10 Questions with Gianluca Lattuada

Al-Tiba9 Art Magazine ISSUE12 | Featured ArtisT

Gianluca Lattuada is an Italian artist, who was born in 1988. Currently, he lives and works between Milan and Madrid. 

The recurring themes in Lattuada's work are the energy of bodies, eroticism, violence, and the transience of life ("memento mori" philosophy). The body, therefore, becomes the perfect tool to represent all of this in a universal way, to remind us that we are all human flesh, without any distinction. He believes that art should mostly talk about life, desires, the subconscious, dreams, deep secrets, and the pain of contemporary society. Faces are often not recognizable because everyone is metaphorically the same, regardless of the city or country, as well as their age, ethnicity, and geographical origin. In his works, there are references to underground and urban culture and elements from the past, not only from the traditions of classical art but also literature, through quotations and references to the great masters. It is also a way of remembering that "we are what we were".

www.gianlucalattuada.art | @gianlucalattuada

INTERVIEW

Let’s talk about your background first. How did you get interested in making art? And when did you decide you wanted to be an artist?

First of all, we would need to understand what it means to be an artist today. In my opinion, an artist can be defined as someone who persists, despite the pre-established order, the institutions, the academies, and the market logic, to be one step ahead of the rest. Those who insist, in their own way, in creating a vision of the world in which other people can recognize themselves. The artist, today, is someone who manages to be anarchic and courageous. In this sense, I can say that, if we’re talking about the will to be an artist, then this has grown within me since I was a child and has just become bigger and stronger over the years.

What training or experiences helped you develop into the artist you are today? 

An artist's work consists in molding one's self into something external at a precise moment which is the creation of the artwork. Each and every stimulus affects the work produced: the socio-economic context, one’s education and personal experiences. Therefore, there are variables that cannot be ignored: living and producing something today in the western capitalist world of the 21st century, in a country, Italy, with one of the oldest and most important artistic and literary traditions in the world. Adding the fact that I grew up on the outskirts of Milan, where different traditions, cultures and social classes overlap. All of this is present in my work: the energy and strength of the urban and underground environment, the contradictions of contemporary society but also the traditions of classical art. The real challenge is: how can I use these tools to create something new which can in turn be a stimulus for those who enjoy this work on the other side of the world?

You live and work between Milan and Madrid. What do these two cities represent for you? And how do they influence your work? 

Having the opportunity to work within two different artistic landscapes, both alive, cosmopolitan and dynamic, is very important in my daily work, especially because I have the opportunity to meet other artists and intellectuals from all over the world. This allows me to progress more quickly, receiving stimuli I wouldn’t otherwise have.

As you mention in your statement, your work has two goals “to give an overview of the issues of contemporary society” and “to create a new vision of the world that can help take a step forward tomorrow”. How do you work on these themes? And how do you address them in your work? 

I believe that art must be able to converse with the present, that is, to provide the artist's interpretation, just like with a journalist writing an op-ed. This serves to better understand the reality that surrounds us, bringing out the contradictions and putting into question the status quo. The next step, the most difficult one to achieve, is to give a new vision of the current world, indicating a possible new direction to take. For an artist, this is possible only through the freedom of action and thought, in a continuous struggle against fixity, duty, normality and tradition. The worst thing for an artist is to be 100% understood by producing something that their audience already expects.

You have a very recognizable style, with elements that seem to derive both from pop culture and classical painting. How did you develop this style? 

Pop culture represents the values, beliefs, and customs of the society in which one lives. Using symbols in one’s works means confronting the viewer with reality, speaking their own language. In my works there are references to underground and urban culture, from graffiti to fashion to trap. I believe there is a primal energy there. Those who live on the margins are usually viewed negatively, as victims of society. But many times, it is just the opposite. They have a creative strength and restlessness that others do not. In addition to all this, my works include elements from the past, not only from art but also literature, through quotations and references to the great masters. It is also a way of remembering that "we are what we were".

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? How do you go from the first idea to the finished work? 

My creative process is divided into three steps: intuition, visualization, and realization. Throughout the day there is always something that strikes me, for various reasons (intuition). After that, the idea remains in my head until I clearly visualize the work that will be. I do not carry out studies, sketches, or preparatory work. The creation phase is usually direct, vigorous, with few pauses. The final result can also deviate from the initial intuition, the important thing is that the energy that gave life to the work remains imprinted.

Tell us more about your headless bodies. Why did you choose not to represent the head of your characters? And what is the meaning behind this decision? 

The recurring themes in my works are eroticism, strength, violence, and the transience of life. The body therefore becomes the perfect tool to represent all of this in a universal way, to remind us that we are all human flesh, without any distinction.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I always work on several projects in parallel. This allows me to be fast and dynamic, qualities that I consider to be necessary at the moment. This also helps me in not getting stuck on something that for some reason does not achieve the expected result. The secret is to continually question and contradict oneself. I use my Instagram channel @gianlucalattuada to show what I’m up to and to share any updates, which will become more and more numerous in the coming months.

What do you think of the art community and market? And what is your experience dealing with collectors? 

The art sector is complex. Each figure (artist, gallery owner, collector, curator and public) plays a fundamental role in the advancement of art today. The important thing for an artist is to keep working continuously and honestly, with a spirit of freedom, love and anarchy such that the rest, that is, the relationship of trust with a gallery, the intellectual exchange with a collector and the recognition by a small or large audience, follows naturally.

And lastly, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now? 

In general, I view life as a race car, without brakes, the direction of which remains a mystery. As the futurists would say, I feel like a man "holding the fly-wheel of which the ideal steering-post traverses the earth impelled around the circuit of its own orbit." So, in five years who knows...