Andrea Antonini

The human pyramid

The night

2125

Parallel universes

A black hole

Dancing in the dark

“Simulacres et simulation” denounces the hyper-simplification of reality by the mainstream media and the apathy that leads many to buy into those narratives uncritically. Shallow representations of the contemporary world's tragedies, modeled as binary alternatives for the passive eyes to root for one of the two. White or black, with no shades of gray. A continuous stream of polarized stories essentially designed to evoke the universal human emotions: anger, fear, disgust, surprise, sadness, happiness. And sell, accordingly. 
But the clock is ticking and the last of the angels is leaving too.

Simulacres et Simulation

“Self-Portrait” (2025, acrylic on canvas, 180 x 120 cm; 70.8 x 47.2 in) abstracts my split nature, the observation of the outer and inner worlds. An ambivalent dynamic, streams mixing on a two-way, limitless road. The journey is obstructed by the social and logical conditioning, and there is rage in stumbling on the obstacles, in kicking them. And there’s no doubt that when I look at the world today, at least one of my eyes bleeds of sadness.

Self-Portrait

“Le freak c’est chic” (2024, acrylic on canvas, 120x200 cm; 47.2x78.7 in) rebels against the railroad of normality, the delusion of the shelter in front of the complexity of life. Imposed since childhood and continually reinforced by the dominant culture, this merciless mass conditioning flattens the richness of the complex, multi-dimensional individual characteristics into the dullness of anonymous dark silhouettes.
But few can still look at the world and see the reality behind the curtains, all the disconnections and false Gods. People who feel the movie rolling, maybe in solitude but who don’t succumb to that, and with all their weaknesses still have the heart to - disrespectfully - say no.

Le freak c'est chic

“64,000 dreams” (2024, acrylic on canvas, 98 x 72 cm; 38.5 x 28.3 in) takes me back to the legendary 80s. A time of naive, shallow hedonism, filled with excitement for new beginnings, shaped by bright colors and synthetic music. We felt that a new world was waiting behind the corner, with amazing possibilities enabled by the technological marvels that would have reshaped everyone's lives for the better. Or at least, that's what I thought.

64000 dreams

“My way” (2023, acrylic on canvas, 109x200 cm; 42.9x78.7 in) is an angry contemplation - but also irrationally hopeful - of the finite human nature and the neutral eyes of death. That overwhelming gate to the Big Nothing that only a sardonic middle finger, shaken to a rhythmic dance, can defeat.
Because throughout our entire existence, and even in the face of ultimate physical defeat, the pride of our freedom is the only meaningful statement we can leave behind.
“My way” is then a promise to oneself of a life lived fully, on one own terms only - maybe with pain but never with fear - until "with your eyes fixed on me, I will dance my ass into the darkness”.

My way

“Memento mori” (2023, acrylic, oil pastel, oil on canvas, 124x188cm; 48.8x74 in) is an ironic representation of workaholism, real or pretended, imagined as a zombie-like existence and fueled by shallowness, fear, ego, or any of their combinations. The foolish delusion of the commodified slave who believes not only to be free but also to matter in a system that will easily replace them. Proudly surrounded by a never-ending parade of expiring "things”, generating Pavlovian responses through the distorted capitalistic lenses, shamelessly marketing temporary pleasures as true happiness. A circus in which I was clowning myself, while life slips through the fingers.

Memento mori

white

yellow

orange

purple

dark blue

green

light blue

brown

black

Acrylic

Aquatint

Canvas

Chalk

Charcoal

Clay

Concrete

Embroidery

Graphite

Gold

Mixed Media

Metal

Oil Paint

Paper

Pastels

Pencil

Pigment

Resin

Tempera

Textile

Watercolor

Collage

Other

Film

Digital

Ceramic

Wire

Wood

Yarn

Stone

Porcelain

Marble

Glass

Plastic

Design

Drawing

Engraving

Etching

Linocut

Lithography

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Prints

Screen Print

Text

Work on paper

Photography

3D Print

Performance

Sculpture

Landscape

Portrait

Very large

Large

Medium

Small

Very Small

Artist and author since I could no longer avoid the obsessive digging into my nature, I’m furiously stumbling on my so many confusions while dragging along the path to happiness - still mostly obscure.
Disgusted by a world that, beyond good and evil, continuously reinvents the same old tricks. At best, the distorted reflections of a deeper existence; mostly, the pleasing projections of crafted scams, to sell the multicolor tail that we keep chasing.
I lived across the world for over 25 years, mistaking trinkets for preciousness, senselessly jumping before thinking. Until I couldn’t bear it anymore, and I started stripping the so many labels and conditionings that build the ego that now I wish to deny.
My writings and paintings are two sides of a three-faced coin, expressing the negated superiority of the truest humanity against the third face. The one that eventually always shows to the eyes, no matter how we spin the coin. The one that has but a single word, indelibly engraved: MORE!

Blindly looking for my way

Cityscape pavilion

Andrea Antonini

collection: Fine Art

Material