Antonio Nocera - The Fire-Eater's Theater

The iconography of this work references the well-known episode from Carlo Collodi's novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio." However, thematically, it is a subject that can be traced back to painters' interest in figures of masks, acrobats, or tightrope walkers. Since the 19th century, when painting began to explore various aspects of bourgeois life, the circus has been a theme explored by various artists. During the 1970s and 1980s, it became a true genre, practiced by many painters, who focused their attention primarily on the figure of the clown.

This lithograph is a perfect example of Antonio Nocera's style. The artist maintains a connection with phenomenal reality, yet exerts a strained expressionist and symbolist influence. Antonio Nocera's compositions are highly stylised, and the entire composition is enclosed within a narrow, two-dimensional space. The entire structure of the work is created by a combination of very pronounced, sinuous lines. This also gives rise to the elegant deformations of the subjects, who elongate, taper, and lose their individual features, taking on caricature-like qualities instead. The colour remains solid, completing the depiction of the figures and avoiding overly painterly effects.

Antonio Nocera was born in Caivano in 1949 and trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. His artistic career developed primarily in Milan, where he lived since 1970 and frequented the artistic circles of Brera and the Navigli area. His fame is now international, thanks to numerous exhibitions around the world where his paintings have been featured. His themes are drawn from fairy tales and legends, creating symbolic subjects that resonate with contemporary reality.

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