Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1170309
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 22 SEPTEMBER 2019 5 THIS WEEK ART To flip that question over: how do you feel about exhibiting your work abroad? Are you confident that your work will communicate well to international audiences, and do you see this as an important stepping stone in your artistic career? I think it is a very important step for an artist to take, even if it's also quite intimidating. The thought at first made me quite anxious, especially since Poland is well known for having retained its re- spect for painting. The fact that it is being exhibited at the Academy of Fine Arts and not a private gallery was also quite a stressful prospect, as it is a hub where students and academics gather. That said, after meeting the peo- ple involved and looking at the space, I felt very relieved. I was happy to see that they were eager to see this Medi- terranean element found in my work, and so I felt free to remain loyal to my aesthetic and narrative. The human figure and sexuality in particular remain recurrent themes for you – how do you develop upon and play with them when they're 'on the beach', as it were? At a young age I was intro- duced to the work of two ge- niuses of figurative art which left a huge impact on me as an artist. The first is the el- egance I saw in the figures of Modigliani, and the second was the earthy work of Eric Fischl. Two very different artists, both masters of paint- ing in their own way. I think it is safe to say that they are the main reasons as to why I keep on exploring the human figure. At the same time, the hu- man figure is also a subject which is very personal to me. The human figure is just a vessel. In spite of evolution- ary or societal changes, we're are all still the same species. Our instincts, our sensitiv- ity, our demons are more or less the same and will most likely remain the same. They are simply expressed in a dif- ferent, more contemporary manner. Similarly, sex has always been a prominent subject in my work. As a person, I am inspired by deterministic ideologies and feel that the reasons behind the way we dress, react and express our- selves is linked to the desire to reproduce and keep our species alive. In this exhibition, I have taken the themes of sex and the human psyche but also entwined them with the theme of death, which on an unconscious and conscious level is also the driving force towards sex. This theme has always been present in my work, but in 'The Beach' it has become more prevalent. What do you make of the local visual arts scene? What would you change about it? The local art scene is what it is. Everyone has their own language, their own circle, their own insecurities and their own ambitions. As a visual artist who has been consistently loyal to paint- ing, I must admit that I am a bit sceptical over other art forms. That said, I feel that as long as the person is loyal towards what they feel, I have no problem with it. The prob- lem I have is when a person tries too hard to look for something new and as a con- sequence is not genuine and true to what they are trying to portray. As a Maltese artist I do feel that, once again, we lack painters. Which to be honest I find quite surprising, since painting has once again risen to the forefront on an inter- national level, with a number of artists opting for it as their chosen visual language – art- ists whom I respect and ad- mire very much. After Poland, what's next for you? 2020 will be a busy year. First of all, I would like to complete my final year of psychology at the Univer- sity. After that, the plan is to dedicate more time in the studio, working on both local and foreign projects. I will be attending a residency in France and also taking part in a collective exhibition in Pia- cenza, Italy. It is highly likely that 'The Beach' will also be exhibited in Malta at some point in the near future. 'The Beach' will be on display at the Armoury of Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, Poland from October 8 to 22. The project is supported by Arts Council Malta - Malta Arts Fund and the Embassy of Malta in Warsaw "In a local context, the use of painting has decreased" Left: Night Scape (from The Beach series) by Gabriel Buttigieg • Below: Figures in a landscape (in Red and Green) by Gabriel Buttigieg