Ritaglio di natura #1

About Alberto Lazzari

Ritaglio di natura #1Alberto Lazzari takes naturally formed beauty and transforms it into incomparably graceful artworks. He his thoughts on the magic of nature are implemented into his expressive and finely detailed cutout Ritaglio Di… Read more

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Ritaglio di natura #1


Alberto Lazzari takes naturally formed beauty and transforms it into incomparably graceful artworks. He his thoughts on the magic of nature are implemented into his expressive and finely detailed cutout Ritaglio Di Natura. To do this, he uses new technology that enables him to construct his motif as a formative element with Gestalt, so much more than a simple subject before a standard background. His work is defined by organic forms of exotic plants and the hummingbirds that they attract. Without the standard background, the cutout allows the viewer to enjoy the elegance of the scene in its entirety.


The title of the piece means “cutout of nature”, a clever nod to the source material and the art form. To create his Ritaglio Di Natura, Alberto Lazzari uses four different images by Ernst Haeckel and brings them together like a collage. The laborious process of assembling images into one harmoniously unified piece produces an artwork that is both a reinterpretation of history and a contemporary artwork at the same time. The work engages the history of art, natural sciences, and state of art technology.


Ernst Haeckel was a multifaceted thinker and scientist of the 19th and 20th centuries. He studied both medicine and zoology and had a large impact in popularizing Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution in Germany. Beyond the science, Haeckel also gained prominence for his ten volume book of lithographs, Art Forms of Nature. With this book Haeckel achieved a new aesthetic experience that combined the natural sciences and the arts. He provided an interested public with insights into the breathtaking diversity and beauty of nature. Haeckel's drawings would go on to influence numerous artists of his time and to this day are valued as a source of inspiration.

 
Alberto Lazzari was fascinated by nature and its wonders from a young age. He would spend hours leafing through his father’s biology books or animatedly listening to stories about the Peruvian jungle, where his father conducted his research. The Botanical Garden in Padua was yet another source of enchantment. There, Lazzari would marvel at the unique collection of plants from all over the world. Now recognized as a World Heritage Site, the Orto Botanico di Padova was founded in 1545, making it the oldest botanical garden in the world.
While studying art, Lazzari was mostly inspired by botanical and zoological motifs for his sketching and painting. During that period, he enjoyed experimenting with different forms of representation and strived to go beyond classic illustration. Today, he is enthusiastic about cutout technology and the possibilities for depicting his thoughts on nature yet to be explored.