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Nicola Pecoraro It's difficult to write about Nicola Pecoraro's art in any meaningful way, especially since his intention seems to be that the art speak for itself. The untitled pieces range from provocatively witty to intricate and whimsical to gritty-bordering-on-macabre. Some are realistic sketches; some display Cubist or futurist tendencies. Almost all contain some element of collage, inviting the audience to diagnose prevailing themes among the recurring colors, shapes and symbols. |
Born in Rome, Percoraro was educated and now lives and works in London.
His work has been featured in over a dozen art exhibitions/ |
As part of Velle's commitment to feature engaging, emotive artists, we offer the following commentary on Percoraro's fascinating and complicated work-by the seldom-interviewed Nicola Percoraro. It is both fitting and satisfying: the artist is as laconic as his work. |
Interview with Much of your work addresses themes of violence, death, silence and isolation; yet, I look at the pictures and smile. Why do you think this is? I don't think the presence of one theme excludes the other; if one was to become exclusive then the art wouldn't have as much depth, or relevance. You can try hard to be very dramatic and end up with being ridiculous. But if you can look at a situation from different angles, you can relate to it more. Also, a compromise exists between idea and execution: you can have a very defined concept that becomes totally different once you put it on paper. None of the decisions are completely conscious. |
Many of your pieces-for instance, the one on the cover of Nero 7-speak to the gap between primitive society and modern technology. As a 21st century artist, how important is the awareness of this gap? The language is still from the 20th century. I'm curious to see where it will go in a few years' time. Either way, there's the feeling that technology hasn't made us any more civilized than we were 30 years ago. If anything, it did the opposite. |
The text embedded in certain of your pieces functions as part of the composition, as well as commentary on the image itself. How significant is language to your art? It's kind of a semi-automatic process in which a word or a sentence comes out while I'm drawing: a simultaneous creation, completely integrated in the picture. Sometimes there's just a stream of letters that don't mean anything but still carry the same energy as the drawing. |
Along the same lines, do you title your pieces? There's never a title. Whenever I add one, I feel as though I'm trying to attach something else on top of what's already there. The work feels more intact when untitled. |
How much of your work is influenced by your childhood in Rome, and how much of it results from your education in London? Half and half—I'm very influenced by both. Most of the stuff I draw, I've been carrying with me since I was young. But the way I represent it has a lot more to do with where I live now-what I see and the kind of energy around here. |
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You successfully collaborated with designer Bob Sanderson and have recently designed a unique T-shirt for Velle Magazine. How important are such collaborations to you personally and professionally? Bob is a good friend and has an amazing way of seeing things. I try to collaborate with people whose work I respect and admire. Also, my own limits or strengths are highlighted when looked at through another's perspective. This kind of confrontation is important, as it's dangerous to become too absorbed in your own work. |
The name of your pictorial blog-Hopaura.org-relates to being fearful, but your art seems both self-confident and self-aware. What are you afraid of? Fear can make you avoid action, or make you feel comfortable-in a bad way. You can roll in your own fears and forget who you are and where you're going. I think I'm scared of being scared...of getting stuck in fear. |
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© Velle Magazine 2006 |
