Tag: italian sculptores

Vraag aan de kunstenaar: Claudio Caporaso

Posted on by criticoarte in Blog, blog-nl

Het is nu iets meer dan een jaar geleden dat ik de getalenteerde Ligurische beeldhouwer Claudio Caporaso ontmoette. Onze kennismaking ontstond bij toeval op social eind 2019, vlak voor het uitbreken van deze pandemie en mijn verhuizing naar Nederland: we waren allebei op zoek naar een professional in de kunstsector die geloofde in onze projecten en we waren het vanaf het begin eens. Het is moeilijk om bekwame beeldhouwers te vinden en daarom is in het project Hedendaagse Italiaanse Kunst in Nederland op het ogenblik alleen hij aanwezig: zijn artistieke poëtica is figuratief en reëel, gevoelig en emotioneel, zonder vormveranderingen om zijn diepe boodschap te tonen waarin alle vrouwelijkheid van het lichaam wordt verheven in een voortdurend zoeken naar ruimtelijke dynamiek. Zijn werken kennen een opmerkelijk succes in Italiaanse galeries en in particuliere en openbare, Italiaanse en Duitse collecties.

  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.

Laten we nu overgaan tot het interview met Claudio Caporaso en hem beter leren kennen:

Hoe en wanneer werd beeldhouwer Claudio Caporaso geboren: wat inspireert u het meest en wat zou u aan het nageslacht willen doorgeven?

Mijn passie werd geboren toen ik een kind was. Ik stond daar altijd alleen met een “pennemes” en maakte mijn “beeldjes”. Het gaf me voldoening. Langzaam veranderde wat een hobby leek in een project voor de toekomst: ik schreef me in aan de kunstacademie in Massa en werd volwassen. Mijn inspiratiebron is altijd de natuur geweest: ik zie haar als de Moeder van ons allen, volmaaktheid en absolute schoonheid. De natuur heeft perfecte canons: zelfs iets lelijks, als je het goed bekijkt, heeft uiteindelijk een zekere schoonheid of blijkt op zijn minst nuttig te zijn. Wat mij beweegt is passie en gevoel: daar draait mijn kunst om. Ik wil het nageslacht de hoop nalaten dat kunst zal blijven leven. Ik wil dat ze begrijpen dat kunstenaar zijn zowel een beroep als een roeping is en dat men als kunstenaar dus niet kan improviseren. Het vergt inzet en toewijding, maar bovenal technische en expressieve vaardigheid. Kunst is vol betekenis en moet worden doorgegeven zonder dat woorden nodig zijn om het te vertellen. Hier, dit is wat ik hoop.

Kunt u het creatieve proces van uw werken beschrijven: hoeveel tijd verstrijkt er tussen het idee en de uitvoering?

Mijn werken ontstaan in de eerste plaats uit een gevoel, dat een emotie of een concept is, uit alles wat mij in elk geval heeft getekend. Nauwelijks een schets neergegooid, baant het idee zich een weg in mijn hoofd, eerst verward en geleidelijk meer en meer gestructureerd. Na dagen van mistige gedachten waarbij ik in een bijna angstige toestand geraak, wordt de tekening duidelijk. Op dat moment zie ik mijn werk al. Ik ben klaar om het laboratorium binnen te gaan en aan het werk te gaan. Ik begin direct met klei of was. En tot ik het afgewerkt zie ben ik in een roes en verlaat ik de studio niet. Elk werk heeft een andere tijdschaal, het kan dagen of weken duren alleen al voor het model, dan maak ik het rubber en ga het in brons gieten.

U beeldhouwt realistische figuratieve werken in zowel hout als brons, maar met welk van de twee materialen hebt u meer affiniteit en wat brengen ze u bij? Hoe kiest u het een of het ander voor uw hoofdthema’s?

Hoewel het materiaal dat ik het meest gebruik voor mijn beelden brons is, geef ik eigenlijk verreweg de voorkeur aan hout: het is een levend, natuurlijk materiaal en als je eraan werkt, weet je nooit wat je kunt verwachten, misschien een knoest, een nerf, een element dat je doet afwijken van het oorspronkelijke ontwerp. Werken met hout is een verrassing, je breekt je handen, het atelier vult zich met spaanders, net als mijn haar, en alles wordt één met mijn kunstwerk. Brons daarentegen is duidelijk statischer, maar vooral met het patina krijgt het een zeker levend iets. Ik gebruik hout voor delicatere thema’s, terwijl ik brons gebruik voor thema’s met een sterkere inhoud.

