international drawing annual 6 exhibition-in-print
online resource


Laura Fantini
Brooklyn, NY

Self-Employed

info@laurafantini.com

www.laurafantini.com

pages 81



statement

My flowers, seeds, or leaves are more than mere objects. Their tension, rigor and almost perfect visualization take shape on a symbolic Celtic-inspired background. My artworks do not only represent the reality of the "still life objects" I paint, but also the unique and intimate interpretation of emotions, memories and human relationships. I utilize the emblematic connotation and poetic potential of simple subjects to create a narrative and emotional tension that confronts and almost challenges the viewer to generate their unique associations. The settings I apply are modest and minimalist: few objects can stand alone to make a complete composition dominated by a critical use of shadows which produces a dramatic staging effect.

The essential elements of my artworks are: composition, drawing, contrasts and symbolism. My medium of choice is colored pencil on illustration board.  Pencils are my paint and board is my canvas.  As a predominant medium, colored pencil allows me to be exasperatingly precise. At first glance, my smooth strokes create an almost photographic effect. However, a closer look reveals even more intricate and minute detail than photography. From thousands upon thousands of precise, distinct, cross-hatched pencil-strokes, I build up rich tones.  My precise technique allows me to develop a deep and intimate relationship with my subjects and with the actual surface of the artwork. An attentive eye can notice that this relationship, similar to the one that exists between the sculptor's hands and the clay being sculpted, could not reach comparable hyper-realistic results by using other mediums.

 

bio

born:1971, Bologna, Italy


education:

Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, Italy, BFA, 1995
Liceo Artistico Statale of Bologna, Italy, High School Diploma in Art, 1990


selected awards/honors

Jane Peterson Memorial Award, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, 2010
Honorable Mention, Gallery 364, Brooklyn, NY, 2010
1st Prize, First Annual Sylvia Glesmann Floral Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, 2010
Finalist, Profilo d'Arte, Banca Profilo spa, Milan, Italy, 2008


selected publications

Bay Ridge Eagle and Brooklyn Eagle, Love is In the Air and on The Walls at Gallery 364, Brooklyn, NY, 2011
Best of Worldwide Charcoal, Pastel and Pencil Artists, Volume I, Kennedy Publishing, Williamsburg, VA, 2010
America Oggi, Taccuino, Norwood, NJ, 2009
Profilo d'Arte 2008, Premio di Pittura per Giovani Artisti Emergenti, Federico Motta Editore srl, Milan, Italy, 2008


selected solo or two-person exhibits

Laura Fantini & Jeff Faerber: City Visions, Object Image Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, 2009
Rendere Visibile l‚Invisibile, Spazio Arte RAS, Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy, 2007
Bellezza e Vanitas, Bertolt Brecht, Milan, Italy, 2006
Intimita' Svelate: una nuova visione della natura morta, City Hall, San Lazzaro, Bologna, Italy, 2006



selected group shows

Artist Choice, Gallery 364, Brooklyn, NY, 2011
The Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, NJ, 2011
127th Annual Member's Exhibition, The Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, 2010
6 giornata del contemporaneo, Circolo Artistico di Bologna, Bologna, Italy, 2010



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