| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Victor Greenaway currently resides in Orvieto in Umbria returning to Australia for several months each year to work in the Lakes Studio at Nungurner, Victoria.
In Italy he paints the sights and sounds and people of this amazing architectural landscape as well as producing ceramics (terracotta and porcelain) in the castle studio at Viceno, conducting workshops and Master Classes in Europe on invitation as well as at Viceno for small groups and private clients. As part of the Discovering Italy' itineraries he also conducts private, group programmes and, on request, Master Classes, in ceramics and drawing in Rome, Florence and Umbria.
Greenaway says: With constant access to the many major museums that offer up the most amazing inspirational works, it is possible to be surrounded by the most wondrous influences on a regular basis. Especially important for me are the Renaissance paintings by Raphael with his social references and warm, sometimes challenging, humanity and the stark confronting reality in the post-Renaissance works of Caravaggio. Together with the Michelangelo and Bernini marbles, classical sculptures and architecture: marble columns, stone, texture, layers of time, these all combine in a great mix of inspiration in both the paintings and the ceramics. This also combines with living amidst the art and myths that abound in the many, many churches and cathedrals that are part of our daily life.
On ceramics
The new ceramic forms have been influenced greatly by the traditional shapes that emerged from the Etruscan society 2,500 years ago, especially in the larger, stemmed open bowls or "calice" and the decorative friezes that chase abstract shapes around the surfaces. But the surfaces too arise from the smooth surfaces of marble and classical forms that are everywhere.
In contrast, the Bucchero pieces are made from an Italian volcanic clay, mostly wheel-turned and polished, then smoke-fumed in a reduction atmosphere to permeate the black colour through the clay body which, when polished and fired, has the appearance of metalware. Bucchero is a distinctively Etruscan product that emerged around the 7th century BC in Southern Etruria (central Italy).
Regardless of the medium, as in a quick sketch or abstraction, the outcome relies on experience, intuition and a confidence in technique. Often the result is uncertain and the work lost or discarded but the journey is an exciting one and constantly rewarding.
On painting
Painting has always been a personal and private passion and is a significant addition to my development as a complete artist. It does not replace or impede my work as a ceramic artist, on the contrary, it enhances the creative process by introducing new elements to my work such as colour and pictorial expression.
Inspiration for this body of work undoubtedly derives from living and working in Italy over the past number of years. Stimulation comes from everywhere, we are surrounded by it, living in a medieval hill top town that rises over Etruscan ruins, with Renaissance overlays, piazzas and palazzi infiltrating throughout. This close city dwelling means we are intimately involved in people's lives, customs, traditions and daily routines and this certainly shows in many of the subjects of the paintings.
|
|
|
|
