The research of Riccardo Baruzzi is structured around the physical and poetic principles of drawing and sound. Rhythm and the movement of drawn strokes, the resilience of a surface, the pain in a muscle, the sound and sign produced by the falling of a body: every element that connects the limbs and the tools of the artist to the canvas or the paper has a value in Riccardo Baruzzi’s work.
The artist born in Lugo in 1976 paints drawings and draws paintings to reveal the origin of images, tracing back to the essence as signs. In this operation of analysis and subsequent synthesis of the hidden structure of things, at times Riccardo Baruzzi involves the human element: the artist’s performance works call for the participation of art students, collectors, gallerists, assigned a role of interaction with the display of the painting or the very moment of its creation.
Flowers, pornography, madonnas, tackles, horses, divinities, abaci all encounter their semantic and pictorial sublimation in a universe of semitransparent canvases, invented brushes, pencils five meters long, perfect cacophonies and deceptive euphonies, boxes that tremble, turntables and cooling fans that rotate to generate polyrhythms in the widest range of timbres.
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The name P420 is inspired by Pantone 420, a universally recognized shade of grey known for its ability to serve as the perfect background, enhancing whatever it accompanies. P420 thus emerges as a platform whose primary aim is to embrace and elevate artistic ideas and expressions, fostering their harmonious coexistence within a context that supports, encourages, and celebrates diversity and innovation. Here, every voice can resonate powerfully and distinctly, much like a work of art standing out against the backdrop of Pantone 420.
P420 has been instrumental in the rediscovery of artists such as Irma Blank, Laura Grisi, Ana Lupas, and Stephen Rosenthal, collaborating directly with the artists or, when necessary, with their heirs or the Estates representing them. Through exhibitions, off-site projects, fairs, and a strong online presence, the gallery also supports the evolving narratives of contemporary art, initiating and supporting the journey of many young emerging talents like Victor Fotso Nyie, Francis Offman, and Shafei Xia. ...
