Federico Cortese

The swimmer, Painting, Oil on Wood Panel

2023

Swimming is a beautiful as breathing. I used to swim under the sea with out equipment back in South America and loved every minute of it. :: Painting :: Abstract :: This piece comes...

As a kid I used to jump into all kinds of water in the ocean. Here you see there is no fear, it is just plain fun! :: Painting :: Abstract Expressionism :: This piece comes with an o...

GREG MILLER "Bayside" Acrylic, Collage on Panel 24 x 36 in. Drawing from the diverse cultural and geographic makeup of his Californian roots, Greg Miller explores his relationship w...

Oil on Canvas, Made in Florence, Italy Daylight explores a playful world where dreams and reality meld together to create surreal moments. When engaging with Piussi's work, we enter an arena where we are immersed in childlike delight. We experience snapshot images of a world reduced to its essence, in a seemingly comic-book style that has echoes of Giotto and Paolo Uccello, and even of medieval illuminations. My work is simple: the subject matter is stripped to basics, so all that is engagement, controversy and links to reality is taken away, and what remains is an icon with an aura of philosophical suspension, and a window into the enigma of existence. Piussi’s work is directly influenced by artists Alex Katz and David Hockney, and his style reflects a comprehensive understanding of the work of Giotto and Paolo Uccello. In "Girl on a Rock with Mask”, the figure represented in this painting conveys a blank mood, such that the viewer is invited to examine their own intimate feelings that arise when observing the image. Piussi creates a universe of more profound truths in his examination of the tranquility of everyday life: he reminds us of our need for reflection, shows us a fearlessness in the face of stillness and the passage of time. The broad repertoire of his paintings, with their naturalistic color and semi-abstract shapes, presents us with Piussi’s views concerning our contemporary lives. Rather than mimic the appearance of nature, Piussi reaches for its essence, in visions that are devoid of distracting details. Women stand on the shores of quintessentially peaceful seas; they are self-contained, at ease. These women are unwitting replicas of classical goddesses. Or we see a proud diver echoing Neptune, holding his trident. Piussi was born in 1967 in Udine and raised in Florence, where he majored in sculpture at the Institute D’Arte. He completed his artistic education at Milano's Brera Art Academy where he majored in painting. Piussi went on to live in Florence, where he now pursues his passion for painting, bronze, terracotta sculpture and bas-reliefs. Giacomo Piussi...