Maurizio D'Andrea, painter of the unconscious

Autore: Nadia Evangelina Carrizo

Data: 28-12-2024

Argomento: News

Parole chiave: Maurizio D'Andrea, Astrattismo

Link: https://www.dandreart.info

Maurizio D'Andrea's work unfolds as an emotional battlefield, where color, line, and texture emerge as manifestations of the occult. Each brushstroke dialogues with an energy that challenges not only the limits of the pictorial surface but also those of perception itself. These pieces, far from mere aesthetic explorations, function as psychic maps that suggest a universe charged with tensions and personal resonances.

His works, more than images, are fragments of a psyche in constant transformation, a space where internal forces materialize in compositions that defy the rational and celebrate the intuitive. This approach connects deeply with the theories of Freud and Jung, who understood art as a privileged means to access the unconscious.

From a Freudian perspective, D'Andrea's creations could be interpreted as projections of repressed drives, where the dynamic line and intense colors become symbols of desires, conflicts, and longings that escape the domain of consciousness. The recurrent use of contrast between vibrant and muted tones suggests a struggle between the luminous and the somber, a reflection of the duality inherent to the human being. In this sense, his canvases could be read as scenarios of an inner theater, where the repressed find a channel of expression through visual language.

However, it is within the framework of Jungian psychology that D'Andrea's work acquires a more archetypal dimension. Jung proposed that art can reveal primordial, universal images that resonate in the collective unconscious. In D'Andrea's works, it is possible to identify figures and forms that evoke archetypes such as chaos, renewal, or the heroic journey. The curved lines and flows of color recall natural and cyclical processes as if the artist were mapping universal energies that underlie the human experience.

“SOS Psiche” (2024) introduces a more specific dimension to her dialogue with Jung, particularly about archetypes. The figures sketched in warm and cold tones seem to suggest barely perceptible human presences, evoking the archetype of the shadow: that part of the self that usually remains repressed, but which in D'Andrea's visual language finds a space to manifest itself. Here, the circular stroke and the shifts of color not only structure the composition but also seem to invite the viewer to recognize his or her own internal echoes.

His work is not limited to representing psychological states; it also confronts us with the very materiality of the creative act. In “Mi.r Bb32” (2022), the layers of paint seem almost geological, an archive of gestures that are inscribed on the canvas. This materiality aligns with Freud's ideas of memory as layering, where each layer of paint can be interpreted as a residue of a previous psychic experience.

In this sense, the materiality of her paintings also plays a crucial role in this exploration of the unconscious. The expressive gesture and dense texture of some passages seem to be charged with an almost visceral energy as if each brushstroke were an attempt to capture something elusive, a fragment of pure emotion or a flash of intuition. This emphasis on the creative process, rather than on the final result, reinforces the idea that his work does not seek to represent but to reveal.

D'Andrea, in his approach to painting, seems to deliberately abandon the rigid structures of reason to immerse himself in the unpredictable flow of symbolic thought. Thus, his work can be seen as an invitation to introspection, a mirror that reflects not only the artist's inner landscapes but also those of the viewer. When confronted with his paintings, we do not find answers, but questions: What do these forms mean? Why do these colors provoke such intense emotions? What part of ourselves are we seeing in these images?

It is interesting to consider how his work is part of an artistic tradition that has explored the unconscious as a source of inspiration. From the Surrealists to the Abstract Expressionists, many artists have looked to dreams, fantasies, and primal emotions as a way to transcend the limitations of objective reality. D'Andrea, however, seems to go beyond these influences, developing a language of his own that combines the spontaneity of gesture with a profound reflection on the nature of creativity.

In this context, his work could be understood as an act of active meditation, in the Jungian sense of the term: a dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious, where each pictorial decision arises from a negotiation between both worlds. This process not only shapes his works but also endows them with an emotional authenticity that resonates with the viewer on a deep level. It is in that fluid movement between action and interpretation that her expressive strength lies.

In “L'inchino" (2024) the dialogue between form and color acquires an almost meditative character. The central figure seems to suggest an embrace, an emotional containment that, nevertheless, remains open to interpretation. This pictorial gesture can be understood as a search for the collective within the personal, a bridge between the individual and the other. D'Andrea uses negative space and imprecise contours to underline the idea of incompleteness, of what is in constant formation.

When observing his paintings, one has the sensation of being in front of a constant flow of energy, a current that moves between the orderly and the chaotic, the figurative and the abstract. This dynamism is one of the most fascinating aspects of his work, as it suggests that each work is alive, constantly changing, resisting any attempt at definition or categorization. It is as if D'Andrea is painting not only what he sees or imagines, but also what he feels and what he intuits, creating an immediate and visceral connection with the viewer.

In “Disequilibrio" (2024), for example, the rapid stroke and the use of intense colors generate a sense of internal conflict. Red and black seem to dialogue with a structure that, although unstable, does not collapse. In this work, D'Andrea seems to explore Freudian notions of the unconscious as a field where opposing drives constantly confront each other. The formal elements, far from seeking a classical balance, intertwine to form a scenario where the rational and the irrational coexist in a delicate chaos.

The use of color in his work deserves a special mention. The bright tones and bold combinations seem to speak a language of their own, an emotional language that transcends words. Each color seems loaded with meaning, not in a literal sense, but as an expression of moods, sensations, and memories. This synesthetic quality of color reinforces the idea that his work operates on a level beyond the rational, appealing directly to the emotions and the unconscious.

D'Andrea's creative process, like theories of the unconscious, unfolds in layers and revelations. His insistence on the intuitive, on what emerges from an uncontrolled place in the mind, connects him to both Freudian proposals of the subconscious and the Jungian idea of the collective unconscious. The forms that emerge in his canvases are simultaneously personal and universal, individual and collective, a paradox that the artist explores with great skill.

Ultimately, Maurizio D'Andrea's art reminds us that true creativity does not come from following rules or formulas, but from an act of courage: the willingness to explore the unknown, to face what is hidden within ourselves, and to share that exploration with others. In a world increasingly dominated by logic and technology, his work is a reminder of the importance of the irrational, the symbolic, and the emotional. It is an invitation to reconnect with our deepest humanity, to embrace mystery, and to find beauty in chaos.

Thus, D'Andrea's work not only shows us an inner landscape but also invites us to navigate it. It is an art that does not offer certainties, but possibilities, an art that challenges us to look beyond the obvious and to discover what it really means to be alive.