Francesco Clemente – Studio Visit | TateShots

Summary

Francesco Clemente, a New York-based artist, discusses his unique approach to art, emphasizing organic creativity and geographical influences. Having lived in Italy, India, and New York, his work is shaped by remembrance and the desire to step outside cultural circles to view them more fully. He views his art as ritualistic, generating memory and guidance for daily life. Collaboration plays a key role, working with poets like Allen Ginsberg and artists like Basquiat. His upcoming exhibit centers on nostalgia, utopia, and the belief that memory fuels hope for a more interesting future.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Francesco Clemente is an artist and painter based in New York City.
• 🌿 He views his work as organic and non-linear, expanding from a central point.
• 🗺️ Clemente moved to New York in 1980 from India, and his artistic journey has been influenced by geography rather than history.
• 🔄 He often creates art in one place while being inspired or nostalgic for another, which gives his work a sense of remembrance.
• 🔮 Rituals are essential to his artistic process, where creating forms and gestures can evoke memories that guide daily life.
• 🤝 Collaboration is a core element of his practice, reflecting his belief in a fragmented identity. He has worked with craftsmen in India and poets like Allen Ginsberg and Robert Feeny in New York.
• 🎨 Clemente has also collaborated with notable painters such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was his neighbor, and Francesco Wawro.
• 💡 He is currently working on a series of 10 paintings, drawing inspiration from various writers, artists, and fictional figures.
• 🌀 The theme of nostalgia is a recurring motif in his work, which he views as an 'engine of utopia'—connecting memory with hope for the future.
• 🌟 Clemente emphasizes that believing in a past also signifies a belief in a more interesting and hopeful future.

Q & A

Who is Francesco Clemente and what is his profession?

Francesco Clemente is an artist and painter who lives in New York City.

How does Francesco Clemente describe his artistic process?

Clemente describes his artistic process as organic and expanding from a center, rather than linear. He views his work as fluid, growing in various directions.

Why did Francesco Clemente move to New York City in 1980?

Clemente moved to New York City in 1980 after living in India. He felt that geography offered a way out of the cultural crisis that marked his generation in Italy.

How does Clemente view geography and history in relation to his work?

Clemente believes that by focusing on geography rather than history, he can escape the dead-end of cultural crisis. He uses travel to expand his perspective and artistic expression.

How does nostalgia influence Francesco Clemente’s work?

Nostalgia plays a significant role in Clemente’s work, as he constantly reflects on the places he has lived. For example, when in New York, he misses India, and when in India, he thinks of Italy. Nostalgia fuels his sense of utopia, where memories shape his hopes for the future.

What role does ritual play in Francesco Clemente’s art?

Clemente sees his work as a form of ritual. By making the correct gestures and forms, he believes that art generates a type of memory that can guide one's daily life.

How does collaboration fit into Francesco Clemente’s artistic practice?

Collaboration is a key part of Clemente's work. He has worked with Indian craftsmen, New York poets like Allen Ginsberg and Robert Feeny, and painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Wawro. These collaborations help challenge his tastes and self-perception.

What is Francesco Clemente’s view on identity?

Clemente believes that identity is fragmented, and that individuals are not singular but are composed of many different identities. This idea is reflected in his collaborative work.

What themes does Clemente explore in his upcoming show?

Clemente’s upcoming show features 10 paintings inspired by various writers, artists, and fictional figures, including deities from different traditions. Themes of nostalgia and utopia are central to the works.

What does Francesco Clemente mean by 'nostalgia is the engine of utopia'?

Clemente suggests that nostalgia, or the remembrance of the past, fuels the hope for a better future. If one believes in the past, one also believes in the future, and this optimism drives his utopian vision.