About Antonio Vitale

Antonio Vitale was born on the 14th of January 1968, in Barletta, Italy, where he lived until the age of 30. As the son of an Art Collector, he would often visit Galleries and see the Personal Exhibits of prominent ateliers. He would meet contemporary artists such as Ernesto Treccani, G.F. Gonzaga, Visentin, Renato Guttuso, Schifano and so many others around Italy.

His interest grew in the arts in all its diversity and soon began to frequent arts restorations workshops “Botteghe” around Tuscany province. In particular he studied at the renowned “Istituto per l’arte e il Restauro”, the Domus Aurea Course, a prominent Art Restoration School in Florence, at Palazzo Spinelli building, where he completed a diploma. Antonio took interest in philosophy and psychology readings which enriched his influences, and from Antonio embarked on a path towards Surrealism.

In the following years, accumulating multiple Italian art prizes at various institutions, he felt the need for new stimuli, departing from his earlier influences, Rene’ Magritte and Giorgio De Chirico’s metaphysical themes. Antonio dedicated his time to experimenting in new techniques such as the Conceptual art and the Drip Painting. He applied these two styles combining figurative subjects from the early XXI to glamour subjects of the XXII Century.

In pursuit of an ancient astrological belief, the conjunction of Neptune-Pluto, where the movements of these two furthermost planets represent the most fundamental changes in civilization; Every 500 years, a cataclysmic upheaval begins which leads to a time of transition and uncertainty such as we live in today… after the great wars. But about 100 years after the conjunction, a great renaissance ignites that ushers in a new age. We are at that point now. It is now the darkness before the dawn. Antonio tries eagerly, in early stages of the year 2000, to discover a new style of painting suitable for the present times, and at risk of losing his own artistic identity and his own style.

Many of his works form part of many private collections across Italy, Milan, Turin, Ravenna, Rome, Trieste, Viareggio, Bari, Barletta, Trani, Città di Castello, Perugia, Arezzo and also internationally, Geneva, Sofia, Prague, Marseilles, Cannes and London and now Melbourne.

Publicly, in 2003, one of his works became the subject of an Italian postal stamp edition, the Artistic Commission of ‘Philately in Milan’ chose one of his paintings, representing a chivalric scene, to emit a celebratory stamp for the Five Hundredth Anniversary of “V Centenario della Disfida di Barletta” an important national event (The Challenge of Barletta), again reinforcing his 500 years cyclical ideas.

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One of his commissions was also illustrated on the cover of a book “I Premi Nobel” (A commemorative Nobel Prize book) edited by Croce Rossa, Bari, and another appears on the cover of a poetry book written by Dr. Carmen Palmiotta.

Artist’s feedback (in Italian) at

http://antoniovitale.weebly.com/recensionicritica.html

Sites:

http://digilander.libero.it/a.vitale/avbio.htm

http://vitaleantoni68.wix.com/popsurrealismav

http://antoniovitaleart.com/


Resume

Curriculum Vitae

  • 1968Born in Barletta, his parents are Art Collectors. Frequenting Exhibitions and artists’ studios all around Italy.
  • 1989Restoration School “Domus Aurea” (wood, paintings, Porcelains) at Palazzo Spinelli building (Florence)
  • 1992/96Art Workshop (Florence)
  • 1995/96 Exhibition “Premio via Nazareth” (First Prize)
  • 1998 Premio “Aldo Moro”, City of Bisceglie (First Prize)
  • 1998“Mostra Nazionale ed Internazionale di Arti Visive e Contemporanee” City of Avellino (First Prize)
  • 1998“Premio Città di Avellino”, City of Avellino (First Prize)
  • 1999“Premio Salsomaggiore” (First Prize)
  • 2001“La Telaccia D’Oro”, City of Turin (First Prize)
  • 2003“Premio Alba Casa Editrice”, City of Ferrara (First Prize)

Teaching

Art Lectures

  • 2000/2002Art Consultant for Expressive painting Workshop at the Psychiatric community in Corato (BA)
  • 2011 Arts High School “Nicola Garrone” – Barletta (IT), Coordinating, counseling and teaching Arts and Restoring Techniques for different able people classes.
  • 2013Associazione Ludico/Culturale “Paradiso dei bimbi” – Barletta (IT), Teaching arts and moulding skill through workshops – stimulating creativeness
  • Currently: Painting workshop to private students in Italy

Collaborative Work

Career-Related Experience

  • 1992 Art Workshop (Florence) Working on wrought iron, restoring of ancient furniture (dated between XVII XX Cent.), porcelain antiques (XVIII Cent.), ancient paintings (XVII>XIX Cent.)
  • 2004 Bottega d’Arte (art workshop) di San Sepolcro (AR), Restoring Oil Paintings (XVI-XVIII Cent) and Russian Byzantine Icons (XVII- XIX Cent.)
  • 2006–2008 Città di Castello (PG), Workshop, restoring Ancient Furnitures and Ancient Woodden Gates (XVI- XIX XIX Cent.)
  • 2006  Restoring Frescos (XIX XIX Cent.) at Museo Scatole e Ricordi, Selci Lama (PG)
  • 2008–2010 Restoring wall/ceiling ancient Frescos (End XVII- Half XVIII Cent.) in Trani, Private Building

Exhibitions/Projects

– Art Fairs

  • 1998 Barletta, Biennale De Nittis
  • 2001 Bari, EXPO ARTE (Galleria LA TELACCIA)
  • 2001 Turin, Galleria LA TELACCIA
  • 2002 Mestre – Venice, IL CONTATTO Gallery
  • 2002 Milan, MODIGLIANI Gallery
  • 2002 Circolo Canottaggio Exhibit, Naples
  • 2002 Padova and Udine, EXPO UDINE E PADOVA
  • 2003 Barletta, Circolo Unione (Lions Club)
  • 2004 Rome, IL PONTE Gallery
  • 2004 London, NEW SPACE GALLERY
  • 2005 Perugia, MINERVA Gallery
  • 2005 Umbertide (PG), SANT’AGOSTINO Gallery
  • 2005 Paris, PETIT MASON
  • 2007 Selci – Lama (PG), MUSEO DELLE SCATOLE E DEI RICORDI
  • 2007/2008 Barletta, CENTRO MERCATO ANTIQUARIATO, Solo Exhibition
  • 2008 Barletta, INTER ART GALLERY
  • 2010 Barletta, GALLERIA DOMUS ART
  • 2011 Barletta, GALLERIA DOMUS ART
  • 2012 Bari, FIERA DEL LEVANTE
  • 2012 Bari, EXPO LEVANTE
  • 2012 Bergamo, ENTERPRISE TELEVISION
  • 2013 Bari, IDEOSFERA GALLERY solo exhibition