LLEI D'ART 13

de oficio Elartedela máscara Unamáscara nos dicemás que una cara OscarWilde in the trade TheArt of theMask Theman for whommasks are silent, or theMagic of Professor AgostinoDessì Amask can tell usmore than a face can OscarWilde In hiswarm and simple Florentineworkshopon the tiny Via Faenza, surroundedby colour andbeauty, Professor Dessì has beendedicated to creating masks for over thirty years.Madewith papiermâché and thenpainted, eachof them is carefully placed in the spacemade for it by themaster. From there it will help todelight the visitor with its powerful enigma and artisanuniqueness. Already, upon crossing the threshold, you can feel the fascination of a spacededicated tomagic, to fantasy, to enchantment. Eachpiece, watching from its high viewpoint, seems to scrutinise the visitor’s soul from the empty hole of a hiddengaze. All we can see is a pupil looking from the vacuum each face holds. Born inSardinia in1952, his artisticpreoccupations took him toTurin, where hewas educated at the Accademia delleBelleArti . After Turin, he travelled toFlorence, where hebecame enamoured, not only of the city’s beauty, but alsoof the great richness of arts and crafts it holds. For years, he experimented andmade great progressworkingwith suchdifferent materials aswood, plaster or terracotta, and also turning his hand togoldsmithery. His sculptural creations inmetal andmarble maintain close links to the papiermâché masks that hemakeswith such artistry. They are sculptures that he jealously guards in thebasement of his gallery, which is a small, but imposingly decorated establishment very close tohismaskworkshop. The spell of the Tuscan capital has attracted artists and artisans of very different kinds, creating an atmosphere than intoxicates the senses and ensnares thedreamer. After graduating inSculpture inFlorence, he travelled toMexico, attractedby its legendary traditional link to the art anduseofmasks. Uponhis return, hedecided tomatch teachingwith the creationof his owngallery-workshop in 1979. There he carriedon experimentingwithmaterials such as newspaper, leather, sheets of cardboardor wood anddifferent types of glue. At the same time he frequentedVenice, a great source of inspiration during its carnivals, when the city is takenover by adeep enchantment and its streets flowwith bright costumes, jugglers,musicians and acrobats in the classic Commedia dell’Arte style. Returning to his small workshop, he skillfully recreated the atmosphere and commotionof Venice viadelicate reconstructions. In 1980 hebegan toworkwith livemasks: plaster castsmade from real people’s faces, such as his daughter Alice’s. Shewas his El hombrepor quien callan lasmáscaras o lamagiadel profesor AgostinoDessì Foto cortesía/ Photo courtesy AgostinoDessì 68