Filippo Sciascia
GODSPEED, 2019
Oil on cracked plaster on canvas
99 x 99 cm
Copyright The Artist
Godspeed, the work that gave his 2019 solo exhibition its title, depicts illuminated neon lights shaped to form the word. Instead of writing the word in neon lights, Sciascia chose...
Godspeed, the work that gave his 2019 solo exhibition its title, depicts illuminated neon lights shaped to form the word. Instead of writing the word in neon lights, Sciascia chose to ironically represent the neon lights using oil paint on canvas, further enhancing the conceptual qualities of his work. He uses gesso to prime the canvas surface to accept the oil paint and capture the luminous glowing effect from the neon lights. In this painting, he employs traditional, classical techniques of chiaroscuro to render the light emanating from the glass tubes in a dramatic style. Only invented recently in the early 20th century, neon lights are a contemporary light source and it is unusual to depict it in a traditional technique in painting. The stark contrast of the old and new however finds balance in this piece.
Exhibitions
Filippo Sciascia: GODSPEED, 17 August – 15 September 2019, Yeo Workshop, Singapore
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