Gessi uses the technique of engraving, which can transform a simple glass panel into a real work
of art. In another part of this catalogue, he explains in detail how he deftly uses his tools to engrave
the glass panels, and how he overlaps these panels to create depth of field and perspective with
particular optical effects. There is a sort of amazement and fascination in seeing how the glass is
transformed, creating the strongly emotional impact of visual magic.
“Glass,” says the artist, “allows me to create effects that I can’t obtain with canvas or other materials.
The passion for painting I’ve had since I was a child initially led me to use oil on canvas, but as
time went by I also learned other techniques. I tried using parchment, on which I mostly drew
landscapes, and in the end I learned how to engrave glass. Some of my works are done on six
overlaid glass panels, of which three are engraved and three are clear in order to create depth
of field, or – in other words – the third dimension.
“The moment that changed the artistic life of Giorgio Gessi was his first encounter with the works
of Czech painter and sculptor Alfons Mucha, one of the founders of Art Nouveau, who – together
with Gustav Klimt – brought Liberty Style all over the world.
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Gessi captures all those Nature-inspired visions in a very personal way. They are characterised by
the use of soft lines and asymmetrical forms, which he reinvents with his own structural elements,
with female figures who come to life and evolve like plants and flowers.
This is how his study and implementation on glass of “Le Quattro Stagioni” (The Four Seasons)
were created, with organic shapes and ornaments – including plant and flower motifs – surrounding
supple and elegant female figures who intertwine with Nature, the creative force of the universe.
Every season can be recognised by some unmistakeable symbol that captures our attention: four
types of women with four different attitudes give us the impression of the different seasons of the
year. Spring opens up dreamily with its newly blossomed flowers, Summer shows the intensity of
sunlight, Autumn lives among red leaves and fruits ready to be picked, and Winter freezes with the
chill of a snowy landscape.
A few years later, the artist devotes himself to “I quattro tempi del giorno” (The four times of day),
where four soft female figures perfectly embody Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night, all with
a very special background landscape. The background is a lovely way of remembering the
architectural beauties of the Italian province of Varese, from the collegiate church of Castiglione
Olona to the monastry of Torba, the hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, and the castle of the
Visconti family in Somma Lombardo. The depiction of each of these splendid monuments evokes
the mystery and magic of their history, suggested and reinforced by the delicate colours and the
golden decorations of their figures.