Giancarlo Calicchia
Artist Statement
From the ancient quarries of Carrara to the most advanced bronze and glass casting facilities I’ve worked directly with the finest craftsmen in the world in my chosen fields of stone, wood, bronze, glass, mosaic, ceramic and oils. A background of traditional techniques and classical training has enabled a spiritual and psychological fluidity in the concepts and approaches that guide my work. The timeless techniques of the ancient world integrated into the powerful technologies developed so dramatically during the last few decades have given me the tools and the inspiration to create new worlds on very sound foundations that will withstand the ravages of time and exalt our humble limitations.
The nature of my work is closely related to one of my favorite words: Gravitas. Like gravity, it takes its root from the Latin language, meaning to be serious or to be taken seriously. Gravitas is a state of being heavy with creation, thoughts, feelings, and responsibilities. It is also the gravitation toward mental and physical awareness. Gravitas is experienced through wisdom, humility, empathy, and accountability. It is seen in the form of leadership, confidence, trust, sacrifice, and discipline. The highest degree of humanity exists in the psyche of our folklore, as a reminder of our true purpose. Gravitas represents the metamorphoses we must experience to achieve truth.
Art with its unyielding endurance becomes conscious, immortal through the hands of man. It is the memory container of a collective awareness from the universe. The materials the artist uses have given mankind its highest achievements. We stand now as witnesses to look forward but also to respect, remember and memorialize the past.
My professional career has been shaped and shared with an enriching wide range of people. In Italy I worked with great teachers and professors, quarrymen and skilled craftsmen in the glassworks of Venice and the foundries of Pistoia. In Haiti I lived and worked in a magical community of woodworkers and fine artists. I have learned with great respect and admiration that great things are not done alone. We must rely always on the knowledge and participation of others. As much as art is the supreme personal expression of an individual, it cannot stand without the training from the past and without the complex layered structure empowering the present.
Giancarlo Calicchia (C) 2011