An interview with: Marco Sperini
- Brandon Pestano
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
"Marco Sperini was born in 1998 in Teramo. A self-taught painter, he began painting in an attempt to give form to tormenting dreams. Over time, he became fascinated by surrealism and psychoanalytic studies.His painting hybridizes dream forms with waking bodies, creating constructions that proliferate in a timeless space. His studies as a physiotherapist and osteopath not only allow him to further explore and study the body, but also serve as a stimulus for a deeper exploration of the human condition. The synergy between his training in manual medicine and art creates a representation of the body characterized by profound complexity, far removed from "true" anatomy and a mere scientific vision." - www.youngarthunters.com
Read on below for the full interview...
First of all how are you and how is life lately?
I’m doing well, thank you. I’m in one of my many phases of change, so I feel very internally engaged and at times I struggle to find serenity—but that’s part of the process. Many satisfactions will come. I’m grateful for everything.
What are some of the re-occurring themes or concepts you feel most inspired to weave into your paintings?
In my work, the body is central—it is sacred, it is alchemy. I evoke constructions that simulate solemn rites in which the body can free itself from the skin: that which seemingly protects us, yet makes us slaves to judgment. The free man is “skinned.” The skinned man is the man of the future, who lives in the dream as he chooses. The clothed man is a slave, merely a deluded primate; modern man is a Neanderthal. Dreams are another central theme. I’ve always been close to the dream world and to the authors who devoted their lives to studying it. Recurring figures include dreamlike beings, divine creatures, or figures connected to ancient mythology. Everything is part of a dimension in which every element is alive and has its own importance within the story. That story is mine—I seek my own liberation through creating. I’m envious of what happens within my paintings…
Are there any particular books, artists, thinkers etc that you hold close to your heart who played an important part in sculpting how you look at the world?
Certainly the writings of Jung and Sartre are among those I’m most attached to. Lately I’ve been very close to works of Eastern philosophy. Cinema also gives me a great deal of inspiration—I think of films by Cronenberg and Carpenter. There are also artists who are very important to me, even if distant from my own artistic style, such as Egon Schiele. Schiele’s drawings, together with Dalí’s imagery, certainly contributed to my earliest encounters with art and surrealism.
Could you tell us about the process of creating a painting... Firstly in terms of how you formulate the conceptual idea of the piece and where inspiration arises.... and then practically in the methods that you use to put the idea onto canvas?
My paintings are born in a primordial way through my hands. The curious thing about me is that I’m an osteopath. I feel I have a bond with the body and with what it contains. Over the years, I’ve developed a sensitivity that has led me to construct images from tactile perception, as if it were an infinite doorway, capable of connecting me to another dimension. Often I make preparatory sketches with pencil, and sometimes I paint directly onto the surface. I mainly use acrylic paints because I’m not very patient and I love their speed and versatility. At times I also incorporate other organic materials into my paintings, such as wax. Wax has a familiar consistency for me—it brings back moments from childhood, as if I had constant experience with it in the past. I mainly use canvas or wood as a support, which I prepare with acrylic plaster before starting with the first layer of paint.
What does surrealism mean to you and how do you perceive the connection to your work with the realm of dreams and the imagination?
I became passionate about surrealism for one reason: because it has no rules. I remember painting three-dimensional figures and randomly placing the shadows. A gallery owner told me I didn’t understand painting—but in surrealism, who says the light has to come from there? Or why can’t a shadow generate another shadow? How does light behave when time doesn't exist Surrealism is total expressive freedom while remaining connected to figuration, as in my case. The dream world is certainly a source for this type of expression. Over the years, I’ve become deeply interested in psychoanalytic writings and their interpretations. Dreams have also been a spark for my art. As a child, I suffered from insomnia and recurring nightmares; I began painting to give form to those nightmares, to give them a name, to make them recognizable and less frightening. It’s funny to realize how therapeutic that turned out to be.
What lights the flame of motivation within you as an artist?
The real motivation is personal. Painting for oneself has a cathartic effect. A more materialistic part of me likes to think that art is, in a small way, a means of becoming immortal. I’m not talking about “fame,” as with great artists. I mean that any form of art leads to the creation of physical, living matter—immortal matter. Because within physical matter there is the emotional charge of the person who created it. It is therefore the only way to remain through time: to create living objects, whether they hang on a wall or are thrown into a cold basement.
What does Spirituality mean to you?
An interesting question. I believe spirituality, contrary to what we are often taught, is very distant from religion or belief systems. Spirituality is awareness of existing, which is very different from simply being alive. To be spiritual is to recognize oneself. One can be spiritual without following any religion—indeed, a small provocation: very often religion causes us to lose true spirituality. It imposes rules and, from an early age, hinders self-knowledge by pushing us to pursue something “higher". In my paintings, there is this provocation as well, because in my world there is always a presence of “apparent” superiority that is, in reality, simply “human.” Some divine beings appear as frightening creatures, but they are nothing more than arteries, or humans who have developed abilities by training their senses, meditating… So, in the end, I’ve also answered another question: Who—or what—is God to me ?
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Discover more of Marco Sperini's art via:
- Astral Magazine
