Il Sogno Di Lucifero 2017

Editor: Here we have Roberto Ferri’s 2017 oil painting, "Il Sogno Di Lucifero," or "Lucifer's Dream." It's striking how he’s rendered the figures with such classical precision, yet the scene itself feels like a bizarre, unsettling dream. The central figure with the halo almost seems to be controlling the others. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, this painting speaks volumes about the act of creation and control within specific economic systems. The classical realism employed, the very labor involved in producing such a detailed oil painting today, contrasts starkly with the surreal subject matter. We see the artist using historical techniques, like underpainting, potentially for the purposes of erotic art, but this act itself is commodified within today’s market. The "dream" of Lucifer perhaps then signifies the dream of unattainable production and creation that only capital can dictate, almost satirically using religious themes. How do we reconcile this blending of high art and what some may traditionally view as lower forms, like fantasy art and erotic-art, particularly considering the labor and resources poured into it? Editor: That's a fascinating perspective. I hadn't considered the commodity aspect so directly. I was more focused on the narrative and symbolic elements within the painting itself. So you are suggesting that Ferri's labor is essentially a commodity regardless of subject matter? Curator: Precisely! The material reality is that oil paints and canvas cost money and demand labour, the means to achieve surrealist dreams. Ferri then sells a commodity within a hierarchical art-market structure. We should consider the role the art world plays in either valorizing the dream of history-painting by uplifting “high art,” or reducing all of it to simple monetary value and luxury consumption through commodity. Editor: So the tension between the historical references and contemporary surrealist style underscores this? It really makes me think about what labor constitutes 'art', as you said. Curator: Precisely. By looking at the process and materials, and the position this piece occupies within the current art market, it complicates the simple consumption of "beauty". Hopefully this analysis makes you reconsider the surface appeal of this work by examining the circumstances behind its creation!