Video-painting on view in Ubud

Video-painting on view in Ubud

Fabio Scarpello, Contributor, Ubud, Bali

It seems somehow incongruous that in Ubud, famous for its
traditional painting, one should suggest a visit to Gaya, a
gallery of modern art, where Filippo Sciascia's one-man
exhibition is currently running. Nonetheless, one does it.

In entering the wide, white and bright exhibition room, the
eye is immediately attracted by the red, black and grey that
constitute most of the superimposed colors of the large
paintings. The color is only the first of a rapid, three-step
passage needed in order to settle, and appreciate the artwork in
its entirety and its fine detail.

The second step, which follows soon after, is the emotional
impact of the paintings. Asian women are the main subjects
portrayed, and a subtle sensuality is projected through their
expressions. Gazes, faces and smiles are reproduced by the artist
with such a masterly skill that it almost fools the eye. If truth
be told, it is quite easy, from a distance, to believe that the
exhibition is about photographs rather than paintings.

"The theme is not the face, it is the technique," said
Sciascia, who is also the designer and curator of the gallery,
and can often be found sipping a coffee in the upstairs
restaurant. Appreciation of his technique is the third step.

Sciascia followed his initial remark by explaining the
philosophy behind his artistic endeavor, which started in
Florence where he spent the early years of his career before
moving to Bali in 1998. He was born in Palma di Montechiaro
(Italy) in 1972.

"I want to create a link between the digital medium and oil
painting," he said.

Sciascia does not just sit and paint. He does not use models,
at least not directly. Video and photography are his starting
points and the sources of his inspirations. "I film short movies,
then freeze one image, print it and start on a creative journey,"
he said. The frozen image he referred to is often a gaze, or an
expression that would otherwise be lost by the naked eye in a
tenth of a second's exposure at a movie's real speed.

The way he finds a face is by painstakingly going through a
movie, frame by frame. When he finds one, it becomes merely a
structure, a base to start from and not the end product of his
paintings. This is a concept he stressed time and time again:
"The final product is not a copy of the photography or the
reproduction of a frozen video's image, but an original artefact
with its own identity, which is then reinterpreted by each and
every viewer."

Looking at Sciascia's art it is clear that his approach to
painting is another link to the video camera, or photography
media for that matter.

Sciascia paints with a freedom to experiment normally granted
to digital video and photography but not allowed in painting. He
works on an image time and time again. He applies different
effects and finishes, as one would in a digitally-enhanced
picture. Not surprisingly, the same face is often the common
denominator in a series of paintings otherwise different in
presentation and message.

Also, through experimentation and inventiveness, Sciascia has
managed to replicate some of the common imperfections and
technical problems that one would normally associate with video
(digital and analog) and with the processing of pictures.

For example, he has reproduced the effect of overexposed and
underexposed film strips by using red, blue and yellow as
overlaying colors in paintings. He duplicated the harsh effect of
an old Xerox photocopier by juxtaposing strong white and black
contrasted figures. He reproduced the corrosive effect of the
chemicals on film strips with scratches and vertical lines that
cut the image in different ways. He reminded us of a
malfunctioning video that keeps looping vertically with paintings
that portray two half-faces, one on top of the other. And he
imitated the effect of pixels on a computer screen with artwork
created only with tiny, simple geometric figures, like squares
and rectangles, a device that sometimes requires a squint in
order to see the image clearly.
"It's like a camera zooming in on a subject," Sciascia said,
drawing a parallel between the human eye and a zoom camera, and
enforcing his point by gesticulating passionately, as only an
Italian would. Even in Bali.

The exhibition, titled File 98-04, represents the body of work
produced by Filippo Sciascia between 1998 and 2004, and will run
until September 11 at the Gaya Fusion of Senses gallery.

Gaya Fusion of Senses
Jl Raya Sayan
Ubud, Bali
+62 361979252
www.gayafusion.com