“Causarum Cognitio” (Knowledge of Causes) is the original title of the work known as “School of Athens”, one of the frescos done by Raphael in Stanze della Segnatura. The setting for the painting, “Causarum Cognitio”, is based on a first design for St. Peter’s Basilica by Donato Bramante and is inspired by the concept of “Perfect Architecture”, a concept used by many artists in their work from Renaissance times onward, a concept that was polished and perfected by Paolo Veronese.
The magnificence of Classical architecture and the dominating perspective is designed to confuse and to draw attention away from the multiple layers present in the work, of the characters and of the messages filling the space. The characters occupying the interior are taken from the full spectrum of contemporary life: types from pool, barbeque, disco parties, Macau/Las Vegas, gamblers, J.Bond’s boys and girls, historical figures, flying muses, allegories. The third layer of the work is covered in quotations and abstract writings, which in turn will change the meanings and, I hope, confuse the viewer who is looking (if he likes to) for the Causes of Knowledge or the Knowledge of Causes.
The series of “Copies after..” started out of the natural human desire to endlessly replicate and interpret something that doesn’t exist, or in fact never even happened. There comes a possibly infinite line of copies after copies after copies……Behind that is the legendary Renaissance competition of Leonardo vs Michelangelo (like two football clubs) in Palazzo Vecchio.
The series of “The Art of Self Defense” is an instruction manual of how to defend yourself against different kind of attackers; that is, if you happen to be a classical musician and a rocker is your opponent!
“In Rooms” is a series of small oil paintings depicting different classical or kitsch settings filled with weird, strange or just unusual characters and situations that transforms the beautiful interior into something more.
Just an “Accuser”
“Memorabilis” is a series of cigar boxes filled with images, quotations and objects, related to a specific person or subject.
Although the selected works are taken from a few different series the main uniting concept is a visual NARRATIVE, which in every trend-turned-art cycle opposes a silence, profanities and illiteracy of art to decorate.
