Apparently undistinguished small pieces of wood together become a work of art at the hand of an engraver from Collesano. And they make their voices heard.
There is a Pinocchio sleeping. He is away from fears, worries and obligations. He’s happy and he’s dreaming. One realises it by the serene expression on his face. The wooden child has now put aside six noses, all different in length, and they are all hanging on the wall. They are meant to be used according to the situation: the bigger the lie, the longer the nose.
The voice of wood
According to the engraver from Collesano a work of art without emotions does not exist. Each artwork is a message, sometimes manifest, sometimes enigmatic, sometimes the result of a sober reflection. In some cases, it can encompasse a sudden vision, such as a scene in a film, a memory, a high resolution photo, a daily action, even one or more words.
It is wood that gives shape to Pino’s creative universe. He first got acquainted with it as an adolescent, by chance, or better, by a struck of luck.
He started working with it, becoming a skilled and expert connoisseur.
“When I was out of secondary school, my father directed me into carpentry, since he could not afford to pay for my studies. In that period I learned to do anything. Then, at 18, I moved to Cefalù to attend the Istituto Statale d’Arte (State Institute of Art)”
Since then, wood has become a source of inspiration for him.
“Here I bumped into small tarsia panels”
Pino Valenti’s artistic development is steeped in a view of life that, in spite of its highs and lows, expresses a perspective for living with no limits, a life marked by strength and determination. His motto is ‘never give up’.
«At 16, I suffered from retinal detachment in one eye. I could have despaired, instead I decided to enjoy every single moment of my life. I started playing soccer, working with wood and devoting myself to art. I realised that nothing could have dampened my enthusiasm. Life has not spared me economic or health problems. I have always found the strength to rise again and carry on, thanks to the love, the kindness, the feelings and all the beautiful things my land has to bestow»
And what about those small pieces of coloured wood? They are vital, the source of my happiness. Taken one by one, they are undistinguished, together they are a guarantee of existence and become artwork. They live with Pino Valenti every day, waiting to be selected. They seem to be calling Pino in order for him to place and combine them. They call Pino, as only he can hear their voices.
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