Roberto Gammone
Italy
Roberto Gammone was born in Rome, Italy, in 1979.
He decided to become a painter the first time he visited a museum – he was smitten by the paintings, by what he peirceived as something magical. He made up his mind right then that he would be a painter. He had just turned five. His has been a focused, obsessive journey. He has spent years in training by studying the old masters: their styles, their brushstrokes, their color schemes, their materials, and their inspirations. He sought out literary texts on how the maestros of the past prepared their oils and canvases. And he painted. Even during the years that he was an established installation artist, he always painted.
His portraits are technically brilliant, as brilliant as those that came out of workshops centuries ago, but they concisely and cleverly capture our own contemporary age. The sheer beauty of his painting makes his subjects seem somehow glamorous, important, and indelible.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
