Sergio De Giusti | Sculptor
My vision as an artist has been very consistent throughout the years. Working in relief sculpture and focusing on the human figure; perhaps more so on the human condition. As an Italian born artist I have been very strongly influenced by the tradition of modern Italian relief sculpture by artists Giacomo Manzú and Emilio Greco. I continue that tradition in my art work. My classically expressionistic images are inspired by the passion and emotions of the Baroque and Hellenistic periods.
I draw from an endless variety of symbols that record and depict the history of mankind. In my work I try to create images that evoke fantasies of tomb sculptures, slabs, columns, commemorative stones, architectural fragments and the anthropological rituals from many different cultures. Imagery ranging from eroded temples to operatic staging. Many of the sculpted figures and head fragments are wrapped in bandages; a reference to funeral shrouds, and religious iconography. Wrapped thus, the figures are suspended in a moment of time.
In my public commissions I try to retain a delicate balance between public imagery and personal insights. Foremost, my focus is concentrated on creating a work of sculpture instead of a memorial. My last commission dealt with my vision of the history of labor without graphic representation of stereotypical working laborers that is common in public monuments. I conveyed a sense of unity with the viewer by depicting the ongoing human component of every working individual in our society.