Giuseppe Armani
Sculptor of a Life Time
From the moment young Giuseppe could pick up a pencil, he drew. He drew everything he saw. He drew everyone he knew. He drew all day long. And it wasn’t long before his parents and teachers saw he had The Gift. Young Armani was already enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence when his father unexpectedly died.
Because the family now needed Giuseppe, art school was forgotten. Art, however, was not. When Giuseppe’s Parish Priest organized an exhibition for the young artists he knew, he entered Giuseppe’s sculpture of a classically inspired male torso. The work was greatly admired for its extraordinary anatomical precision. When the torso was taken to the Art Gallery in Pisa
Giuseppe Armani’s talent was rewarded with the offer of a permanent job in the Art Gallery adjacent to Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower.
It was there in Pisa that Armani’s dream of studying art was finally realized. While in Pisa he often traveled to Siena and Florence where he immersed himself in the great masterpieces of the Renaissance. His distinction was and remains in his ability to infuse life, character and soul into his sculpture. Giuseppe experimented in wood, clay, alabaster and marble.
His reputation grew with each breathtaking creation. Soon art enthusiasts from around the world started to flock to the Art Gallery just to see Giuseppe Armani’s latest creations. In 1975, Florence Sculture d’Arte, recognizing Armani’s genius, offered him the opportunity to work exclusively for them. He was encouraged to give free rein to his artistic muse.
For more than 25 years Armani has created masterpieces ranging from the traditional Capodimonte style to the more daring, contemporary and whimsical sculptures. Always and remarkably, Giuseppe Armani’s figurines have the spark of life, and his breathtaking realism continues to amaze his many admirers the world over.
Giuseppe Armani described his credo this way: “Although I consider myself a direct descendant of the Renaissance heritage, I believe that an artist has to follow his own evolution and not be solely a remnant of the past, as glorious as the past may have been. I am continually compelled to discover new and better means of expression.”
Sadly Giuseppe Armani passed away suddenly on Saturday, the 28th of October 2006, in consequense of a massive stroke. We all have lost a great Master, but we have also lost a friend, who with his simple attitude has filled our lives with enthusiasm and has transferred to all of us his immense love for Art.
He will be with us always, even if our world will miss his physical prsence. He will live on through his art, and all the colectors and art lovers all over the world, will share a part of his wonderful personality just looking at the timeless works of art he created for them.
source: http://www.thecollectionshop.com/Giuseppe_Armani.asp
