Woodcut in colors on Kozo paper
- Signed and numbered
- Published / Printed by Crown Point Press, San Francisco / Shi-un-do Print Shop, Kyoto
Francesco Clemente's I (Met.pg., 50) (1982) is a vibrant woodcut on Kozo paper, reflecting the artist's interest in exploring the human face and emotional expression. The portrait features a figure with vividly colored facial accents—red, green, and blue—set against a soft, warm-toned background. The subject's intense gaze and abstracted features draw the viewer in, creating a sense of introspection and emotional complexity. The bold use of color, particularly in the warm yellows surrounding the face, contrasts with the more muted background, emphasizing the figure’s presence. Clemente’s work often focuses on themes of identity and transformation, and this piece exemplifies his exploration of the human psyche through expressive portraiture.
Francesco Clemente (Italy, 1952) is a leading contemporary artist associated with the Transavanguardia movement. His works, characterized by vivid colors and dreamlike imagery, explore themes of identity, spirituality, and the human experience. Drawing from diverse influences, including Indian mysticism and Italian fresco traditions, Clemente’s art is celebrated worldwide.
WoodcutWoodcut is a printing technique where an image is carved into the surface of a woodblock using gouges, with the remaining flat surface holding the ink for printing. The areas cut away by the artist do not carry ink, while the uncut areas do, producing the desired print. The carving follows the wood's grain, unlike wood engraving, where the block is cut across the end-grain. Ink is applied to the surface with a roller, ensuring only the flat, uncarved areas receive ink, leaving the recessed, non-printing areas clean.
Woodcut in colors on Kozo paper
- Signed and numbered
- Published / Printed by Crown Point Press, San Francisco / Shi-un-do Print Shop, Kyoto
Francesco Clemente's I (Met.pg., 50) (1982) is a vibrant woodcut on Kozo paper, reflecting the artist's interest in exploring the human face and emotional expression. The portrait features a figure with vividly colored facial accents—red, green, and blue—set against a soft, warm-toned background. The subject's intense gaze and abstracted features draw the viewer in, creating a sense of introspection and emotional complexity. The bold use of color, particularly in the warm yellows surrounding the face, contrasts with the more muted background, emphasizing the figure’s presence. Clemente’s work often focuses on themes of identity and transformation, and this piece exemplifies his exploration of the human psyche through expressive portraiture.
Francesco Clemente (Italy, 1952) is a leading contemporary artist associated with the Transavanguardia movement. His works, characterized by vivid colors and dreamlike imagery, explore themes of identity, spirituality, and the human experience. Drawing from diverse influences, including Indian mysticism and Italian fresco traditions, Clemente’s art is celebrated worldwide.
My goal is to collect images and references from these traditions and connect them with the emotions from the present-day, and common experiences.
- Francesco Clemente
Francesco Clemente is an Italian artist whose work spans the globe. His focus is oil painting, pastels, watercolors, and printmaking. Francesco Clemente is part of the contemporary art movement, and many of his pieces are fragmentary, nomadic, and non-linear. He studied architecture for a short time at the University of Rome, and then went on to exhibit his drawings across Europe. His travels around the world, particularly to India, Tibet, and New York, culturally influenced many of his pieces. Clemente has had his work featured in a large number of international group and solo art exhibitions, including at Tokyo's Sezon Museum of Art, The Royal Academy in London, and New York's Guggenheim Museum. In 1998, his work was shown in the movie "Great Expectations". Francesco Clemente has the distinction of being a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and continues to have his paintings exhibited in renowned contemporary art venues. (Artist website)
Sometimes known as Figurativism, figurative art refers to sculptures and paintings that are clearly or specifically derived from real objects, making them representational. The term figurative art is often used in contrast to abstract art. However, since the emergence of abstract art, figurative art has come to describe any form of modern art that has strong references to the real world or actual situations.