Inside the Studio

Brigitta Rossetti

What are the major themes you pursue in your work?
My artworks come from the environment in which I have lived since my childhood: the Piacenza countryside, in the middle of fields, on a farm, where the rhythms of time are marked by nature, and my eyes and my sensibility are fed by the vibrant energy of the trees, the delicacy of flowers, open skies and azure, white wings of butterflies and the subtle textures of spiders. I enjoyed this time in solitude, and my work reflects this search for the lost balance between man and nature (quote by Ivan Quaroni, The Possibility of an Island, 2014) in everyday life, where urban traffic and advertising images have replaced the natural poetry of being.

The focus of my work concerns nature as a nurturing, spiritual elevation, dialogue, and a sense of belonging to the universal. I am also interested in topics related to the concept of man and environment, the comparison between the rural and the city, areas in the shadows, and more abstract issues that deepen the concept of uncertainty, human frailty, life force, and war in contemporary times. I am also interested in investigating the relationship between East and West.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
“When you’re on the top of a mountain, do not take account of the situation more than it is. When you’re at the bottom of a valley, do not think it is any worse than it is. Make reality your friend.” –The Ups and Downs of Life, by Spencer Johnson.

Prefer to work with music or in silence?
Music is something indescribable that artists have inside. I start painting when I hear that music, which is pure inspiration. The silence, especially the silence of the mind, makes me feel stronger than music. As I work, I love the piano symphonies without words, from classics to contemporaries such as Giovanni Allevi and Ludovico Einaudi. I like to work with a surprise surrendering to the music, in which unexpected visions and bodily signs come out and aid my concentration as well.

If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be?
The Bedroom by Vincent Van Gogh.

Who are your favorite writers?
I enjoy poems by Alda Merini, artistic books by Bruno Munari, visions of contemporary art by Angela Vettese, and novels by Steve Martin, as well as classic authors such as Pirandello and Calvino.