The subjects of my works: The animal kingdom

Updated on September 25, 2024

With this article, I want to start talking to you about a new topic; I want to tell you about the subjects I portray in my works.

As for the contrast series, I decided to dilute this topic in several articles to avoid giving you too much information to read at once.

So today, I will tell you how the most iconic series of drawings of my production was born; I’m talking about the:

Animals on pedestal

As I have already mentioned in this article, the pedestal plays a fundamental role in my production but takes on a very different meaning based on the subject portrayed.

In the case of animals, one of my goals has always been to provoke the observer somehow.

Clearly, I am not referring to the kind of provocation for its own sake that today is the basis of a large portion of contemporary art and of which, I believe, we are all a little fed up (I certainly am).

Instead, the provocation to which I refer concerns the decontextualization and ennobling of a common subject.

A hen usurped Julius Caesar!

After all, when was a creature such as a hen ever placed on a pedestal?

I’m not talking about the hen out of the blue since this was the first drawing in this series from which the entire collection of animals drawings was born (which are among the most popular subjects also because of their unusuality).

But let’s get back to us…

This object (the pedestal) has always been used to highlight characters such as emperors, statesmen, dictators, and gods.

But a hen? A deer, a zebra, or an orangutan?

Unlike what we are used to observing in classical art, the portraits and busts of illustrious, powerful or famous people now give way to animals.

The idea of ennobling these subjects by portraying them at the place that would normally belong to a Julius Caesar was something provocative that amused and fascinated me at the same time.

The other reason that prompted me to portray these subjects is the intrinsic symbolism of each creature.

A story behind each animal

Whether it is a symbolism linked to a religious, cultural, historical belief or even linked to clichés, I believe that giving my personal interpretation to the subjects I portray makes it possible to have a different contextualization of the artwork.

The creature suddenly possesses a new meaning; what could be a simple farmyard animal now takes on a new identity. It symbolizes something that often has profound roots and can change from one culture to another.

Therefore, the different symbolic contextualization allows the entire artwork to be loaded with a deeper, evocative and, in some cases, even amusing meaning.

For this reason, each one of my Golden Prints is accompanied by a text where I give my personal interpretation of the subject in relation to its symbology.

This makes the artwork even more enjoyable, regardless of whether you choose it for your home or as a gift idea.

In the second case, this interpretation allows those who have decided to make a gift to “Say it with a print“.

Basically, I liked the idea of letting those who bought the orangutan print to know that the monkey represents the quintessence of the id; it symbolizes being oneself in its entirety.

Or that the parrot is the perfect gift for those who love adventure and travel since it symbolizes freedom.

If you want to gift someone dear to you or if you want to gift yourself an artwork that tells a story you can identify with, then the “Golden Prints” collection is exactly what you are looking for.

By clicking below, you can find out everything there is to know about this collection, and you can also read the various texts that accompany each print.