Artists Interview: Antonio De Pasquale

Antonio De Pasquale is  our featured artist for our April Digital Exhibition Program. Antonio is an italian artist now working in London who loves to envelop the mind and question the socal states of institutional art. He also has heavy influences from Cosmic Horror literature and Abstract Painters. We asked Antonio some questions to unpack the concepts of his practice and find what drives him.

In your Artists statement, you say you have a passion for Art, astronomy, and science and they are vital subjects within your practice. Why are these important to you?

Those discipline share one common thing is the research of the unknown. Nowadays in art especially, it's hard to be original and within this era of a society which is massively influenced by social media, it seems impossible to make a statement.

Therefore Science and Astronomy along many other disciplines such as philosophy helps me to get out of the "Bubble" and gives me tools to explore the unknown and helps me to create artwork without having to influenced by others.

Graffiti is often a criminalised form of art. Why do you believe it is important to bring street art into a commercial gallery setting?

When I use the word Graffiti I always refer it to the time where human used to mark caves and walls with natural pigment, seeking  engagement with some sort of mystical entities, in order to bring luck upon them.

I believe that Graffiti is an ancient form of art that only lately came back as the modern form of street art .therefore is only a natural progression of our contemporary art history.

"One Day in the Futures, Archaeologist and Historian, will talk about this art form that used to take an action on the street and at that moment in time used to be illegal, but now it’s hanging on the museum.

From looking through your “Brain pleaser” Collection, the works give some resemblance to Rickshaw Inkblot test. Was this one of your influence for the collection to play with the subconscious?

Yes, it was, I love the inkblot test and the way the human minds reads through it.

Who or what are the biggest Influences in your practice? Such as Artist, Films or Literature?

I love reading H.P. Lovecraft his tales are legendary apart from that I read a lot of art history i am fascinating how art is been shaped by artist trough times.

Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko are two big influencers in my practice as well as Bacon.

How do you as an artist stay in touch with your local arts community?

I am not really a local I fell more like a citizen of the world and my art is the way I connect with people

If money and time were no object what would be your dream project to create?

I would probably reach out in the community to bring art and love to the people who need it. I would make sure that anyone despite their race location and social position could still find comfort in art.