Italian artist Dario Moschetta is as equally enamored with the past as he is with the future. He has found that by learning the styles and practices of the masters, he is better prepared to implement his own style with the current technology that is on offer. We sat down with Moschetta to talk about current projects, becoming a watchmaker and the importance of visiting art fairs.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I’ve always had the desire to create something with my hands so it’s no surprise that drawing and painting have always been hobbies of mine. I seriously thought about becoming a professional artist about ten years ago when I found myself without a job and with the idea of starting my own business. The use of specific online marketplaces and new methods of creating, such as digital painting via graphic tablet, prompted me to sell my artworks online.
Can you talk about your artistic influences and other artists you are most inspired by?
I studied various artistic masters for a long time, starting with Leonardo (da Vinci) and Michelangelo, through to Rembrandt, Vermeer, Canova, and up to the modern art of the twentieth century. The artists that have influenced me most in the last decade are Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, Marc Quinn, Damien Hirst, Andrew Salgado and Hanjo Smith.
Do you prefer to work alone or collaborate with others?
I’ve always worked alone. The artist’s workspace is lonely and very intimate. There are only a person or two that know exactly my working methods, because they know difficulties and joys that are involved in doing this job.
Dario Moschetta
Can you tell us about a project you’re currently working on?
I am working on new portraits with a digital base, but finished with oil and pastel colors, glue and paint spray. The work that I am carrying out with a lot of patience is a book that will gather around 250 drawings and illustrations made in the last 2 years. It is a complex project that will be launched with a crowdfunding campaign this year, or at least once the emergency period we are going through has passed. It will be entitled Drawing Box, and will have a foreword by Bill Smith, the art director who created album covers for Led Zeppelin and Queen.
What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t an artist?
It is a question that I am often asked and I always say that I would’ve been a watchmaker. That said, I’d like to have been a photographer who explores eroticism like Helmut Newton.
Dario Moschetta
Have you found any other artists on Singulart whose work you admire?
There are several, we all have our own style. I prefer not to mention names.
What advice could you give to young artists starting out?
I’m not an expert at giving advice. I can only say that once you start you have to work a lot, not only to produce new artworks, but to expand your knowledge. Be sure to travel around meeting new artists and collectors in person. By doing all of this, you will change your idea of art and consequently change your own art. Long story short, attend art fairs.
