Paradosso
Searching for a first projects can be an exciting but also daunting task.
My brain has always been a turmoil of ideas and interests, even if plenty of those are all valid and compelling concepts, when it comes to choose one, I need to be fully committed and ready to embark on a journey in which the destination is unknown.
You need to be ready for failure at any given moment.
During one of my frequent visits to Italy I came across a unique medieval private garden in the town of Viterbo (Lazio).
Immersed in the old town I have found my project, “Il Paradosso”.
Above, several pictures taken by me on location. This selection demonstrates why I was captivated by this place.
In this environment there is about everything I wanted to recreate. Late 16th century architecture, contaminated throughout the years, to say kindly by questionable choices of restoration and additions.
Stairs, stone arches, fountain, water pond, cobblestones, vases, plants, trees, grass, ivy and plenty more.
Development process
Once you have identified your subject/idea and you are committed to it, at this point the Development Process begins (DP). Every project is unique and so DP’s. Generally, I would separate DP’s in three main stages: Source Material Gathering, Planning/Designing and Building.
Source Material Gathering
In the case of this project, I was lucky enough to have full access to the garden on multiple occasions. Taking tens of photographs and precise measurements gave me high confidence to tackle the following stage. Alongside location visits I have also gathered satellite pictures and everything that I have found relevant on the internet on this place. (Click on the gallery icon on the right to view location pictures)
Planning and Designing
In my experience, Planning and Designing a project is the most important and satisfying part of all. In depth study of the material gathered is the place to start, followed by categorising logically and extensively all this material. Being very precise can be time consuming at first but eventually will always pays out at the end with better results.
Here on the right, you can see the structure of this project in a simple folder system diagram. Every folder is a container of material/work/ideas. This system allows me to have a very logical approach and a clear vision on what and when needs to be done.
Building
A simple Idea followed by an extensive research and meticulous planning, but now it is time to get my hands dirty!
Production phase of this project has been a massive undertake, difficult, long and stressful at times but also a rewarding journey not only by the result achieved but mostly through a learning curve of experience and knowledge that will be invaluable for my next projects. Creating everything from scratch with NO 3D printing is something that I very proud of, not because I am against technology and new tools available, not at all quite the contrary, but because it does give me confidence in my skills, capabilities and limits to what I can achieve.
In equal measure, the purpose of this website is to promote/sell my art but also to share the journey involved in the making of such artwork. Here below there are links to a making of video on my YouTube channel and also to a gallery of the finished project.
