speed and strength of the horses.

Umberto Boccioni, The City Rises, 1910 Cavalli, Lorenzo Cascio

This next pairing may seem a tenuous link to some, but I feel there is a resemblance between Cascio's collage works and some of Picasso's semi-abstracted depictions of figures; women in particular. The two pieces (below) certainly seem to be within the same stylistic realms. Undoubtedly, the black outlined linear figures emphasising the female form are comparable, particularly when we take into account the pastel colour palette. Cascio's Modelle a Portofino seems to me a modernised version of The Three Dancers, yet slightly more abstracted. Despite the differing subject matters, the principal focus is ultimately the same, the female form; something which has intrigued artists for centuries.

The Three Dancers, Picasso, 1925 Modelle a Portofino, Lorenzo Cascio, 2003

Finally, one of the most celebrated works from Cascio can be seen below. Carved with scenes from the bible and divided into panels, the Porta della Salvezza from the Chiesa di St Giorgio in Portofino is certainly a treasure to behold. One could say it is a modern version of Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise in Florence. It's verdigris colouring however, gives it a unique appearance. This is a truly special tribute to Italian culture and religion.

Gates of Paradise, Ghiberti, 1425-1452 Porta della Salvezza, Lorenzo Cascio, 1991

It is worth visiting Portofino, if only to see Cascio's church doors and to scope out his art gallery; now run by his daughter. Needless to say, the views of Portofino are mesmerising; I'll be dreaming of them until I can once again hop on a plane.

Portofino, An Emerald Kimono original photo

If Cascio's work is something you'd like to see more of, have a look at his website- cascio.it