By Alessandra Della Valentina
Like a priest, the artist leads a life ofself-denial, and his obligation as an artist is to dedicate his lifeto the broad religion of art. The creative act of painting has passedthrough all stages, from the highest levels of the sublime to itsvarious debased and negative manifestations. In our time, it seemsthat there is a powerful cast that interferes with aestheticexperience, establishing with severe judgment who will be the chosenand who the damned. Contemporary painting seems to have become acruel game, a false ritual that has no reference to aesthetic andemotive canons, as if the quest for reason and coherence is somethingto be ashamed of.
Intimidated and humiliated by this landscape ofruins, I do not pretend to change things. My only wish is to become ahuman being who faces her own reality, thereby having no secrets. Tothis faith, I am dedicating my work, as the act of painting somehowbrings me closer to God. Thus, the act of creating becomes each day anew prayer. I search for the soul contained in matter, like analchemist. I search in colour, in wood, and in canvas. Materialssuggest the road I should take in my search. And I use theirsuggestions as words are used in a prayer.
The manner in which I manipulate matter in thecreative process is, for me, a ritual. Each time I enter the ritualphase of creating, I enter the realm of the sacred, thus feeling thenature of existence. Hence, I use matter to convey the divine essenceof the universe; and if I can bring this truth to others I haveaccomplished one of my duties as an artist. Yet, it is not only thedivinity of matter that makes art; art can only happen when matterbecomes one with my essence. In that sense art is an alchemy thatfuses matter and spirit. In this way, the alchemy of creating becomesthe search for my own truth. It is an exclusive truth that in my soulI understand will always be beyond capture, but in the search is thejoy my work brings me. It is a joy that comes when I enter myplayground of things and ideas. The materials of my art, the wood,string and colour take form through my own style of play and theaccumulated experiences of my life. Without play, without joy,without pain, the human condition would have no meaning. That is, whyI leave my play, my suffering, and beyond anything else, my love forlife, as joyful or painful as it may be, in my work. Thus, art is mysword, my journey, my life and my death, and with it I continue myeternal prayer.