Italian artist Marco Battaglini introduces classical paintings to modern art in a series of works titled “Art Pop Classic”. Battaglini’s works come from Verona, a city in Italy best known for the dramatic love story of Romeo and Juliet. Yet it is also known for its rich history, art and culture. It is a reminder of the composition of the Renaissance with classical figures and themes. Wonderfully mixing a wide range of genres, styles and references.
His life:
Marco Battaglini, born in 1969, graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti, Venezia in 1994. Battaglini developed a special interest in the various movements of the twentieth century. Surrealism in general is reflected in his work. In his practice, Battaglini removes the boundaries between classical art and popular art, between fine art and mass culture.
His work:
At first glance, the compositions in Battaglini’s pictures seem “logical”. But on closer inspection, the viewer realizes that they are full of temporal conflicts. Classical paintings are combined with elements of pop culture and urban art. The artist combines the classic key motifs with a modern street art background. Classic figures, muses, angels and kings, are often shown with tattooed bodies and placed in front of walls covered with graffiti art. Symbols of Western civilization and elements of Pop Art, especially those referring to the works of Warhol and Lichtenstein, form a balanced mixture that forces the viewer to rethink values relevant in our contemporary modern reality.
Marco Battaglini removes the original visual language of Renaissance pieces from the traditional scene and places them in urban environments. By doing so the pictures gain new life and new meaning. Renaissance angels holding each other in front of a wall decorated with graffiti. These are just some of Battaglini’s fusions of classical art with Pop Art. Each of his paintings offer a number of details that allow the viewer to discover secret meanings.
Marco Battaglini lives and works in Costa Rica.
