Interview by Lisa Di Giovanni
It does not happen every day to stumble upon a painting and think it is a high-resolution photo.
Well, this is the feeling you will have when looking at the works of this nothing short of brilliant painter, master of color and lover of real perfection.
Marco Condrò was born in Syracuse in 1974. He attended the I Liceo Artistico in Rome and subsequently studied and graduated in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts of the same city, with top honors and distinction.
Many of his works are in public and private collections in Italy and abroad. He currently lives and works in Rome.
He is an artist who does not like to be in the spotlight, preferring instead to give voice to his artworks. Meticulous and demanding, he is always in search of perfection, of reality.
He sets no limits for himself and, above all, does not compromise when it comes to his creative freedom.
The only thing that can confuse him is colour, the absolute protagonist and muse.
ftNews leaves you to these intense shades of Condrò!
When did you start painting? Does one become an artist because of a gift, or through the studies one pursues?
I was a child, about six years old, when I felt the need to draw and color more intensely than my peers. Study is certainly at the foundation of everything. You never stop studying. As for art schools and/or Academies of Fine Arts, they can be useful—if you find good teachers—for learning the basics and broadening your knowledge. Obviously, the “gift” makes the difference and is essential when talking about artists.
Over the years, you have embraced various artistic movements. How did you arrive at photorealism and hyperrealism, and above all, why?
Having started very early, my path was full of experimentation, cross-pollination, and influences. I think that is normal over a span of more than 30 years.
I had a passion for realism even when I was creating works that might seemingly appear to be the complete opposite. I have always maintained that studying from life is the foundation for undertaking any kind of artistic discourse, even abstract.
At a certain point in my journey, there was a return to figurative art, which was nonetheless a natural evolution of my artistic path that manifests today as extreme realism.
His works are extraordinarily crafted. What are the tricks to achieving perfection?
There are no tricks in my paintings. I want to clarify this because, unfortunately, some people actually use tricks, such as printing on canvas, for their hyperrealistic “works”.
My works are created starting from an initial composition study by taking photographs of the subjects I wish to represent. Once the right one is found, I begin drawing on the canvas.
The creation time of a painting is very long. I normally need three to four layers of color, in addition to glazes, to be able to complete the work.
As far as I am concerned, perfection does not exist. Perhaps there is the perception of perfection given by the rendering of the painting: sometimes a painting (hyperrealistic or photorealistic) may seem perfect when observed from a certain distance, but if we get closer we can also notice brushstrokes that are not entirely blended.
Therefore, what matters is the visual effect that a painting can give when observed in its entirety.
Creating a painting requires many hours of work, a deep knowledge of tools and materials; how do you manage to reconcile work and private life?
It is true that the creation of a painting, especially in my case, requires a very long process. Work and private life sometimes overlap. At the moment, painting certainly takes priority.
Perfectionism and technique clash with the creative freedom you prefer; what do you do to bridge this gap?
I do not think the two things are incompatible. In my works, creativity is born with the choice of subjects, compositions, lighting, etc., and technique is a consequence of the painting’s creation.
I have decided to no longer accept commissions that do not give me creative freedom, that tie me to banal and cliché stereotypes.
So what I currently create is what I want to do.
Contrasts, nuances, shadows, lights, and particular surfaces: what is your relationship with color?
In all the various expressive experiences I have had, color has always been the protagonist. It is the essence of my works. I try to find visual contrasts, especially between complementary colors.
Also important is the research of surfaces; transparencies and chiaroscuro are elements that are part of my paintings.
I love the irregular surfaces of walnuts, the color nuances of fruit, the transparencies of colored plastic and that of wet tissue paper. All of this is color.
Do you have a past or present artistic reference, and if you could use a time machine, to which era would you teleport?
I have certainly had references. I think it is essential to have them when starting out, and it can also be important to technically study artists of the past.
I have been influenced by the masters of the Renaissance, Mannerism, and Neoclassicism, but a point comes when one must move forward with their own path, carrying along what has been learned.
I do not know which era I would teleport to, perhaps into the future! Out of curiosity to see things we do not yet know.
You state that you are never satisfied with your works, almost to the point of rejecting them? Yet when you paint you lose track of time, as if you were in love?
I am almost never satisfied, it is true. But I do not reject my works. Sometimes I need to detach myself from a painting in progress and then pick it up again later.
There is not always a relationship of love with painting. However, the awareness of time is lost, it is inevitable, both because of concentration and because it is not a real job, it is something else.
How do you see yourself in ten years? Projects? Dreams?
I cannot imagine myself ten years from now. I prefer not to think about the future, but to live the present to the fullest. I have many projects, and rather than dreams, I would call them hopes, especially the hope of staying healthy and continuing to do what I do.
Will you exhibit your creations again? If you were to organize an event or an exhibition, would you choose Italy or abroad?
Certainly there will be exhibitions in the future. As I already said, I have projects to develop. You ask me if I would choose Italy or other countries. Instinctively I would tell you Italy, but unfortunately, finding serious professionals is very difficult, they exist but are few. Therefore, I do not close the door on Italy, but it is also good to look abroad.