Laten we het eens hebben over een thema dat je na aan het hart ligt: vrouwen. Tussen eind 2019 en begin 2020 heeft u het project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB opgericht om geweld tegen vrouwen te bestrijden: zou u de lezers willen vertellen waar het project uit bestaat en hoe het wordt verwoord? Wat zijn de vooruitzichten voor 2021?

Het thema “vrouwen” is mij altijd dierbaar geweest. In de loop der jaren ben ik omschreven als de beeldhouwer van de vrouw, juist omdat mijn favoriete onderwerpen vrouwelijke voorstellingen zijn, opgesmukt met naturalistische elementen. De vrouw is voor mij een superieur wezen, verbonden met de volmaaktheid van de natuur. Het idee dat ze misbruikt of onderdrukt kan worden, maakt me kapot. Het idee dat zij in de loop der eeuwen nog geen volledige macht en gelijkheid met het mannelijk geslacht heeft bereikt, is onaanvaardbaar. Het project is geboren uit woede, uit de machteloosheid die je elke dag ervaart, zelfs na een TG. Kunst heeft altijd in dienst gestaan van de mensheid en toen bedacht ik dat DND een echt symbool van vrouwelijke verlossing kon worden. Met mijn vrouw, die altijd mijn curator en mijn muze is geweest, hebben wij DND opgericht: zij is de denker, degene die met woorden weet om te gaan, ik ben de werker, maar dan degene die mensen door hun handen laat dromen. Het project werd omarmd door grote mensen uit de wereld van cultuur, tv en sport en kwam geweldig van de grond, tot de vergrendeling in 2019. We waren van plan het in heel Italië te verspreiden, door middel van reizende tentoonstellingen en conferenties, we planden een inzamelingsactie om monumenten op te richten om mensen bewust te maken van de kwestie, en opnieuw de donatie van geld aan verenigingen die strijden voor vrouwenrechten over de hele wereld. Het is duidelijk dat het nu allemaal gestopt is, of liever gezegd, zo lijkt het, maar het belangrijkste is erin te geloven en de strijd niet op te geven. Het is waar dat er nu niets kan worden gedaan, maar DND gaat door, en alles wordt alleen maar uitgesteld. De productie groeit, evenals de belangstelling van galeries en verzamelaars. Velen hebben deze werken in hun privé-collectie willen opnemen, omdat zij het potentieel ervan inzien. Zodra de situatie zich voordoet, zal het project van start gaan.

U bent onlangs begonnen met de sculpturale cyclus genaamd IDENTITY, bronzen maskers met natuurlijke lijnen in voortdurende verandering: hoeveel sculpturen heeft u in gedachten voor deze cyclus met een diepe filosofische betekenis? Vertel ons…

Identiteit is een zeer groot en omvangrijk project, waarvan het onmogelijk is een getal te bepalen. Het staat nog in de kinderschoenen en moet nog volledig worden ontwikkeld. Het is een prachtig en conceptueel uitdagend project. Ik weet dat het een thema is dat al veel behandeld is in de filosofie, kunst en literatuur, maar ik vind het altijd zeer actueel. Zelfs onze identiteit lijdt onder het verstrijken van de tijd. Twee thema’s maken wezenlijk deel uit van het project: het Masker en het bijbehorende Sentiment. Masker heeft kleinere afmetingen en is de typische klassieke structuur, geluk, droefheid, woede, enz. Identiteit is in plaats daarvan groter en rijker aan details. In Identity is het het gezicht van de vrouw zelf dat verandert en zich ontvouwt, en verschillende vormen en betekenissen aanneemt. Zelfs de verwerking van de materialen is voor elk werk verschillend, coating, glans, mat effect, zijn ontworpen om de meest uiteenlopende reacties van het publiek op te roepen. Gerenommeerde Italiaanse galerijen hebben contact met mij opgenomen om ten minste één stuk van deze collectie in hun zalen te hebben.

  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.

Claudio Caporaso dankend voor de tijd die hij aan ons heeft gewijd, herinner ik eraan dat u meer informatie kunt vinden op de aan hem gewijde pagina Claudio Caporaso – Italiaanse kunst van ELisa Manzoni (criticoarte.org).

