A dip in nature by Paolo Rizzi

The first impression one has when viewing Gianni Piva’s paintings is a desire to merge with the nature he portrays. The tangle of the vegetation, the almost sensual allure of the flowers, the fields of corn, the flowering trees and fascinating landscapes are so enticing they make the viewer want to take part in an intimate dialogue with this rediscovered garden of Eden. Nature’s sensual yet dynamic appeal is flourishing and vital, stirring and overwhelming. It captivates us completely.

Then as we look again and again we discover that the portrayal of nature originates from something deeper, therefore it can be logically assimilated. It is not just a joyous post-impressionist expression in the style of Monet: the motivations lie in our own physical-mental make up, in the nerve centres, in the cerebral filaments. Every painting and every detail of the painting refers to our way of interacting -as elements that constitute naturewith the environment, and as such we are biologically comparable to the vegetation, the trees and the landscape. This point of view originates from the fact that Gianni Piva has identified himself with those fields of sunflowers or poppies in order to emphasis our most intimate identity.

Like practically all the creations of our time, the paintings of this young artist from Treviso are essentially testimonials of a “reality” that I consider “biological” inasmuch as it reflects the organic features of every living structure. The parameters that were once used to judge beauty are –or appear to be– obsolete. We do not know if the so called classic harmony (religious or Renaissance) is still considered a value in an era as neurotic and chaotic as today’s where the artist is a nomad in search of something that constantly eludes him. It is a search for new values that are able to slack a thirst for knowledge. And one of these is comparison: comparing our fragile ego with the natural environment.

Gianni Piva has strived to become one with the nature he portrays; applying his sentiments, even his primary organic energy, all his feelings, his thoughts, his DNA, his chromosomes. At a glance we perceive this, and we understand that is itself is a value. At times nature’s expression is recognizable: trees and flowers, fields and clouds, water and earth. Nature’s vital presence pulses within the vegetation that boldly attracts and captivates; the viewer feels his eyes almost penetrating the tangle of shapes to such an extent as to lose contact with “reality”. The painting thus becomes abstract (but this term is not fully appropriate) in the sense that it is inevitabily perceived as an expression of the mind. This is the fascinating aspect of the artist’s painting, because it reflects the world that constantly appears before our eyes, but at the same time it makes us delve deeply into the subconscious. There is really no distinction between the real and the unconscious, only the viewer’s depth of perception. In fact when painting is freed from the constraints of portrayal another form of portraying takes over, and we then can begin to understand the mysteries within nature, and the mysteries within us. It is the ability to reveal, an ability given by the artist’s self-confidence which is not conditioned by intellectualisms or sophistications.

We perceive a subtle transit inasmuch as everything appears simple and at the same time complex. We see warm, vibrant sunflowers standing out majestically before us; other paintings depict the flowering native trees of Mauritius, or a field of corn whose silks are softly caressed by the breeze, and others still that Gianni Piva calls “my flowers”: tulips, poppies, violets (indeed one painting is significantly called “Wandering amid the Flowers”). We can also discover a sweeping landscape in which the contours of an enchanted Venice appear in the background; or the transparency of the Sile river that shines through the thick vegetation. It is a continuous journey through nature: the flowers of the Argentario area, the sugarcane plantations of distant lands, and a “valley” composed of flowers glimmering in the iridescent light.

And hardly without noticing the naturalistic element fades– or we could say that our eyes are unable to perceive it. A “waterfall” could even be perceived as splashes of icy blue; “reflections and dazzling light” stir our fantasy and open up new horizons. Then there is a “wall” that may be seen as an “effect of mildew”, and an “improvised effect” created by circles of light that are mysteriously intersected.

A head suddenly appears out of a tangle of colours and signs; it is a painted wooden head that extends out towards us, as if trying to fix two moments (those that commonly refer to the abstract and the figurative) and that merge with diverse materials and diverse aspects.

Even in “Memories of an old Film” the unravelled reels are tangled inside a pictorial jumble which is like an ancient ritual. Then there are two semi-circles (due gondolas?) that explode in thousands of fragments and are then recomposed into a new image where one perceives the frantic flight of the atoms. Therefore we no longer “see” flowers and fields of corn; what we see lies within or beyond our imagination. What is evident at first glance is that the organic framework strict corresponds to the artist’s mood. The impulsive, frenetic, and excited way Gianni Piva applies the paint expresses a well-defined personality; a personality that refuses every stylistic compromise, every mannerism, every easy solution.

He is certainly acquainted – and how could he not be? – with the great artists that preceded him, such as Monet and Pollack, but he has also included every echo and every memory into his way of being, and the result is a style of painting that is crystalline, fresh, pure and even naïve to the limit of naïf. A style I would call free because it springs from the freedom of a man who expresses the feelings, the state of mind, and the emotions he experiences when he finds himself in contact with nature. It is not difficult to understand what this signifies in the culture of today. A century known as the avant-garde (intended as constant linguistic renewal) has just ended. Till ten to twenty years ago the value of an artistic creation was identified with the novelty of the solutions proposed, or so it seemed. Thus, for example, Pop Art swept aside the Informal which itself had done away with the so called Figurative. Today we have arrived at exasperated, eclectic and audacious forms of linguistic transformation. But there is an increasing need to return to nature, intended as man’s symbiosis with the environment.

Therefore, nature -so despised by the Futurists, Dadaists, Surrealists and Cubists- has taken its revenge. And not only in painting, but in all the other forms of creative expression. The other perspective is authenticity of expression which implies refusal to conform, to apply artful manipulations or to copy.

The new “spirit of the age” requires that everything the artist produces be the consequence of an organic truth; and if the concept of “beauty” on the one hand has crumbled, on the other hand the concept of “verity” is increasingly stronger. Painting must be “genuine” which means it should almost be a continuation of the human essence, blood and organic structure. Gianni Piva’s painting faithfully corresponds to these parameters: it is instinctive and vibrant, and boldly interprets the soul of nature, its colours and its message. We can even see burnt plastic cups left to melt in the heat, or white filaments of an enigmatic calligraphy that seem to emerge from mysterious depths where everything appears incandescent and chaotic. Then the “mood” changes; it becomes serene.

The painting then appears like a delicate embroidery of springtime foliage where splashes of green, yellow and lilac hues extend from the flowering tree. What the artist proposes stems from his emotions, his innermost feelings. At times a sense of chaos appears to prevail in his paintings; the canvas vibrates in a turbulent display of bold strokes and heightened colours; but there is an order within this “chaos”, an order that is similar to man’s biological structure whose molecules can be seen through the lens of a microscope.

However, we cannot rely on instruments to assess a painting but only on acute intuition, because through it we are able to discover a sense order -even in the most frenetic of brushstrokes- that traces back to man’s biological verity. It must be pointed out that the technique Gianni Piva uses is the result of constant experimentation and perfectly expresses his impulses, his “Kunstwollen” or artist’s will. And this can be noted in the effects, which are so different yet so complementary to nature’s transfiguration (trees, flowers, vegetation, water, skies), where a sentimental vision of the world prevails. These are different moments, each of which corresponds to a different technique, ranging from the radiant display of flowers to their intricate informal composition: from daytime to nighttime, from clarity to obscurity.

The depth and range of Gianni Piva’s emotional expression is always faithful to his personal convictions. We can therefore trust in his intuition, in what he is able to express now, and -most important of all- in what he will be able to express in the future. Indeed, the trust we placed in him one year ago has been amply rewarded; it has been confirmed by the many people who have chosen to place a part of this artist’s universe in their homes.