SEE THE UNSEEN: Poetry from the Colored Pencils of Laura Fantini
Artist Laura Fantini, through her colored pencils, reveals the poetic potential of simple objects, such as seeds and plants. One at a time, each modest and minimalist image is rendered in Hyperrealism tradition and applied in compositions that are intimate, symbolic and, ultimately, intensely dramatic.
“I love the poetic potential of simple objects. My flowers, seeds or leaves are more than mere objects, not only representing the reality of still life, but also the unique & intimate interpretation of emotions, memories & human relationships." LF
In the summer of 2019, the invitational exhibition LOVE LETTERS graced the walls of Miller White Fine Arts in South Dennis, Massachusetts. The subject matter of the show featured an evocative inquiry into physical love, from gender to sex to sexual orientation. Within a variety of artistic traditions, the show encompassed myriad notions of sexual instinct and motivation, the passion and despair of courtship, and the wondrous odyssey of the body in sensual relationship with another.
Heralding that show was the piece titled "Wedding Rose" by Laura Fantini, chosen because Fantini's work is itself a stunningly honest inquiry into intimacy.
Fantini's engagement with her subject -- infinitesimal bodies -- requires a level of scrutiny that most eyes cannot abide. Given the subject matter of LOVE LETTERS, curator Susan Danton was captivated by the quiet elegance, the soft permissiveness and the gesture of endurance of Fantini's rose. Further, it dominated the show's directive, which featured a letter authored by French writer Gustave Flaubert to his lover, Louise Colet, in which he describes in intimate detail what he is going to do to her upon their next meeting:
“I will cover you with love when next I see you, with caresses, with ecstasy. I want to gorge you with all the joys of the flesh, so that you faint and die. I want you to be amazed by me, and to confess to yourself that you had never even dreamed of such transports… When you are old, I want you to recall those few hours, I want your dry bones to quiver with joy when you think of them.”
Fantini's rose was definitely not a glib rose, but rather one that spoke of a deeply passionate love that would evolve, perhaps become embattled but then resolved, and which ultimately would survive through much joy and loss. A rose that stated, "I saw you and my life changed forever." The combination of vulnerability and passion imbued in this rose clinched its place as the show's lead image.
As to Fantini's artistic prowess, she is incapable of compromising the exquisite detail and ephemeral beauty of her subjects. "Wedding Rose," in particular, was and is an incredibly soulful piece -- with its own gorgeous story to tell -- and which remains merely one among Fantini's breathtaking artworks.
Like a Seed: The Poetic Potential of Simple Objects
Fantini states, "My artistic practice is dedicated to nature. Searching for seeds, leaves and flowers is the true inspiration for my art, but it is important to note that my representations are not merely a reality of "still life," but also carry much metaphoric content. My emotions, memories and even aspects of my daily life are inherently involved in each composition. In other words, there is a strict relationship between my feelings, my surroundings and the objects that catch my attention."
HOPE
The title of one of Fantini's ongoing series, HOPE evokes the power of seeds to represent new beginnings; an optimistic message that calls forth a universal message of survival and rebirth. Small but mysterious, seeds are complicated. They may pause their growth for years and yet come out of inactivity at precisely the right moment. Often a seed is all that remains of a plant, both the beginning and the end. Fantini states, "The deep-rooted hope is for the next generation."
HOPE 21 (Star Anise) 16x16
Currently at 32 drawings (2022), HOPE's subject matter hails mostly from Massachusetts and New York in the USA, but Fantini includes specimens from her native Italy. For the background of each image, Fantini has found inspiration in the Japanese calligraphy of the word HOPE, which she freely transforms with enchanting results.
HOPE 50 (Tulip Tree) 16x16
Without seeds, life would be threatened, from human beings to plants and animals. As an integral part of all planetary life, what seeds do is extraordinary and magnificent, a fact that Fantini's keen scrutiny and abundant skill amplify. A precious homage to life itself.
HOPE 5 (Oak) 16x16
Laura Fantini's still lives are defined by thousands upon thousands of precise cross-hatched pencil strokes, producing strong contrast values, rich tones and highly theatrical compositions. Rendered within a dramatic field of light, each drawing results in an image of near photographic quality.
"The ultimate goal of my detailed small drawing is that the viewers would come to realize how a pencil for an artist can be as powerful as a tiny seed in nature." Laura Fantini
Artist Laura Fantini at work in Brooklyn, NYC (2022)
