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Spirituality
and Sentiment: A
personal reflection of spirituality expressed through the Sculptures of Andrea
Roggi.
In
reading this short biography and explanation of Andrea Roggi’s inner
philosophy and ‘personal religion’ we hope that your appreciation of his
unique character will lead you to a greater understanding of his work.
‘And God created the earth and created man in
his own image and likeness.’
His
artistic endeavours are characterised by a direct relationship between
sentiments expressed in the Bible and of his own personal philosophy in which he
views art as a refuge from the banalities of human existence.
Andrea
Roggi, talented sculptor, painter and poet, has demonstrated a firm belief in
the beauty and transcendence of the human soul via a personal spiritual
philosophy communicated through artistic endeavour.
Born
in Castiglion Fiorentino in 1962, his interest in painting began at the tender
age of fifteen but the transition to his current status as a great Sculptor was
a gradual but inevitable progression. Andrea’s creative work can best be
defined as a continuous research of the essence of the human spirit, in which he
aims to explore life’s difficulties which are counter balanced by acts of
liberation, hope and the Divine love
that resonates throughout nature and mankind.
In
1991 he founded an artistic workshop in which he began his exploration of
sculpture through the media of bronze, stone and precious metals. In 2001 Andrea
began his continuing collaboration with students from the University of Georgia
who are based in nearby Cortona and who attend sculpture workshops at the
Creativity Park in which they are welcome to exhibit their work.
Andrea’s
journey within the world of art began in 2002 when the ‘Parco della
Creatività’ (Creativity Park) was born. It was an initiative that would prove
to be the catalyst for the creation of a place in which local artists could meet
to exchange ideas and exhibit. Particular focus is given to Andrea’s
sculptures worked in bronze, stone, marble, iron and precious metals, which are
to be found in many locations of outstanding beauty within Tuscany.
He
believes that the exploration of artistic expression
…‘(is) a method and model of development
through which one should have no fear of being contaminated by the things of
every day life.’
He
believes that our modern daily existence should also reflect and represent the
qualities and history of a city and its traditions expressed through the
behaviour and verbal traditions of its people. His sculptures are a continuance
and interpretation of the ancient history of the surrounding landscape.
The
Creativity Park is an immense ‘laboratory’ in which artistic experiment and
research is on-going and according to this great artist is ‘a dream that can be realised if you have the strength and courage to
pursue it through to its final conclusion.’
Situated
within the countryside surrounding Manciano, where Andrea was born and bred, the
Park is an ideal showcase for art that can be re-examined in the light of the
lives of the ancients, when life was viewed as a gift bequeathed to the earth
and mankind by a higher being or cosmic entity. In this quiet corner of the
Tuscan countryside, situated in the fertile plains of the Valdichiana, art is a
collective preoccupation and provides us with evidence of man as artist, from
primitive times through to those experienced by the Etruscans, Romans, Medieval
and Renaissance peoples until the present day and which have conspired to form
Roggi’s character as both artist and teacher.
Andrea
has always drawn inspiration from his native surroundings, which have been
blessed by the births of such important artists as Giorgio Vasari, Luca
Signorelli and Piero Della Francesca. Recently completed monuments honouring the
lives of local saints have formed a great part of Andrea’s contribution to the
continuance of the spiritual heritage and character of the landscape. He has
dedicated the beautiful realisation of the figure of Santa (Saint) Margherita to
the people of Cortona. Saint Donato, Patron Saint of Arezzo, graces the exterior
of the hospital named after him, whilst the exquisite form of Santa Caterina
stands in quiet contemplation, arms raised towards the heavens but confined
within the walls of the ancient town of Siena.
Andrea’s
sculptures in particular are religious expressions through art in which life is
celebrated as a gift from above and which man has jealously guarded since the
moment he opened his eyes until point of death in order to preserve it for
subsequent generations. For Andrea, a belief in Catholicism is synonymous with a
philosophy of the heart. Undoubtedly life is a continuous cycle of birth,
repentance and re-birth. His personal signature is to be found in most of his
work and is represented by the form of a golden sphere, symbolising an inner
spiritual energy that permeates human and natural life. Andrea’s intense and
personal love of life is encapsulated within his sculpture ‘The Two Lovers’
in which the presence of a golden sphere shared between lips unites the themes
of the nature of life, vitality and an expression of profound love between two
lovers.
His
concept of a universal religion, a powerful defence of the sense of the history
and cultural tradition that each one of us should pass on to our children is
achieved for him through art itself. More than 200 pieces of his work can be
viewed at the workshop and garden of the Creativity Park, including a homage to
Collodi, the author of the classic children’s morality tale ‘Pinocchio’ as
well as the Tuscan poetess Dina Ferri.
Andrea’s
sculptures are regularly commissioned both at home and abroad.
In order to honour one of Tuscany’s most famous sons, the actor Roberto
Benigni, who was also born in Manciano, a bronze figure was unveiled in 1999 on
a site specially designated opposite the park. ‘La vita è bella’ (Life Is
Beautiful) has been the recipient of many awards including an Oscar for its
interpretation of the triumph of the human spirit against the brutality of life
and death within a concentration camp.
Most
recently Andrea enjoyed huge success when he accompanied ARTuscany to La Dolce Vita
Event, which was held at the Grand Hall, Olympia, Earl’s Court, London on
March 13th - 16th 2008.
The
four day national event attracted an audience of over 26,000 people. Many of the
visitors were extremely impressed by Andrea’s work, realising that such talent
expressed in bronze is a very rare find in the UK. We fully anticipate Andrea’s
reputation to flourish in England and have noticed an increasing interest in the
exhibition of his work abroad in the near future.
We
very much hope that you will accept Andrea’s heartfelt invitation to visit him
at the Creativity Park and are sure that you will be captivated by his
extraordinary genius, as we ourselves have been…
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