Ask the artist: Claudio Caporaso

Posted on by criticoarte in Blog, Blog ing

It is now just over a year since I met the talented Ligurian sculptor Claudio Caporaso. Our acquaintance came about by chance on social media at the end of 2019, just before the outbreak of this pandemic and my move to the Netherlands: we were both looking for an art professional who believed in our projects and we agreed from the start. It is difficult to find skilled sculptors and that is why in the Contemporary Italian Art project in the Netherlands only he is currently present: his artistic poetics is figurative and real, sensitive and emotional, without alterations of form to show his profound message in which all the femininity of the body is exalted in a constant search for spatial dynamism. His works are enjoying considerable success in Italian galleries and in private and public collections in Italy and Germany.

  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.

Let us now move on to the interview with Claudio Caporaso and get to know him better:

How and when was sculptor Claudio Caporaso born: what inspires you most and what would you like to pass on to posterity?

My passion started when I was a child. I used to stand there alone with a “penknife” and make my “statuettes”. It gave me satisfaction. Little by little, what might have seemed like a hobby turned into a project for the future: I enrolled in art school in Massa and grew up. My inspiration has always been Nature: I see her as the Mother of us all, perfection and absolute beauty. Nature has perfect canons: even something ugly, if you look at it carefully, in the end it is beautiful or at least useful. What moves me instead is passion and feeling: my art gravitates around this. I want to leave posterity with the hope that art will live on. I want them to understand that being an artist is a job as well as a vocation and that, as such, you cannot improvise as an artist. You need commitment and dedication, but above all you need technical and expressive skills. Art is full of meaning and should be passed on without the need for words to describe it. This is my hope.

Would you describe the creative process of your works: how long does it take from idea to realisation?

My works are born first of all from a feeling, whether it is an emotion or a concept, from anything that has marked me in any case. I hardly ever write down a sketch, the idea makes its way through my mind, at first in a confused way and gradually becoming more and more structured. After days of foggy thoughts during which I get into an almost anxious state, the drawing becomes clear. At that point I can already see my work. I am ready to enter the workshop and start working. I start directly from clay or wax. And until I see it finished, I’m itching to get out of the studio. Each work has different timescales, it can take days or weeks just for the model, then I create the rubber and go and cast it in bronze.

You sculpt realistic figurative works in both wood and bronze, but which of the two materials do you have more affinity with and what do they convey to you? How do you choose one or the other for your key themes?

Although the material I use most for my statues is bronze, I actually much prefer wood: it is a living, natural material and, when you work with it, you never know what you can expect, maybe a knot, a grain, an element that makes you deviate from the initial design. Working with wood is a surprise, you break your hands, the studio fills with shavings, as does my hair, and everything becomes one with my work of art. Bronze, on the other hand, is clearly more static, but especially with the patina it acquires a certain something alive. I use wood for more delicate themes, and bronze for stronger themes.

Let’s talk about a topic that is dear to you: women. Between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, you founded the project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB to combat violence against women: would you tell readers what the project consists of and how it is being organised? What does it foresee for 2021?

the theme of Women has always been dear to me, it’s true. Over the years, I have been called the sculptor of women, precisely because my favourite subjects are depictions of women, adorned with naturalistic elements. Woman for me is a superior being, associated with the perfection of Nature. The idea that she can be abused or subjugated devastates me. The idea that over the centuries she has not yet achieved full power and equality with the male sex is unacceptable. The project was born out of anger, out of the impotence that one experiences every day, even after watching the news. Art has always been at the service of humanity, so I thought that DND could become a real symbol of female redemption. With my wife, who has always been my curator and my muse, we set up DND: she is the thinking part, the one who knows how to do with words, I am the worker, but the one who makes people dream through their hands. The project was embraced by big names in culture, TV and sport and was taking off in a big way, until the lockdown in 2019. We were planning to take it all over Italy, through travelling exhibitions and conferences, we were planning a fundraising campaign for monuments to raise awareness of the issue, and we were planning to donate money to associations fighting for women’s rights around the world. Clearly, everything is at a standstill now, or so it might seem, but the important thing is to believe in it and not to give up. It is true that nothing can be done now, but DND is moving forward, and everything is only delayed. Production is growing, as is the interest of galleries and collectors. Many have wanted these works in their private collections, realising their potential. As soon as the situation unfolds, the project will take off.

