The exhibition "Van Gogh, Forgive Me" by Andrea Becheroni, a Florentine visual artist, was like a breath of fresh air to me. The expanse of strong colors, very bright impressions and the deep meaning of each seemingly unrealistic image.
It was in Sesto Fiorentino, a small city very close to Florence. Silvia, my good friend and my art supply provider of Baccetti Colori, kindly invited me to the exhibition of one of her friends – Andrea Becheroni. He is different and very special – this is all I knew while driving with Silvia in her cosi white Fiat Panda.
When arrived, we were greeted (a restrained nod to me and two kisses on both cheeks to Silvia) by the maestro of the exhibition and started to plunge into the depths of color. And it was a slash of emotions on the walls! Academic landscapes of Italian cities, detailed genre scenes of carnivals and May Day demonstrations, still lifes and of course – here they are! – the surrealistic paintings as an interpretation of Van Gogh's very well-known sceneries.
"Why did you call the exhibition 'Forgive me, Van Gogh'?" – I asked the maestro. The maestro replied, shrugging: "Because of my excessive love for his works and my Florentine interpretation of his paintings that are known even by people who are least informed about him" artists".
I believe often we, as artists, have no other choice but to reinvent and re-interpret subjects and compositions the great masters have already done long before us. One reason for this – and especially in sacred art – is the tradition which you can not escape even if you wanted to. The cross, the Virgin, the Pietá, saints with symbols, angels, the Bible.
The other reason, as it seems to me, is that when it comes to academic art with academic compositions (not an oh-suddenly-so-loved abstract art) then sometimes artists take well-known and nobody-knows-why-appreciated paintings from the greats and redo them. To "feed the art hunger" of those who'll come to see the painting just because it's à la Caravaggio.
Anyway, none of these reasons is bad. It's just c'est la vie. And paintings by Andrea Becheroni are very different from Van Gogh's originals. More contemporary. With a different meaning.
Andrea Becheroni's paintings are his impressions of impressions left by Van Gogh.
I would not forgive myself if I wouldn't have asked Andrea, a more experienced art colleague, for an advice he could give to any artist. His answer was not new to me but it's one thing when you know it and an other – when you hear someone say it. Here is what I heard Andrea telling me –
"Keep pouring out your heart, your mind and your soul on canvas. it doesn't matter if people like it. It shouldn't stop you if it doesn't sell. Keep painting what you like. Show on canvas today what you are passionate about. If you don't do it now – you won't do it ever... Don't think that you are not ready and don't be too late to live your life, love and passion on your canvas".
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Andrea Becheroni was born in Florence in 1947. In 1963 he created his first painting on canvas – a Florentine landscape. In 1967, together with other friends, he founded a drawing studio. Since then he was always experimenting with various materials painting on canvases, tiles, wooden boards. Andrea works with tempera and acrylic colors. He draws inspiration for his works from the Impressionists the Macchiaioli. He currently lives and works in Sesto Fiorentino (near Florence), Italy.
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Artist's Website – andreabecheroni.it
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The Gardens of Montmartre by Andrea Becheroni
The Women's Strike by Andrea Becheroni
The Cypress Road under the Starry Sky by Andrea Becheroni
Sunset in the Snow by Andrea Becheroni
The Starry Night by Andrea Becheroni
