Fabio Sanzogni

Influenced by the frescoes that he saw in his grandfather’s house while growing up, Fabio Sanzogni chooses to echo in his paintings the balance between near-translucent hues and backgrounds in the weathered, earthy tones or off-whites that are so much a part of the fresco style. But he takes that influence into new territories — adding a dash of the modern into the mix with bright reds, yellows or greens that give his works an electric charge. That sense of contrast extends to his compositional style as well. The geometric forms in the images can be neatly inscribed, or they can be executed with loosely executed paint drips and swirls.

Whatever method he uses, Sanzogni incorporates his shapes into compositions that skirt the edges of representation. “An idea in space, not a definite object, is the major subject in the paintings,” he says. Faces, bodies and landscapes seem to exist just beneath their seductive surfaces, but his original style leaves the viewer with a sense of mystery as strong as the physical effects he achieves.