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Guidi, 1950
Essays
   
I am pleased to present the forthcoming exhibition of Lucatello’s work but I do not intend here to provide an introduction to the man himself. My reasons for this are twofold. Firstly, all exhibitions presentations have an air of the lecture about them which is imposed on the viewer who is tacitly encouraged to assume the perspective and judgement of the presenter. Secondly, Lucatello, while young is nevertheless extremely gifted and has already proved himself to such an extent that he has no need for laudators.
I have to say that most of the art work categorized as painting today is rarely worthy of the term. Indeed we might ask if there is anything even minimally “pictorial” about them? Do they display the talent of an artist’s hand? Is there any truth to them? When visiting an exhibition or turning the pages of an art magazine we might be forgiven for assuming that much of what passes for art is a bogus imitation or rather nothing more than cultural convention and cliché which robs us of the visual and spiritual pleasure art can bring.
Culture is a fine thing and no less so for the artist who naturally wishes to speculate and theorize about his work. However, if his work lacks that instinctive gift, that natural talent which is always present even when subordinate to intelligence and which imbues art with a powerful and vibrant immediacy, it is not worthy of the term “painting”.
Could this be why so many art lovers both past and present have been reticent to pick up the brush themselves? Of course this is the reason – they were and are fully aware of not being sufficiently gifted and therefore not born to be painters at all.
Albino Lucatello on the other hand, certainly has that talent and I have been an admirer of his work from the very beginning when he first set out upon this difficult road. He is truly gifted and that gift permeates his paintings with a sincerity which renders his work accessible and understandable to all.
As I said at the beginning, his paintings speak for themselves and require no introduction.

 


Translated by Amanda M. Hunter

  From the invitation to the exhibition held at the “La Chiocciola” Gallery, at Libreria Draghi (Draghi Bookshop) in via Cavoour 9, Padova – 13-26 November 1957i

 

 


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