09 october 2023, Yves Joris
The tension of the curved line – Luca Dal Vignale
The sound of his name is enough to make you feel like you are wandering the alleyways of Florence and Venice in the footsteps of Bellini, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Raphael. Luca Dal Vignale is an Italian artist who lives and works in Italy and Belgium. He studied painting at the Academies of Fine Arts in Carrara, Brussels and Antwerp and experiments with different materials and media, such as textiles, sculpture and video. He recently rediscovered a passion for painting. The Reset exhibition is currently on display at the Antwerp gallery Zeit, where he not only allows his abstract paintings to enter into dialogue with the work of Jesse Willems and Madeleine Wermenbol, but also with the architectural splendour of the building itself.
Abstract art has a unique ability to evoke a wide range of feelings and emotions, which is what makes it so fascinating and challenging for artists and viewers alike. When viewing abstract art, you immerse yourself in a world of sensations, which I conveniently describe as the three Vs.
The three Vs of abstract artOne of the first emotions that abstract art can evoke is a sense of freedom (vrijheid). This art form gives artists the opportunity to break away from traditional forms and realistic representation. This freedom can often be felt in the expressive brushstrokes, vibrant colours and dynamic shapes that seem to move on the canvas.
Abstract art can also evoke a sense of wonder (verwondering), similar to admiring a beautiful starry sky. The complexity of abstract compositions invites viewers to look deeper and discover what lies beneath the surface.
Another striking aspect, closely related to wonder, is surprise (verrassing). As recognisable objects or figures are lacking, viewers are surprised by unexpected twists, patterns or colour combinations, creating a sense of discovery.
In a recent interview, I asked Luca a few questions about how the artist experiences artistic life and whether he recognises himself in these three Vs.
Luca Dal Vignale, Sharp, 2023, ZEIT
What drives you to create art?
It's an intriguing question that I don't think even I know how to answer. As an artist, I consider myself a kind of filter. Sometimes, I am inspired by paintings, landscapes or books that I come across and I feel the urge to reinterpret and adapt. Yet at the same time, there is also an indefinable inner energy that accumulates within me and ultimately flows out onto the canvas. Where exactly this comes from is a mystery to me. What emerges on the canvas is a reflection of various inner conflicts and emotions that accumulate on that empty space that calls out to be filled.
How did you end up as an artist and how has your work developed over the years?
At around the age of 18, I began drawing and painting in the studio of a local painter in La Spezia. It was there that my fascination with art really began to take off. Over the years, my work has undergone several evolutions. In my earlier years, during my undergraduate studies and after taking courses at the Academy of Carrara, I became fascinated with Expressionist painting. I tried to embrace this style and combine it with my study of painting techniques and anatomy. When I later moved to Brussels and earned a dual Master's degree in painting and textile art, my approach changed. Painting became something physical and tangible for me. I let go of the traditional framework and started experimenting with how painting could become spatial. I integrated textiles into my work. I used collages, sewed, painted and draped. I took the InSitu course at the academy in Antwerp, where my approach took on more of a performance form, allowing me to experiment with sculpture, video and installation art. After graduating, I felt somewhat nostalgic and returned to painting. I came to believe that painting was the most beautiful and expressive medium of all and offered me the greatest freedom.
Luca Dal Vignale, Membro, 2023, ZEIT
What do you aim to achieve with your art?
That’s an intriguing question because I often try to avoid the pursuit of meaning in my work. My focus is more on what is actually happening on the canvas at that moment of creation. While painting, I think about the creative process itself. For me, the act of creation is central, and I try to understand it by deconstructing it. I focus on the action itself, on the energy I put into it, the randomness, the surprise that comes with it, and the final result. Sometimes, I consider painting an autonomous entity and through the dialogue I engage in with it, I almost seem to become its servant, with the painting itself indicating how I should act. If I were to mention a goal to my art, it would be that I hope that my work does not leave the viewer indifferent.
Have you ever created a work of art that has had special personal meaning to you?
I often experience that what I paint takes on a different meaning for me over time. Sometimes, it seems like recently produced work gives me less satisfaction than work I made years ago. This means that when I look at older work, it reveals to me something different than when I originally created it, and I appreciate that feeling.
Luca Dal Vignale, A travers la serrure, 2023, ZEIT
Have you ever collaborated with other artists? If so, how did this collaboration influence your work?
I believe an artist's work is often very personal, deeply rooted in the inner world of the individual. It is often a solitary journey. While I certainly recognise the value of external feedback as a means of growth, I think that at its core, the creative process itself is something that concerns the artist alone. It is his or her story and the dialogue he or she engages in with the material.
I also read that you often use textiles.
Yes, I often use textiles as a metaphor for skin, body and identity, which are constantly changing and evolving in relation to the surroundings. I also explore the social and cultural meanings of textiles, which are connected to tradition, craft, fashion and consumption. At the same time, I experiment with the contrasts between the organic and the synthetic, the old and the new, the soft and the hard.
The work shown by the artist at the Reset exhibition is a continuation of his research into textiles, but also a return to his original medium. He paints on large canvases with oils, combining geometric shapes and organic patterns. He creates a layering of colours, textures and transparencies, evoking a sense of depth and movement. He is inspired by both abstract and figurative artists, such as Piet Mondriaan, Sonia Delaunay, Henri Matisse and David Hockney. Luca Dal Vignale is a versatile and original artist, who offers a personal and contemporary vision on textiles and painting. His work is an invitation to explore the sensory and aesthetic possibilities of these media.
Luca Dal Vignale, Paysage derangé, 2023 & Comme le centre de quelque chose, 2023, ZEIT