You have recently started the sculptural cycle called IDENTITY, bronze masks with natural lines that are constantly changing: how many sculptures did you have in mind for this cycle with its profound philosophical meaning? Tell us…

Identity is a very large and vast project, of which it is impossible to define a number. It is still in its infancy and needs to be fully developed. It is a wonderful and conceptually challenging project. I know it is a theme that has already been dealt with extensively in philosophy, art and literature, but I still find it very topical. Even our identities are affected by the passage of time. Two main themes are part of the project: Mask and the matching Sentiment. Mask is smaller in size and is the typical classic structure, happiness, sadness, anger, etc. Identity, on the other hand, is larger and richer in detail. In Identity it is the woman’s face itself that changes and unfolds, taking on different shapes and meanings. The processing of the materials is also different for each work, with a patina, a gloss, a matte effect, all designed to elicit the most varied reactions from the public. Renowned Italian galleries have contacted me to have at least one piece from this collection in their rooms.

  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.

With heartfelt thanks to Claudio Caporaso for the time he dedicated to us, I would like to remind you that you can find more information on the page dedicated to him Claudio Caporaso – Italian art by ELisa Manzoni (criticoarte.org).

Domanda all’artista: Claudio Caporaso

Posted on by criticoarte in Blog, Blog ita

E’ ormai passato poco più di un anno da quando ho conosciuto il talentuoso scultore ligure Claudio Caporaso. La nostra conoscenza è nata per caso sui social a fine 2019, poco prima dello scoppio di questa pandemia e del mio trasferimento in Olanda: entrambi eravamo alla ricerca di un professionista del settore dell’arte che credeva nei nostri progetti e ci siamo trovati d’accordo sino dall’inizio. E’ difficile trovare degli abili scultori ed è per questo che nel progetto Arte Italiana Contemporanea in Olanda attualmente è presente solo lui: la sua poetica artistica è figurativa e reale, sensibile ed emozionale, senza alterazioni di forma per mostrare il suo profondo messaggio in cui tutta la femminilità del corpo viene esaltata in una costante ricerca di dinamismo spaziale. Le sue opere stanno ottenendo un notevole successo presso le gallerie italiane e nelle collezioni, private e pubbliche, italiane e tedesche.

  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail.
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Identity III, patinated and polished bronze, 2021, 30x30x60 cm. Detail
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 42x20x22 cm.

Passiamo ora all’intervista a Claudio Caporaso e conosciamolo meglio:

Come e quando è nato lo scultore Claudio Caporaso: cosa ti ispira maggiormente e cosa vorresti trasmettere ai posteri?

La mia passione è nata fin da quando ero bambino.  Mi mettevo lì da solo con un “temperino” e facevo le mie “statuette”. Mi dava soddisfazione. Piano piano quello che poteva sembrare un hobby si è trasformato in un progetto per il futuro: mi sono iscritto alla scuola d’arte di Massa e sono cresciuto. La mia ispirazione è sempre stata la Natura: la vedo come la Madre di tutti noi, la perfezione e la bellezza assoluta. La Natura ha dei canoni perfetti: anche qualcosa di brutto, se lo guardi bene alla fine ha del bello o comunque si rivela utile. Quello che mi muove invece è la passione e il sentimento: la mia arte gravita attorno a questo. Ai posteri voglio lasciare la speranza che l’arte continui a vivere. Voglio che capiscano che essere un artista è un lavoro oltre che una vocazione e che, in quanto tale, non ci si può improvvisare artisti. Ci vuole impegno e dedizione, ma soprattutto ci vuole capacità tecnica ed espressiva. L’arte è piena di significato e va tramandata senza bisogno di parole che la raccontino. Ecco, questo auspico.

Ci descriveresti il processo creativo delle tue opere: quanto tempo passa dall’idea alla realizzazione?

Le mie opere nascono prima di tutto da una sensazione, che sia un’emozione o un concetto, da qualunque cosa che in ogni caso mi ha segnato. Difficilmente butto giù uno schizzo, l’idea si fa strada nella mia mente, dapprima in modo confuso e via via sempre più strutturato. Dopo giorni di pensieri fumosi durante i quali entro in uno stato quasi ansioso, ecco che il disegno diventa chiaro. A quel punto io vedo già la mia opera. Sono pronto per entrare in laboratorio e iniziare la lavorazione. Parto direttamente dalla creta o dalla cera. E finché non la vedo finita ho la smania addosso e non esco più dallo studio. Ogni opera ha tempistiche diverse, ci possono volere giorni o settimane solo per il modello, poi creo la gomma e vado fondere in bronzo.

Scolpisci opere figurative realistiche sia in legno sia in bronzo ma, con quale dei due materiali hai più affinità e cosa ti trasmettono? Come scegli l’uno o l’altro per i tuoi temi cardine?

