For those who don’t yet know the work of Peter Demetz… well, he is an Italian artist and the only material he uses to create his individual scenarios is wood. He belongs to the Gardena Valley tradition of woodcarving. Demetz can be considered an artist, but he fits perfectly the definition of a craftsman, a great craftsman. The little people he represents are young women and men, but also adults portrayed alone or friends caught together. They are shown in their pure moment, without any poses: everything in the background being comfortable and expected, and this allows them to lower their defences and express themselves naturally.

The spectator will find himself surprised at Peter’s work: seen from a far perspective he may not be able to say that he is observing wood sculptures rather than paintings. His work appears as a fusion between painting and sculpture. The Italian name for what Peter Demetz creates in his scenarios is Teatrini ( small theatres). The small theatres are structured in two levels: the concrete side is represented by the characters, the main subject of his works, wearing jeans, big jumpers, or at times undressed, is the centre of the sculpture. A white or colored zone seeks to define an abstract area, often corresponding to where the character is looking at. To amplify the perception of emptiness contemplated by his characters, Demetz has introduced in his latest works the use of LED, creating a light box.

Two approaches have to be considered in analysing the structure of the work: one finds its origin in the past, and the other one brings him directly to the contemporary. Peter’s work is strictly related to the Italian tradition of sculpture and to the treaties on the perspective from the Renaissance to present day. On the other hand, his modernity renders Demetz’s works some of the most interesting of contemporary Italian sculptures. His figures are also constructed following a method invented by Donatello during the Renaissance period.

The artist Peter Demetz is exhibited at Artforum Gallery in Bologna and has just concluded a special exhibition in Dream Factory space in Milan. He is a growing artist and his works are enticing art lovers not only in Italy, but in several exhibition in which he has participated internationally.

For more information:
www.artforum.it
www.dreamfactory.it
www.peterdemetz.it