Tenebroso - Sergio De Giusti
September 10, 2010 - October 16, 2010
The Detroit Artists Market (DAM) is proud to celebrate long-time friend and Italian American artist, Sergio De Giusti, in his solo exhibition, Tenebroso. The Public Opening reception will be Friday, September 10, 2010 from 6pm – 10pm. DAM will also host a Gallery Talk on Saturday, October 2nd, 2-4 p.m. with Sergio De Giusti. De Giusti, best known for his figurative bas reliefs and sculptures, will display new artwork created over the past year. The exhibit is a collection of charcoal drawings, reliefs, bronze sculptures and watercolors. The title of the show, Tenebroso, is an Italian reference to the shrouding of his images in darkness. His strong Italian influence is evident in his themes of cloaked subjects and landscapes, sacred symbols, and Baroque mannerisms.
“Sergio De Giusti first showed at the Detroit Artists Market in 1968 in a group exhibition of Wayne State University artists titled Looking to the Next 100 Years”, notes DAM Director Nancy Sizer. “He was later featured in a solo exhibition at DAM in 1976, and we are thrilled to be able to host his solo show this year featuring new works.” De Giusti has regularly been a participant in DAM shows and activities over the past forty years, sharing his talents and energy with our organization.
Born in Maniago in the Friuli region of Italy, Sergio De Giusti immigrated to Detroit with his family in 1954. His interest in the arts was nurtured in Italy and continued to grow at Wayne State University where he earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. The cultural heritage of his Italian origin and the educational opportunities proved in Michigan gave De Giusti the framework to pursue his passion for creating art. He has been a key figure in Detroit’s art community for more than forty years. In addition to his work in numerous private collectors, Detroit is home to some of De Giusti’s notable public monuments: Transcending in Hart Plaza, Urban Stele in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plaza, numerous installations on the campus of Wayne State University, and in the collection of the Italian Consulate office.
“Throughout my career, drawings have been an important part of my teaching profession. Even though it has been an important part of my life I have not often exhibited many two-dimensional works,” explains De Giusti. “This exhibit has given me an opportunity to explore the dynamics of drawings and rekindle the love of drawing instilled in me during my university studies. These new works embody my love of charcoal and the variable chiaroscuro it can produce—- mystery, darkness, shadowy images hidden in an atmosphere of doom. During Romanticism, music, literature and art became vehicles for interpreting artists’ own time. Romantics and symbolists such as Dor é , who interpreted Dante’s Divine Comedy ; Friedrich who explored the passion and glorification of the past through studies in decaying nature; and Detritus in literature, opera, music, with these symbols of megaliths emerge from the shadows of barren landscapes to record the presence of time.”
During the run of Tenebroso, the Detroit Artists Market will also participate in Gallery Week , presented by Art Detroit:Now. Detroit Gallery Week will be held September 29 through October 3, 2010, and feature arts locations throughout Metro Detroit. As part of Gallery Week, the Midtown Gallery Crawl is scheduled for Friday evening, October 1st.