Aracne 2013

Roberto Ferri’s Aracne is a painting made with oils on canvas, and it looks to me like a modern take on a Baroque drama. The stark contrast between light and shadow creates a charged atmosphere, kind of like Caravaggio. The figure emerges from the darkness, and Ferri uses light to sculpt the form. It's all about capturing a fleeting moment, the body’s twist and turn frozen in paint. I’m drawn to the way Ferri handles the drapery, the way the folds cascade around the figure, creating texture and movement. Look at the subtle shift in the color of the skin, from pink to blue, almost as if he's painting a ghost. It's a bit unsettling, but also really beautiful. Ferri’s really got the kind of painterly skills that connect him to the Old Masters, but with his own contemporary twist. It’s like art is always talking to itself, across centuries, isn't it?