Francesco Lombardo
My goal regarding painting is to instill in the viewer a sensation of abundant spirit, to impart vitality, whether in the form of euphoric rapture or brooding struggle.
Using oil paint as his primary medium and the human figure as his primary subject, Francesco Lombardo creates work that involves repetition, movement, and layers of translucent form. His artistic influences from the past are rooted in the linear elegance of the High Renaissance, the serene yet compelling postures of classical sculpture, and the folds within folds of Baroque art. In terms of contemporary influences, Francesco references many artists including the works of Jenny Saville, Robert Liberace, and Odd Nerdrum.
Lombardo completed training in art from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, receiving his B.A. in painting in 2002. Shortly thereafter he studied with the painter Odd Nerdrum in Norway for half a year. In 2004 he found long-lasting influence in the otherworldly allure of Iceland after being awarded a Fulbright to study there for one year.
Color blindness is a complication that Lombardo must take into account when painting. His eyes struggle to discern various reds and greens but are compensated in this deficiency by an advanced ability to discern value (light and dark.) He does not want the issue of color blindness to have much, if any, impact on how his work is regarded. The choice to value an aesthetic defined more by complex spatial interactions and movement rather than application of hue has little to do with genetics, and the partiality towards design, subject matter, and aesthetics in general have been guiding factors themselves more than they have been reactive to problems caused by color blindness.
His paintings have been on display at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. as part of the 2010 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Lombardo’s portrait “Monique” was featured in the publication Art in America (2011-2012 annual gallery/museum guide). Francesco lives in Marshall, North Carolina, where he works from a studio located on Blanahassett Island. Frank's Website
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