Nonostante il materiale che utilizzo maggiormente per le mie statue sia il bronzo, effettivamente prediligo di gran lunga il legno: è un materiale vivo, naturale e, quando lo lavori, non sai mai cosa ti puoi aspettare, magari un nodo, una venatura, un elemento che ti fa deviare dal disegno iniziale. Lavorare il legno è una sorpresa, ti spacchi le mani, lo studio si riempie di trucioli, come anche i miei capelli, e tutto diventa un tutt’uno con la mia opera d’arte. Il bronzo invece è chiaramente più statico, però soprattutto con la patinatura acquisisce un non so ché di vivo. Il legno lo uso per temi più delicati, mentre il bronzo per i temi dai contenuti più forti.

Parliamo di un tema a te caro: la donna. Tra la fine del 2019 e l’inizio del 2020 hai fondato il progetto -DND- DO NOT DISTURB per combattere la violenza contro le donne: racconteresti ai lettori in che cosa consiste il progetto e come si sta articolando? Cosa prevede per il 2021?

il tema della Donna mi è sempre stato caro è vero. Nel corso degli anni sono stato definito lo scultore delle donne, proprio perché i soggetti da me prediletti sono raffigurazioni femminili, ornate da elementi naturalistici. La donna per me è un essere superiore, associato alla perfezione della Natura. L’idea che possa essere abusata o soggiogata mi devasta. L’idea che nei secoli non abbia ancora raggiunto il pieno potere e uguaglianza col sesso maschile è inammissibile. Il progetto nasce dalla rabbia, dall’impotenza che si vive ogni giorno anche solo dopo un TG. L’arte è sempre stata al servizio dell’umanità e allora ho pensato che DND potesse diventare un reale simbolo di riscatto femminile. Con mia moglie, che è da sempre stata la mia curatrice e la mia musa, abbiamo messo in piedi DND: lei è la parte pensante, quella che ci sa fare con le parole, io sono l’operaio, quello però che fa sognare attraverso le mani. Il progetto è stato abbracciato da grandi personaggi del mondo della cultura, della TV e dello sport e stava decollando alla grande, fino al lockdown del 2019. Avevamo in programma di portarlo in giro in tutta Italia, attraverso mostre itineranti e congressi, avevamo in programma una raccolta fondi per la messa in opera di monumenti che sensibilizzino sul tema, e ancora la donazione di denaro ad associazioni che si battono per i diritti delle donne in tutto il mondo. Chiaramente ora è tutto fermo, o meglio, così potrebbe sembrare, ma l’importante è crederci e non abbandonare la presa. È vero ora non si può far nulla, ma DND va avanti, e tutto è solo rimandato.  La produzione cresce, come anche l’interesse delle Gallerie e dei collezionisti. Molti hanno voluto queste opere nelle loro collezioni private, capendone il potenziale. Non appena la situazione si sbloccherà, il progetto decollerà.

Hai iniziato da poco il ciclo scultoreo denominato IDENTITA’, maschere bronzee dalle linee naturali in continuo mutamento: quante sculture hai mente per questo ciclo dal profondo significato filosofico? Raccontaci…

Identità è un progetto molto ampio e vastissimo, di cui è impossibile definirne un numero. È ancora all’inizio tra l’altro e va sviluppato interamente. È un progetto meraviglioso e concettualmente impegnativo. So che è un tema già ampiamente trattato in filosofia, nell’arte e in letteratura, ma lo trovo sempre molto attuale. Persino le nostre Identità subiscono il passare del tempo. Del progetto fanno parte essenzialmente due temi: la Maschera e il Sentimento abbinato. Mask ha dimensioni più piccole ed è la tipica struttura classica, felicità, tristezza, rabbia, ecc. Identity invece è più grande e ricca di particolari. In Identity è il viso stesso della donna che muta e che si sfoglia prendendo forme e significati diversi. Anche le lavorazioni dei materiali sono diverse per ogni opera, patinatura, lucentezza, effetto mat, sono studiati per suscitare le più svariate reazioni del pubblico. Rinomate gallerie italiane mi hanno contattato per avere almeno un pezzo di questa collezione nelle proprie sale.

  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 54x18x20 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.
  • Project -DND- DO NOT DISTURB, patinated and polished bronze on rough stone, 2021, 41,5x17x13 cm.

Ringraziando di cuore Claudio Caporaso per il tempo dedicatoci, ricordo che potrete trovare altre informazioni sulla pagina a lui dedicata Claudio Caporaso – Italian art by ELisa Manzoni (criticoarte.org).