Antonio Tamburro is an Italian artist whose artworks are exhibited in international art galleries and private collections; he is considered one of the most representative Italian figurative painter of the late 20th century. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples and Rome, from which he received his Fine Art BFA. His paintings can be found in many public and private collections in Paris, Toulouse, London, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, St. Moritz, Milan & Rome.
Art, whatever it takes – RomeArtProgram has made interviews with people involved in art, living in Italy, the USA and the UK, to know their feelings during the emergency.
–> Antonio Tamburro interview:
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#1 RomeArtProgram: What is your definition of “Art” today?
– Antonio: Art is a product of man’s need, particularly during this time of global crisis, it has the capability to give meaning to our existence, to our lives.
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#2 RAP: Art is dynamic and regenerates itself… how does it change, and how did it change us?
– Antonio: Art inevitably changes, as society, technology and communication change; of course there is not just a single thought… I have always been faithful to creative freedom, without following fashions and intellectualistic concepts of painting.
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#3 RAP: When (and how) did you understand that art was becoming very important in your life?
– Antonio: During my adolescence I began to be aware that I had received the gift of painting, carried on with great passion, until today.
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#4 RAP: What role does art play today? What are the “great figures” who have recently changed it? Do you feel close to any of these figures?
– Antonio: I can’t see important figures of artists right now, rather I only see business around art.
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#5 RAP: Are there still traditional figures such as collectors, muses, mecenate and patrons, in today’s art and society interaction model?
– Antonio: Yes, they certainly exist, but these figures seem to have partisan interests above all.
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#6 RAP: How have the new technologies and media culture changed art today, improving or worsening it…? What do you feel are your biggest challenges?
– Antonio: Technologies and especially the media have greatly influenced and lowered the cultural level of this liquid society. My challenge is always painting.
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#7 RAP: Art as a mirror of man, in this moment of emergency seems to be shattered …what do these fragments reflect now?… Shadow or light of the moment?
– Antonio: Society itself, as a whole, is shattered, and artists can do little, though they will surely survive.
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#8 RAP: Understanding, interpreting, and then possibly judging the work of art; which is the right path when we are in front of a piece of art?
– Antonio: A work of art should neither judged nor understood, but the moment it is capable of moving and exciting you then it should be enjoyed.
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#9 RAP: Which is the real role of Academies and Art schools today? What can artists learn from these institutions today?
– Antonio: Even in too many cases it’s a matter of bad theories and little manual skill.
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#10 RAP: Art too has undergone a complex process of globalization; can having an authentic and genuine style be an advantage or a drag for an artist?
– Antonio: The “key thing” for an artist is his or her identity: whatever painting he or she does must be instantly recognizable.
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#11 RAP: How do Art Galleries and Museums position themselves today, and, in your opinion, how should they?
– Antonio: Over the years I have built relationships especially with private galleries, which, despite the difficulties, are still the best place to give visibility and notoriety to an artist.
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#12 RAP: “Figuration” vs “Abstraction”: which of the two is better descriptive of the period we live in? Which one will have a better future?
– Antonio: For me there are no predominant styles; both abstract and figurative coexist harmoniously in my works. I remain confident that a better future can always and only be in painting.
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#13 RAP: Today we often speak of “emerging artists”; what advice based on your experience do you feel you can give to young artists?
– Antonio: Young talented emerging artists don’t need advice.
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#14 RAP: Art as a lens for reading the present, can it modify the space and time we pass through? …will art save us?
– Antonio: Art will not save us but it will persist and go on.
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www.antoniotamburro.net
@antonio_tamburro__
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