NEAR ABOVE Painting

From Perugia to Milan and Rome, Marco Tamburro is inspired by vast spaces everywhere, and through his creative visions, he produces imposing pictorial panels. He is fascinated by the great expressive power of painting and being able to interact with other artistic expressions such as theatre, photography and architecture to create a complete scene. This is also when Marco starts painting in earnest and exhibiting his work – in galleries and alternative spaces around Milan, often in environments related to fashion and design. Following his move to Rome – a city that has always attracted him due to its architectural beauty, rich artistic heritage as well as its underground artistic scene, he rediscovers his passion for the theatre and works with several theatre companies, enrolls in The Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and continues to paint. Here he establishes a cultural association dedicated to Visual Arts. This is when he truly establishes himself as an artist. He is recognised as a comprehensive Master Painter. He is part of the Roman scene, shown in important galleries around the city and begins to be acknowledged by the critics. He spends time working with emerging artists in the city’s young artists’ collectives and communities. Life in Rome develops Tamburro’s style; he sees people existing rather than living. Having lost sight of the world around them, they succumb to their lives and are powerless to truly experience what is happening in their immediate environment. This leads to the marginal role of the human figure in Tamburro’s work. Typically you will find a shadow, or a trace or hint that ‘someone’ has been there juxtaposed against monumental skyscapers or infinite lengths of pavement. Man is dwarfed, crushed and alienated which is how Tamburro sees todays’ Metropolis – an aggressive and hostile power that dominates our lives. Having previously incorporated photographs to create mixed media works, Tamburro gradually moves to just painting, feeling that this better serves his message. He paints predominantly in black and white, accentuating with spot colour – often blood red – to express his ‘Theatre of Life’ concept. The idea that humanity today are merely string puppets, going through the motions of everyday life, without truly experiencing their surroundings. These sad puppets are ultimately rendered impotent and humanity sadly ceases to exist as we were meant to be.