The power of gesture. Jean Paul Donadini's "Blocked Brushes"

Today I come back to you to talk about astonishment, about an artist who recently struck me, captured me at the first glance I laid eyes on one of his works. I have spoken in the past of genius, to describe artists who manage to amaze the viewer through simplicity: whether it is encapsulated in the figures drawn or in the means of making them. In this case we find simplicity of both these elements, which combined with great creativity, technique, use of color and humor, lead to definitely special works that cannot fail to fascinate. We are talking about the "Brosses Arrétées" (Blocked Brushes) by Jean Paul Donadini.

Jean Paul Donadini was born in Troyes, France, in 1951. Of Italian descent, he graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Nancy in 1973, and from the School of Fine Arts in Paris in 1796. It was in Paris that he moved, particularly to the historic Montmartre district, the world epicenter of creativity, culture and art. He collaborated with many artists, including Salvador Dali, and over the years established himself as one of the leading exponents of Glamour Art (or Glam'art). To date he has numerous exhibitions, literally in every corner of the world: Istanbul, Miami, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris.

Among the many works in his long career, this series of the Blocked Brushes, or "Brosses Arrétées," stands out above all. One of the fundamental concepts of his production is encapsulated in his statement:

"J'aime l'idée d'une surface plate qui devient dynamique"

That is: I love the idea of a flat surface becoming dynamic. And the painting, the canvas, is by definition a flat surface. Donadini manages to enliven it, shake it, move it, cross it, as we can see in these works:

In my opinion, this concept of "dynamic becoming" finds its highest expression in the Blocked Brushes, because it is the brush itself, the actual stroke of the author, that vitiates and ripples the surface, making the canvas a living surface, with flaws, features, tensions. The essential element of the artistic gesture, the sweep of the brush, makes art out of the simple blank canvas, which would otherwise be destined to accommodate and support the work, disappearing beneath it, to the point of not even being considered.

In other examples, the dragging force of the blocked brush is so strong that it even goes beyond the canvas, showing the wooden frame that supports it, taking an element as essential as it is taken for granted one step further.

In the series we can then find not only brushes, but also other basic tools of the painter, such as spatulas and palettes. What is striking, besides the shock of the distortion of the canvas, is the essential and powerful chromatic impact. Almost always we find a monochromatic contrast between stroke and canvas, sometimes instead shading, multicolored strokes, or canvases that have classical textures drawn over them, as if they were curtains or porcelains. But the effect on the viewer is always disruptive, and brings us back to another concept that the artist himself highlights:

"Le peintre dispose par définition d'un moyen d'expression qui n'est pas la parole, c'est un grand muet qui s'exprime par geste colorés"

The painter holds, as a definition, a way of expressing himself without words, this is a great silent expression through colourful gestures.

So many meanings can be found in these works, different messages or interpretations, the unveiling of the essence of the paintings, of art itself, the power of the pictorial message, of color, and so on. The author himself said that he prefers that everyone sees what he wants in his works, and this in my opinion is a great message. Myself for example, I remain enchanted in front of these aesthetic expressions, and if I reflect, I can only say that I feel a simple but strong attraction to them. And so it must be, everyone finds beauty in an unexpected way, and when you feel it, there is no need to explain or justify it.

Images from: https://www.jeanpauldonadini.com