Page 24 - PAOLO STACCIOLI

ties to the world and society. new expressive forms is exposed. Staccioli’s natural
Paolo Staccioli’s workshop is, still today, a source passion pushes him onward to continue his anxious and
of innovative compositional, formal, and colorful intuitive experimentation, because he is devoted to his
solutions for his works. And, his artistic journey is vocation and to the ritual contained in its practicing.
free from affectations and vices. In these recent years, He is thus safe from the dogma and sterile cultural and
his exploration continues to utilize new linguistic aesthetic theorizing. This intent has characterized his
expressions. Daily, he examines the themes of his work for over a thirty-year period of intense and prolific
work and subjects them to the scrutiny of a continually production. It has brought him, today, to represent one
evolving artistic paradigm. This process allows him to, of the foremost figures among contemporary Tuscan
yet again, arrive at the essence of his subjects. artists.
He takes up again the theme of the warrior, his most Proof of this can be found in the vast circle of his admires
significant sculptural subject. He pushes it toward and collector in Italy and abroad, in the numerous article
radical solutions, in terms of increased volumetric of critical acclaim by art critics, and in the personal and
thickness and liberated architectural masses. So, he group shows in museums and galleries, which in these
obtains a new monumentality. Sculptures of grand recent years are increasingly frequent.
dimensions are born. They are anchored in a ritual On every occasion, when one of his new works is
immobility; the feet and the lower limbs have become presented, it seems as though he has reached a new
weighty and their exaggerated size supports, almost creative plateau. It seems as though he is presenting us
ironically, the ever more minute and thin heads. Theses with the most extraordinary accomplishment. Indeed,
heads emerge suddenly from the grainy clay-ness of the a mature artist dwells behind that ironic smile, which
armor, disobeying every precept of scale and stability. seems to me to be that same smile on the Etruscan
Staccioli remains dedicated to discovering new statues that Marino Marini referred to. He clearly sees
expressive possibilities in ceramics; nevertheless, he is, the possibility of new solutions, new inroads to lead
today, evermore interested in bronze. That precious to those discoveries. What counts, and rightly so, for
malleable material seems to lend itself so well to creating Staccioli, is that he continually demands from himself
rough tones and depth of surface. So, the fragment, the freshness, inventiveness, and beauty. These are the
mutilation, the interest in parts, that has lead the artist gifts that he lavishes on the impoverished landscape
to create those fortunate sculptures, is exalted by the of contemporary sculpture. He guides us to a renewed
variegated patina, evocative of the primitive splendor of amazement, he distracts us from logic, and he convinces
consumed and time offended antiquities. us to let dreams prevail over reality.
A revelation, yet again, emerges from the magma of And, he surprises us, indeed, like only a man, who isn’t
the material, the earth. From the exploration into its afraid to approach the surreal and wink at it like a child,
hidden and intrinsic reservoir of energy, a promise of can.