Rosso

Contemporary portrait artist Rosso was born and raised in Sicily, Italy but has worked and lived in London since 2014. She hasn’t always been a painter. In her thirties she wanted a career change, she had been working in advertising and had grown unhappy with the office routine, it was then she decided to explore life a bit more. Little did she know then that art would expand her horizon. “My friend was modeling in a life class and he invited me to join. I did not know what ‘life classes’ were, I found it fascinating and romantic. It catapulted me in the 19th-early 20th century artistic movement, somehow. It was my epiphany. I remember loving drawing (portraits, sigh) when I was a child. I didn’t care much about being with other kids, I’d rather stayed alone drawing. Then there was this massive ‘gap’ from 12 till 31 where I did not touch a pencil any more. Not sure if those years were a diversion; most probably it was the creation of some sort of foundations for what I see and how I express myself as an artist today. It is all connected, after all.”

Rosso continues, “I’m incredibly drawn by the human figure and portraiture especially. I especially enjoy when I happen to create realistic portraits which, somehow, subtly shift from reality. I work mostly in oils although I also love a simple pencil drawing now and then. I enjoy both these mediums. Technically, they are located at the opposite scale of the spectrum. There is a lot of planning with oils and it can hardly be improvised: even when it looks like it is, most of the time it’s years of trial and error in the back. On the contrary, creating with a pencil is so much more immediate and retains a lot of spontaneity of the creative process. I enjoy alternating both these mediums.” When she’s not creating something her other passions include cycling and enjoying nature, as well as practicing yoga, which, she says “like veganism, it’s a lifestyle choice more than an interest.” 

Looking at Rosso’s work, I had wondered if she paints any tattooed subjects or if she had any tattoos herself. She does. Rosso designed the one on her right arm (seen in the photo below), spiraling from the wrist to the back of the shoulder. “To be honest, I never analysed the meaning of this tattoo and why I wanted it; the same I don’t analyse the meaning of my paintings and why I want to create them. I just find some of these creations - on the skin, on the walls - visually irresistible and I like to partake. I have been trying to learn how to tattoo and use my own skin as a tester (I have another unfinished sugar skull on my left sheen), but I never fully committed to it, at least not until now. My first tattoo actually coincides with the beginning of my artistic career; in a way the tattoo culture and some of the ethics behind did influence me at the beginning, and it was evident in the choice of the subject matter. At some point, I remember enrolling in a painting workshop just to learn how to paint tattoos in a realistic way in portraits! Unfortunately, the tutor could not answer that very well.” 

Like the rest of the world, Rosso has also been dealing with the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic. She says it’s enabled her to connect and network on a global level, the excitement and possibilities making up for the distance. Rosso shares, “Paradoxically, the restrictions imposed worldwide by the pandemic have translated into a widening of online connections and consequent opportunities, although remote. I have been connecting globally, in a way which I hardly think would happen if people were not forced to stay at home. This sudden expansion has become a major source of inspiration, counterbalancing - if not outweighing, sometimes - the shock of the last year(s).”

With more time online, that means more time spent on social media, here is Rosso’s take on it: “Social media is a fantastic tool that has given exposure to many emerging artists who would otherwise struggle to enter the art establishment. Big kudos. But they take a lot as well - I don’t particularly like how ‘fast’ and ‘small’ art is consumed through these channels, for instance. Also, there seems to be a latent conformity pressure, in the sense that only a few specific subject matters seem to emerge and reach out to large audiences, many times at the expense of more political-ethical oriented work of art. Inevitably, artists (like myself) now and then need to create content which is more social-media friendly to remain visible on these platforms.”

I asked what was next for Rosso, and unfortunately everything is very precarious at the moment. She will continue painting and making new work, she says “I have been offered a couple of solo exhibitions here in London but we are just waiting for bans on gatherings to be lifted to go ahead. Fingers crossed, we ban this virus for once.” 

www.rossoart.net
Follow Rosso on instagram @rossoartist.