ST: Can you discuss what your eureka moment was with the mechanics of your work? Was it a brush stroke, a color, or a feeling that changed your technique to painting all together?
NV: As I said, I have worked on different projects and in each of them I have used different techniques. Usually I like to discover and use new registers in painting but for me it is important to adapt the technique to the idea. When I choose the tools, the type of paint or the support, in some way I am trying not only to determine the aesthetic aspect of the pieces, but to sub-communicate concepts, ideas or feelings. My eureka moment always comes through experimentation and it is during the painting process when I take decisions.
For example, in "Cavern Fire" I have worked mainly with oil painting on paper. This support makes it easier for me to work in an agile and intuitive way, with a spontaneous attitude, as if it were a sketch. In the same way, I can also work with a lot of material and in several pieces and formats at the same time. Furthermore, paper has specific absorption qualities and when you observe these oil paintings live, you can appreciate how they combine the strength of the brushstroke with the subtle nuances of the surface.
RS: Tell us about the series of works that are presented in CAVERN FIRE, there is some special passion in these works!
NV: Yeah, that's true. I have worked with a free and absolutely playful attitude and I am happy that this can be perceived. To me, "Cavern Fire" represents a personal reconnection with my Mediterranean roots and is inspired by the idea of "the returning to the cave", the knowledge of oneself and how lights and shadows transform our perception and moods.
At first I thought that perhaps I should be more specific and limit the forms and colors. But during the process I understood that the essence of this series lies in creating a broad register of autonomous pieces, something similar to an Atlas or a Construction Kit. So, the different structures could be used as modules and combine them to create other compositions and landscapes in future paintings.
I feel deeply that this could be the beginning of a journey and I am excited to continue exploring.