Giovanni Gravante
Sculptor
Giovanni Gravante
Sculptor
Biography
Giovanni Gravante was born in Poggiardo (Le) on May 23, 1950. He attended the local Institute of Arts ‘Nino Della Notte’, in the “Art of Metals” section, graduating in 1967. He received in 1971, the diploma of “Sculpture Master” at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce. He has taught Plastic Disciplines in several Institutes of Arts in Lecce area.
Personal and Collective Exhibitions
Exhibitions
2019 – January – Nociglia – Syncronicart – IV Biennale of Contemporary Art in Salento – Collective exhibition
2017 – December – Lecce – Fondazione Palmieri – Segno, forma, colore – Collective exhibition
2016 – April – Lecce – Palazzo Vernazza – Collective exhibition
2015 – December – Lecce – Castello Carlo V – La Materia e la Forma – Collective exhibition
2014 – July – Antikyra – Grecia – Permanent exhibition
2014 – June – Borgagne (Le) – Borgo in Festa – Collective exhibition
2014 – May/June – San Donato (Le) – Collective exhibition
2013 – November – Bari – Murart Galleria Open Air – Collective exhibition
2013 – November – Novara – Studio “De Arte” – Omaggio a Picasso – Collective exhibition
2013 – September/October – Torino – Centro Culturale “Arte Città Amica” – Collective exhibition
2013 – August/November – Lecce – MUST – Collective exhibition
2013 – July/August – Gallipoli (Le) – Tracce Mediterranee – Collective exhibition
2013 – July – Castrignano dei Greci (Le) – Palazzo Baronale – Presenze Artistiche – Collective exhibition
2013 – June – Lecce – Castello “Carlo V” – Architetti in Arte – Collective exhibition
2013 – March/April – Galatina (Le) – Palazzo “Di Lorenzo” – Collective Contemporary Art Exhibition
2012 – September/October – Bari – Murart Galleria Open Air – Collective exhibition
2012 – September – San Cesario (Le) – Museo Civico d’Arte Contemporanea – Collective exhibition
2012 – September – Bari – Fiera del Levante – “Provincia di Bari” Pavillion – Collective exhibition
2012 – June/July – Lecce – Castello Carlo V – Biennale del Salento
2011 – July/November – Lecce – Ex Convento dei Teatini – 54. Biennale Intl. Art Exhibition – Padiglione Italia – Sezione Puglia
2011 – Borgagne (Le) – Borgo in Festa – Collective exhibition
2010 – San Donato (Le) – Artisti per la Memoria – Collective exhibition
2009 – Andrano (Le) – Castello Spinola-Caracciolo – Collective exhibition
2008 – Galugnano (Le) – Convivenze – Personal exhibition
2007 – San Donato (Le) – Venti di Carta – Collective exhibition
2004 – San Donato (Le) – La casa dei chiumili – Collective exhibition
2004 – “Castello” – Corigliano d’Otranto (Le) – Collective exhibition
2003 – Giovinazzo (Ba) – Oriente ed Occidente – Collective exhibition
2003 – “Palazzo Gallone” – Tricase (Le): Artisti mediterranei per la pace – Collective exhibition
2003 – “Castello Mangiò” – Galatina (Le) – Collective exhibition
2002 – “Palazzo D’Elia” – Casarano (Le) – Personal exhibition
2002 – Museo “P Cavoti” – Galatina (Le): Oriente ed Occidente – Collective exhibition
2000 – “Castello Carlo V” – Lecce – Personal exhibition
1998 – “Convento degli Agostiniani” – Melpignano (Le) – Personal exhibition
1997- “Circolo del Collezionista” – Galatina (Le) – Personal exhibition
1988 – Galleria “Colonna” – Galatina (Le) – Personal exhibition
1986 – Galleria “La Rocca” – Vignola (Mo) – Personal exhibition
1986 – “Proloco” – Gallipoli (Le) – Personal exhibition
1984 – Galleria “ll Sedile” – Lecce – Personal exhibition
1983 – Galleria “L’esagono” – Lecce – Personal exhibition
1976 – Galleria “L’esagono” – Lecce – Personal exhibition
Critical texts and Publications
U. Palamà 1983
“Gravante parte da un dato della storia: il VOLUME. Lontano quindi, dalla concezione dell’arte che s’ispira alla “natura” e altrettanto da quella come rappresentazione della “figura”, Gravante si muove nell’arnbito della forma pura: la forma della storia. Nessun riferimento all’ “oggetto” della pratica, ma libera impostazione di soluzioni formali.”
T. Carpentieri, 1984
”Emerge, allora, la linea dello sviluppo, in quel ricercare gli spazi ed i volumi; dallo svolgersi della linea curva a certe “spigolosità” dell’ultimo periodo, ad altri “nodi” che evidenziano la necessita di rompere la materia passandovi oltre.”
I. Petrucci Laudisa, 1985
“Gravante parte dalla dura ed informe materia impegnandosi a giungere alla forma delle forme.”
P Liaci, 1988
“Progetto di forme organiche corpose e dense, scandite da un procedere elegante per piani concavo-convessi che definiscono cosi lo spazio dell’intuizione e della durata, per porsi nella realtà come simulacri di un’antica bellezza.”
G. Rizzo, 1997
“Le opere di Gravante hanno il fervore del lavoro e il ritmo della sospensione, l’avvio e l’interruzione.
Le linee di ricerca della forma sono minate dal sospetto che la forma sia altrove e che per vie impervie tra le innumerevoli dell’arte sia possibile attingerla.
Ma la via della forma è la forma.”
D. Specchia, 2002
“… le figure non sono simboli ma forme concrete, fenomeni che, avendo uno sviluppo nel tempo, definiscono il divenire più che l’essere dello spazio.”
The book “The figural abstraction of Giovanni Gravante”, edited in 2007 by Domenica Specchia, and with an introduction by Toti Carpentieri, analyzes the path of the artist, in its various stages of formal analysis. 112 pages and over 100 colour photographs to recount 40 years of artistic research. To purchase the book, currently available, please contact the artist.
Tel: +39 0836567303 – info@giovannigravante.it
Final dissertation on the topic “Giovanni Gravante” in History of Contemporary Arts – School of Cultural Heritage, University of Lecce, Italy – written in 2005 by Ms Giorgia Merico and supervised by Prof. Lucio Galante.
Work prepared by Prof. Giuseppe Rizzo in 1997 in occasion of the artist’s personal exhibition held at the Circolo del Collezionista Art Gallery in Galatina (Italy).
Work prepared by Prof. Umberto Palamà in 1984 in occasion of the artist’s personal exhibition held at the Il Sedile Art Gallery in Lecce (Italy).