Our friend Basik just sent us a series of images after he spent month in Sicily for an artist residency organized by the I ART program. The Italian artist was located in the town of Misterbianco, very close to mount Etna, where he managed to create a mural on the local auditorium.
The piece is called “Thauma (The Temptation of Saint Anthony)” and it measures about 20×4 meters long. It’s his personal take on the temptations of Saint Anthony the Abbot, which has been a widely depicted theme in Arts history, from Beato Angelico to Bosch, from Max Ernst to Salvador Dalì.
Saint Anthony, commonly venerated for his protection from fire, is Misterbianco’s patron, as the town celebrates the saint every year since its destruction by a severe Etna’s eruption in 1669, then rebuilt anew closer to the coastline.
Hands casting animals in the chinese shadows play are protracted to poke St. Anthony, which is instead represent by an abstract geometrical golden figure at the center of the scene.
The central word “Thauma” is the greek for wonder, as a celebration of the land surrounding mount Etna (the painting is in fact facing the volcano). Nonetheless the greek letter T or “Tau” is a common symbol defining St. Anthony.
Basik signature colour palette is now contextualized to the very specific elements of the area: black as lava stone, red as fire (lava) and gold for the visually richness and folkloristic exaggerations of local religious processions and, of course, Sicilian baroque.
Continue reading for more detailed images on this symbolic piece and then check back with us shortly for the latest updates from Italy.
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