Fupete

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Art Star No.39. STAR SESSION, 2010. Gesso, acrylic, photocopy collage and pencil on denim.

Italian artist Fupete has creativity in the blood –­ his grandfather was realist painter Giacomo Tabellini. Now based in the Tuscan countryside, he approaches his work from a designer's perspective, adding slogans and simple figures to sophisticated colour gradients. Fupete also creates 3D works, using cardboard to create robot-like figures and masks. He has created prototype designs for Smart Car, posters for charities and published two books, as well as working as associate editor for art magazine Rojo.

Questions & Answers

" What kind of art do you make?"

I draw. I paint. Sometimes live.

" Where can I see it?"

Online on my portfolio (www.fupete.com), and my blog (http://fupete.blogspot.com) or via NASONERO (www.nasonero.com), the website of the creative studio I've co-founded with my mate.

" How do you feel about Polo Jeans Co.'s ART STARS project?"

I’m enjoying being part of it.

" Describe your finished ART STAR in a sentence?"

"The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream."

- Jack Kerouac, On the Road

" What did you think when it first arrived at your studio?"

Wow.

"You were asked to use the Stars and Stripes for inspiration. How did you incorporate it into your star?"

Rough red and white stripes and sketchy stars on light-washed blue are the leitmotif that join my star sides. I use them to define the scenery where my characters and signs live. It's a landscape and at the same time it's the main character. Under its blessing all things happen.

" What else inspired you?"

My library: I reread On the Road by Jack Kerouac and a lot of the novels by Paul Auster, Dave Eggers, John Fante and Charles Bukowsky.

" How did you find working with denim?"

Quite good, a bit more radical and rough than working on canvas, cool.

" What processes did you use to create your piece?"

A few weeks researching and sketching on old paper sheets. Three gesso layers. Paper collage of Xerox copies of selected drawings. Acrylic colours. Oil paintsticks. Pencil. Varnish.

" What are you most proud of about the result?"

When I start painting, I really don't know how the final artwork will be. I paint 'without-safety-net', in a performing-state, and it's always an incredible surprise for me to watch the result. I'm proud of all of it.

" Describe your denim style…"

Dirty. Dust.

" Who else's star are you most looking forward to seeing and why?"

The one by Sten and Lex. Apart from the fact that they are friends from the years that I lived in Rome, their work is often full of interesting meanings.

Profile

  • Name: Fupete
  • Location: Lari, Italy
View website

Exhibitions

Location: LAZZARI, TREVISE, Italy

Dates: July 05th – September 10th

View exhibition

Location: SUGAR, AREZZO, Italy

Dates: June 14th – July 03rd

View exhibition

Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren Art Stars

Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren Art Stars

In January 2010, Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren commissioned over 40 of Europe’s most exciting young contemporary artists to customise stars made from the finest American denim.

With the iconic Stars and Stripes flag for inspiration, each young artist was tasked with creating something totally unique: beyond the shapes and sizes of the Art Stars, the only limit was their imaginations...

Each Art Star will appear in a Polo Jeans Co. store, before joining a public exhibition in London in late 2010.

Contemporary art and fashion aficionados will have the opportunity to own one of these exclusive Art Stars.

All the stars created will be brought together in a public exhibition in London in late 2010 and auctioned in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust.

Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity dedicated to improving the lives of young people with cancer between the ages of 13-24.

Teenagers don’t stop being teenagers because they have cancer, which is why Teenage Cancer Trust builds specialist units in NHS hospitals, staffed by teenage cancer specialists.

These units are designed for and by young people and aim to give teenage cancer patients the very best chance of a positive outcome whilst being as close as possible to normal life.

State-of-the-art facilities keep patients occupied during long, and often grueling stays, whilst bringing teenagers with cancer together so they can support each other.

Visit www.teenagecancertrust.org to find out more.

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