Simone Fappanni - Gianfranco Paulli Sculptor

GIANFRANCO PAULLI: THE SOUL OF SCULPTURE

Elegant, refined forms look as if they are soaring into space at an intensely dynamic and pulsating rhythm. Notwithstanding the weight of the material they are made of, Gianfranco Paulli's sculptures possess the gift of lightness: a living material that the artist moulds with impeccabile skill, creating figures, animals and arrangements in which one can perceive a centripetal stirring capable of conveying significances and signifiers at the rhythm of scores made of signs that accompany the moulded figure and turn it into a complete, unrepeatable sculpture. In the artist's hands, form becomes throbbing matter that gathers light within itself and sends it back at a rhythm that progressively reaches the heart and soul of the observer. Although they are full of symbols, to understand the deep meaning of his works there is no need to be acquainted with sculptural grammar. Paulli manages to communicate using the subtle yet intense register of meta-narration in which images become meaningful clarifications of signifiers and allow themselves be gently fondled by the eyes of the onlooker, inductively resulting in the authentic utterances of a compositional vocabulary in which every syllable, even the smallest detail, is never subordonate or superfluous but always full of significance.

Thus, the sculpture's soul perfectly matches the soul of its significance in an alchemic dichotomy in which each fragment of a sculpture corresponds to an archetypal element, in a continuous exchange of objective reality and lyrical transfiguration, implemented by conceptual measures that allow the mind to exceed the limit beyond which it can overflow, where the work of art exceeds strictly rational boundaries becoming pure art, sentiment in action enclosed in matter. Of course, transforming an inert shape into a sculptural form requires a remarkable amount of preparation time and this has always been true of the works of Gianfranco Paulli. In fact, his sculptures are the outcome of inspiration and of lengthy preliminary studies. Through this process the artist achieves results by which it is possible to touch the magmatic consistency of the compositional framework that gently leads one to savour its forms expressed in the luminosity of marble or in the dignified solidity of bronze. Moreover, it also allows the sculptor from Soresina to successfully tackle various themes, even social ones, that must be handled with rigour and sobriety. The momument dedicated to Antonio Stradivari is a meaningful example of this. The maestro has left nothing to chance: each and every detail of the monument is closely related to the character: from the period instrument to the work bench, from the garments worn by the Great Maker of stringed instruments from Cremona to the tools he uses to make his masterpieces. Another touching work is "Inno alla Vita" created for the "Nostra Signora del Buon Consiglio" hospital desired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, in Albania.

The way the glances of the mother and child meet, the way the woman's hand reacts to the little girl's arms reaching out to her fill this bronze sculpture with incommensurable poetry. Generally speaking, this is true of all Paulli's works which tackle the theme of maternity in various ways, often capturing moments taken from everyday life, gently suspended between softness and serenity. The figures of young models are particularly interesting: the perfection of their bodies combines with a plasticity that is just as faultless and that employs techniques to enhance the harmony of the female body, be it naked in the bronze statues: La modella Sonia, La modella Tiziana, Stefani, Sentimento di bellezza, Il sogno, Risveglio, Modella in posa, Vento fra i capelli, Imbarazzo, Sulla spiaggia, or fully or partially dressed as in the Ragazza in jeans that immediately comes to mind. I cannot fail to comment the dynamism of the dancers sculpted by the artist from Soresina; they may be portrayed during the performance of a dance step (Prova di danza) or while they are meditatively resting (Bellezza del classico). Animals are another complex theme: they are definitely the most difficult figures to sculpt but Paulli has managed to capture their lively dynamism, especially in the works that portray horses and bulls. Lastly, the bronze statues that in various ways regard mythological events, ranging from Prometheus to Nessus and Deianira, are full of meta-rational references and cross-references and must be approached slowly, a little at a time, in order to grasp the marvels of their interpretation. The many, extremely successful works based on sacred themes are uncountable: to mention but a few: a statue dedicated to Padre Pio; one to Saint Homobonus, patron saint of the city of Cremona, and one dedicated to the Holy Family.