Donato
Marrocco
Donato Marrocco, born in Frosinone in 1976, obtained a diploma from the Academy of Fine Arts in his hometown in 2004, having studied on the Decoration course.
His early work began with photography; he created images using slides, which he manipulated by hand. Analogue ‘post-production’! His experiments with film opened the door for him to explore the informal painting of the 1970s; he drew inspiration from the shapes and colours that film revealed to him. Photography served as a preparatory stage for painting. Through numerous journeys, he meticulously collected images of nature, exploring its processes of transformation. During these years, his painting reached its most vibrant phase, as he used and experimented with media and colours that were unconventional in terms of academic painting techniques.
One of these works was selected, following an international competition, for a group exhibition, which was followed by a two-person show at the Beniamino Matalon Gallery in Milan in 2007.
The backgrounds, rendered in colours reminiscent of the earth – yellow ochre, burnt sienna, bitumen – are applied in a tactile manner to evoke natural textures and architectural forms. From 2008 to 2012, his works were exhibited at the Royal Palace of Caserta, in Rome and in Venice. In the years that followed, her painterly exploration evolved towards a lighter approach in her choice of materials, while maintaining a distinctive incisiveness. The supports used are natural paper and cardboard, and the tools are fusain and charcoal; the natural element thus becomes a means of exploration. Subsequently, he took part in group exhibitions at Studio 1 Gallery in Vercelli (2016), the Bad Hersfeld Municipal Museum in Germany (2018), the Bolli e Romiti auction house (2018), and the Sant’Agostino Museum in Genoa (2019). In the meantime, he also participated in artist residencies in Italy, specifically at BOCS Art in Cosenza in 2017 and in Caramanico (Province of Pescara) in 2019.
Since 2017, she has been collaborating with the Project xx1 group to create set designs for immersive theatre performances, involving students enrolled on her course.
Since 2011, he has been a lecturer on the Ornamental Sculpture course at the Academies of Fine Arts, and he currently holds a tenured position at the Academy in Rome.
Ornamental Sculpture is always situated at the intersection of sculpture and ornament, and it is precisely within this hybrid dimension that a dialogue between different styles emerges. The forms and content of a decorative sculptural work are always developed in relation to the environment, architecture and nature, with a particular focus on the use of materials. The design study serves as a foundation for the creative process and artistic research; accordingly, the development of the work will be divided into three distinct stages:
Theoretical study through the reading of texts provided during lectures, including the outlining of the project; development of the project, supported by sketches, drawings and photographs;
Execution of the work in the workshop.
At the end of the course, the works will be presented in one or more exhibitions, alongside other works produced by the School of Decoration, in venues outside the Academy. All works must be accompanied by a short introductory text, to be distributed to visitors, outlining the phases followed by the student.
Each phase of the work will be subject to a partial assessment, which will be added to the subsequent assessments; together, these will form the basis for the final grade in the examination.
To sit the exam, students must achieve the required attendance–credit ratio, which is determined on the basis of the work carried out and the material produced.
COURSE SYLLABUS – 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR
The Ornamental Plastic Art 2 course is intended exclusively for students on the Decoration course who have already taken the Ornamental Plastic Art 1 exam in previous years.
The main objective, but not the only one, is to develop, through analysis and detailed research, a transformation of the project presented in the first year, regardless of whether it was undertaken with the lecturer. The concept of plasticity, combined with the need to transform the languages of the visual arts, will lead students to discover new ways of presenting a work of art.
The main focus will be on discovering the new materials used in recent art; by experimenting with these materials during workshop sessions, students will learn the techniques for their use and application.
The course will also aim to enable students to create a work that can be submitted to art competitions or used as an application for young artists’ residencies.
The course will be enhanced by the opportunity to participate in on-site workshops, organised visits to art exhibitions, and studio visits with artists and craftspeople throughout Italy.
Artist docufilms
- Alberto Burri
- Ólafur Elíasson
- Neri Oxman
- Es Develín
- Ilse Crawford
- Miquel Barceló
- Peter Monaghan
- Andy Warhol
- Ai Weiwei
- Egon Schiele
- Laerte
- Chun Kwang-Young
- Chun Kwang Young
- Bosco Sodi
- Mark Bradford
- Julian Schnabel
- Hieronymus Bosch
- Jannis Kounellis
- Jannis Kounellis
- Giuseppe Penone
- Salvador Dalí
- Marina Abramović
- Botero
- Francesco Vezzoli
Charles Simic, The Image Hunter – Adelphi
Agnes Heller, The Dignity of the Work of Art – Irruzioni
Gilles Clement, A Brief Treatise on Involuntary Art – Quodlibet
Chiara Roma, Le Courbousier e le suggestioni dei ruderi – Quodlibet
Italo Calvino, Cosmicomics – Mondadori
Mario De Micheli, Le avanguardie artistiche del Novecento (The Artistic Avant-Gardes of the 20th Century) – Feltrinelli
Carla Lonzi, Self-Portrait – Abscondita
Luca Scarlini, Andy Warhol Superstar – Johan & Levi
David Batchelor, Chromophobia – Mondadori
Cristian Caliandro, Italia Evolution – Meltemi Linee
Enrique Vila-Matas, Kassel Does Not Invite Logic – Feltrinelli
Learning Objectives
The objective of the course is to create three distinct works: one of a graphic-pictorial nature, one of a sculptural-decorative nature, and one in the form of an installation. This work will be undertaken with the aim of enhancing the techniques and expanding the knowledge acquired during the three-year study programme.
Approach
The works produced will be exhibited at a venue chosen by the student; to this end, an in-depth study will be carried out on the dynamics that form part of the ‘exhibition’ structure. Topics covered will include the layout of exhibition spaces, research into and the importance of the ‘venue’ as a container for one’s artistic work, and the communication and promotion of the event. This work will be developed through ongoing dialogue with the lecturer and also through the consultation of catalogues of artists involved in solo and group exhibitions. To facilitate this process, students will visit several art exhibitions in the local area throughout the academic year.
Purpose
The core purpose of the course is to provide students with the tools to independently produce an artistic work and subsequently stage it.
Charles Simic, The Image Hunter – Adelphi
Agnes Heller, The Dignity of the Work of Art – Irruzioni
Gilles Clément, A Brief Treatise on Involuntary Art – Quodlibet
Chiara Roma, Le Courbousier e le suggestioni dei ruderi – Quodlibet
Italo Calvino, Cosmicomics – Mondadori
Mario De Micheli, Le avanguardie artistiche del Novecento (The Artistic Avant-Gardes of the 20th Century) – Feltrinelli
Carla Lonzi, Self-Portrait – Abscondita
Luca Scarlini, Andy Warhol Superstar – Johan & Levi
David Batchelor, Chromophobia – Mondadori
Cristian Caliandro, Italia Evolution – Meltemi Linee
Enrique Vila-Matas, Kassel Does Not Invite Logic – Feltrinelli
Hans Ulrich Obrist, What Is Art For? – Marsilio
Tomaso Montanari, Art.9 – Carocci Editore
Walter Benjamin, The Work of Art in the Age of Its Mechanical Reproduction – Feltrinelli
Philippe Descola, Art Before Art – Marsilio Arte
Tomaso Montanari, Chiese chiuse (‘Closed Churches’) – Einaudi
Raphael Rubinstein, Pittura provvisoria, una svolta nell’arte contemporanea – Johan & Levi editore
Kassia St Clair, A Sentimental Atlas of Colour – Utet
Voltaire, Candide, or Optimism – Mondadori