Marco Gallotta: The Art of Papercutting

There are so many different styles of art in the world, and it’s always a pleasure for the eyes and mind to discover something new. Our houses are full of pictures, paintings, but maybe we are looking for something new to decorate. It’s not so easy to find something extraordinary, right? To grooms and brides who are preparing their new home, to guests who are looking for a special wedding gift or to art lovers, I want to introduce you to a special form of art called papercutting, and the works of the phenomenal international artist Marco Gallotta, who has enticed many people worldwide.

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Marco Gallotta was born in Battipaglia, a town in the province of Salerno, in the southwestern part of Italy. He discovered his passion for art thanks to his father. “I remember getting excited about art since being exposed to the museums of Europe by my father. He loved art and would always tell me interesting anecdotes about artists, things that you wouldn’t find in art history books. We traveled a lot and visited all the major museums throughout Europe as well as small galleries in the most random spots.”
Growing up in a country full of history and culture such as Italy means developing a high sensitivity to beauty; and this talent led Marco to New York City in 1998, where he attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and earned a bachelor’s degree in illustration. While he was still in school, he started working as a freelance illustrator for Nike. While still living in New York, Marco completely connected to his love for art: “I came here for love. I met my wife Sabrina in Italy while she was studying for a semester abroad. Sabrina, a native New Yorker, asked me to join her when it was time for her to go back. I have been living here ever since.”

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Love for art and for his wife makes Marco a passionate person, and very special. His art connects to love, beauty and nature, the strength of Marco’s work is his high conceptualization of beauty and his rare talent to transform something abstract into something real. Nature and Man are the greatest inspiration, the relationship between the individual and nature is inseparable because man IS nature, and that’s what Marco does, brings them together in a harmonious way. Today, he is a highly regarded artist in this amazing style of artistry.

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“Papercutting is the art of cutting paper. My technique is a culmination of continuous research and experimentation. Since the beginning of my career, my subjects were the result of the interaction between physical and geometrical shapes. Faces, bodies and objects were created using geometric shapes, such as circles, triangles and rectangles. The rigid shapes later became irregular and organic, enriched with soft curves alternating with sharp angles. From there, I developed the idea of breaking down these complex subjects with carvings. I let myself be guided by everything around me, and I shaped the human and natural material with a great sense of imagination. I work mainly with photos and paper that I carve with a scalpel, with surgical precision. What emerges is a series of overlapping images, to which I sometimes add layers of color and wax, creating uneven and interesting surfaces.”

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Marco’s talent has led him to work with international clients in Italy, Spain, Belgium and the United States, clients which include celebrities. “I was recently asked to create a piece for actor Will Smith. The first time I met Will Smith was in 2007 during the filming of the movie I Am Legend.” A few months later, I was invited to the premiere of the movie, where I had the opportunity to see him. On that occasion, the actor told me he had seen my work and that one day he and I would have to discuss art. After eight years and numerous meetings, I created a special piece for him. And in 2015, on a freezing January day, I was invited on the set of one of his most recent productions to present him with a portrait.
What’s more, six months earlier I had received a call from a member of Will Smith’s staff. The actor was facing a very challenging role and the character he played required intense concentration. Will Smith, I was told, needed to surround himself with “beautiful things” to relieve the pressure that he was under while shooting. To that end, I was given the task of enriching the walls of his apartment and even his trailer on the set of the film with ten works, personally selected by the actor.”

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As a super fan of Will Smith, I enjoyed hearing Marco’s experience. And it was quite apparent that he has great satisfaction in his career, a career that he continues to nurture with diverse projects: he is working on a series of portraits, some of them in collaboration with other artists, and he is also working with an Italian fashion house to create a print inspired by his art. WBM encourages you to take the opportunity to view some of his works – they are astonishing!

If you are thinking to contact this amazing artist for a commission, you can contact him through his official website www.marcogallotta.net

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