Luigi Ontani
Luigi Ontani (* November 24, 1943 in Grizzana Morandi ) to Vergato ( a small village in the Apennines between Bologna and Florence ) is an Italian artist who lives and works in Rome. Previously, he lived for a time in Bologna.
Life and work
Ontanis life is held by himself deliberately in the dark. In many catalogs of his exhibitions even missing a birth date. Likewise, nothing is known of his artistic training. Peter Weiermair calls him the "Self -Presenter of Myths " Weiermair describes Ontani continue as an elegant, youthful acting artist appears as the ageless Dorian Gray.
According to the artist is often its own model. He portrays himself, for example, are well known from the history of art itself in rolls. His person gives himself for his art, or his art consists of his person, his body.
The focus of his work is the artist himself as a poetic catalyst ... Ontani has closed the gap between art and life for themselves. The schism between being and indeed is gone. Ontani the dandy and eccentrics, heir to the decadent symbolist, located at what he finds the taste of immorality and selfishness from the concept of narcissism by letting us share in himself, what he accepts and approves of or has altered to suit his needs. ( Quoted from Weiermair, translated by the author )
Any attempt to classify Ontani must fail because of its versatility and adaptability. Film, photography, text, painting and sculpture but also performances and arts and crafts are its fields of activity.
In his artistic work Ontani stands alone, an assignment to schools or styles is not possible practically. It might be work that draws on a wide variety of drawers of art history, from different eras and cultures, almost eclectic call it would not generate a work of art in the spirit of the 19th century. Luigi Ontanis art points beyond itself and draws its environment with a. Thus the artist attaches great importance to the frame of his works and applies also - if possible - the space around it in its design with a. His villa RomAmorR to Vergato a work in progress takes it with historical examples such as the villas of Sir Lawrence Alma- Tadema, Franz von Stuck, Hans Makart, Franz Spranger, or Ludwig II ( Bavaria ) on.
The importance of Luigi Ontani is in the unprecedented unity of the person and work, a fascinating mix of contradictions, the work and person makes it unique. No doubt you can Ontani called one of the greatest Italian contemporary artists.