LUIGI BENEDICENTI Dolci Pensieri

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Margery Morrison
5 years ago
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1 LUIGI BENEDICENTI Dolci Pensieri

3 LUIGI BENEDICENTI Dolci Pensieri The overused comparison between Caravaggio and realist painters does not really suit Luigi Benedicenti. It is somewhat reductive to confine the historical horizon only to a sole artist, even of such skillfulness as the Lombard master. The work of Benedicenti is deeply rooted in the still-life tradition that sprouted in Europe in the late XVI century, embodied by such masters as Bosschaert the Elder and Bruegel the Elder, whose accurately descriptive paintings were often employed for scientific purposes. Such naturalism reached its apogee during the XVII century in Rome and Naples with painters as Pietro Paolo Bonzi, Giovan Battista Ruoppolo or Giuseppe Recco specialised in the production of lavish still-lives, swarming with groceries, bovine carcasses, game, shining fish and iridescent shellfish of unusual shape. Notwithstanding Luigi Benedicenti has a strong independent personality which cannot be fully explained through the prism of his precursors. After having deeply meditated on their works, absorbed the symbolic value, Luigi moved away from this genre. He came up with a completely new style, what the critic Claudio Malberti defined as Realismo Estremo or Extreme Realism. Benedicenti replaces the fish and meat that used to decorate the dining rooms of the leisure class with contemporary Italian patisserie, ice cream and classy drinks. However the change in subject matter is not the only innovation introduced by Benedicenti. Luigi is a son of our times and as such he uses all the technical means at his disposal. The strong artificial lights utilized during the early stages of his paintings allow him to get the essence of the subject depicted and convey the same sensorial feelings that the object would produce in real life. Benedicenti s style clear, immediate, shiny of multicoloured reflections is the result of years of intense study and tireless practice.

4 1 Tarocchi oil on panel 102 x 140 cm (40 x 55 in)

6 2 Cupcake I oil on panel 73 x 65 cm (29 x 26 in)

8 3 Sara oil on panel 106 x 134 cm (42 x 53 in)

10 4 Cupcake II oil on panel 73 x 65 cm (29 x 26 in)

12 5 Madernasse V oil on panel 80 x 135 cm (31 x 53 in)

16 6 Cupcake III oil on panel 73 x 65 cm (29 x 26 in)

18 7 Nel Piatto V oil on panel 115 x 115 cm (45 x 45 in)

20 8 Cupcake IV oil on panel 73 x 65 cm (29 x 26 in)

22 9 Lite Approccio oil on panel 90 x 180 cm (35 x 71 in)

10 Ciliegie oil on panel 85 x 85 cm (35 x 35 in) Please note that this painting has been donated by the artist to the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity and will be auctioned at a Gala

26 10 Ciliegie oil on panel 85 x 85 cm (35 x 35 in) Please note that this painting has been donated by the artist to the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals Charity and will be auctioned at a Gala Dinner to be held on Thursday 20th March at the Guildhall, London. Bids prior to the Gala Dinner should be submitted direct to the Charity T: The Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Charity supports the ground-breaking work of two specialist hospitals in their fight against heart and lung disease, two of the world s biggest killers. The Charity supports the hospitals by buying equipment, funding vital research and improving the lives of patients with complex heart and lung conditions. The hospitals remain pioneers and world-class centres for the diagnosis, treatment and care of heart and lung patients as a result of the extra funding that the Charity can provide for carefully selected projects. The Charity s current focus is to raise 4.5m to build and equip a state-of-the-art hybrid operating theatre, which will revolutionise heart operations at Royal Brompton Hospital. The fundraising focal point of the campaign will be a Gala Dinner to be held on Thursday 20th March 2014 at the Guildhall, London. 440 VIP guests will join the Charity for cocktails in the Crypt followed by dinner in The Great Hall. If you would like to support the work of the Charity or purchase tickets for the Gala Dinner please contact the Charity on:

28 11 Éclair oil on panel 60 x 110 cm (24 x 43 in) Please note: Unfortunately this painting was still in progress at the time of printing. Illustrated opposite is the photograph from which the work was painted. The original finished painting will be exhibited in the show and can also be viewed online

30 1948 Born in Turin, Italy SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2011 Decadenza Dolce, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York, NY 2010 Mimesis, Galleria D arte Stefano Forni, Bologna, Italy 2009 Albemarle Gallery, London 2008 Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York 2003 Galleria Marieschi, Milan 2000 Galleria Forni, Bologna 1998 Galleria Davico, Turin SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2013 Photorealism in the Digital Age, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York, NY 2012 What Kind of Real, Albemarle Gallery, London 2011 Landscapes, Still-Lifes and the Figure, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York, NY Decadence, Evoke Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM 2010 Sweet Tooth, Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco Expansion, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York, NY Summer Sweet, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, New York, NY Art Hamptons, Bridgehampton, NY 2008 Painted Faces. Post-Modern Portraits, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, NY 2007 Culinary Art, Bernarducci Meisel Gallery, NY 2003 Artefiera Bologna, Galleria Marieschi, Milan Galleria Marieschi, Milan 1998 Galleria Davico, Turin Studio Petrecca, Gent (Galleria Davico) 1997 Galleria Forni, Bologna Galleria Davico, Turin Fiera Internazionale d Arte Contemporanea, Milan Galleria Rotta, Genova Mole Vanvitelliana, Ancona 1996 Artefiera, Bologna Galleria Il Quadrato, Chieri 1995 Fiera Internazionale d Arte Contemporanea, Milan Palazzo Lomellini, Civica Galleria d Arte Contemporanea, Carmagnola 1994 LineaArt, Gent ArtExpo, Bari 1993 Galleria Civica, Chieri Galleria Il Segno, Udine 1992 Palazzo dei Congressi Villa Ormond, San Remo Salone di Settembre, Palazzo delle Zitelle, Venezia 1991 Galleria Davico, Turin 1990 Galleria Il Quadrato, Chieri 1979 Galleria La Clessidra, Turin 1976 Palazzo Kursall, Pallanza 1975 Galleria Fogliato, Turin Albemarle Gallery 2013

32 ALBEMARLE

ALBEMARLE. what kind of real?

ALBEMARLE. what kind of real? what kind of real? what kind of real? What this exhibition demonstrates, in a particularly fascinating way, is that there are really as many forms of realism as there are realist artists. Many of the