Aldo Jacobelli

ALDO IACOBELLI (Naples, 1950)
"Valencian series".1996.
Series of four oil paintings on canvas.
Signed, dated and located on the back.
Measurements: 20 x 20 cm. each one.

Aldo Jacobelli works here the tension between order and matter: the geometric structure -close to ceramic or architectural Mediterranean patterns- coexists with a visible pictorial application, where the brushstroke leaves its mark and breaks the coldness of the serial design. The whole, conceived as a unit, enhances the spatial and ornamental dimension of the work, referring both to the Valencian tile tradition and to contemporary geometric abstraction.

Three of the pieces develop a white pattern on a deep blue background, organized in grids that generate circular shapes and optical rhythms, while the fourth acts as a counterpoint with an almost monochrome blue surface, of material vibration and contained horizontality.

Jacobelli is an Italian-Australian painter and sculptor based in Spain. His work, on view at the National Gallery of Australia, stands out for a language that fuses geometric abstraction with a critical narrative about culture and memory. With a meticulous technique, Iacobelli explores the border between decorative arts and concept painting, being a key figure in the artistic dialogue between Australia and the Mediterranean.

His international prestige is reflected in the quality of the institutions that hold his work: Australian National Gallery, Canberra; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Phillip Morris Collection, USA.