Renowned sculptor Lorenzo Quinn is in London where four of his sculptures were placed in Cadogan Place, One Hyde Park, in Park Lane and one in Berkley Square. This little walk in the Mayfair area is enriched for a period with these admirable works of art. Lorenzo Quinn, son of the famous actor Anthony Quinn, had a stint in the acting industry himself with a couple of films where he interpreted the part of artists such Stradivari or Salvador Dali’, but then, very young the world of art engulfed him and he gained commissions from the United Nations and Absolute Vodka campaign where only the best artists in the world are called.
The Vatican asked him to create a sculpture of Saint Anthony to be placed in the Church dedicated to the saint in Padua. Birmingham City has got a sculpture of this very talented artist, “Tree of Life” dedicated to the citizens of Birmingham who lost their life during the air raid in the Second World War. Lorenzo Quinn most used subject in his works is the human hand because the hand has got multiple meanings, from love to power to hate.
With the hands it is possible to create a work of art or to kill holding a weapon. An exhibition will be at the Halcyon Gallery until the 19th of April called “Metamorphosis” and at the Italian Cultural Institute, five sculptures will be on display until the 11th of March. In this occasion the Salento International Film Festival together with the Italian Cultural Institute organized an evening where Lorenzo Quinn has been the guest of honour. The evening begun with the screening of “In the Hands of Lorenzo Quinn” a film about Lorenzo and his works, from the beginning of his career which included rare footage and interviews. This film has been presented as world premiere at the SIFF 2010 and copies have been gifted to the guests attending the event.
After the screening Lorenzo Quinn took the microphone to talk about his art, recounting anecdotes from his youth and his first steps in the world of painting and sculpture, remembering his father Anthony Quinn as an accomplished painter and sculptor as well as an amazing actor. Lorenzo talked about how he works, which materials he uses for his works like bronze, resin, aluminium, putting bronze as a favourite. He started his career in New York at 21 years old and he claimed that if New York made him a man, London definitely made him an artist, happy with the exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery, a collaboration that has been going on for 14 years.
A series of questions from the audience have been answered by him explaining that his works come from his emotions and his feelings and his fascination with the hands as a subject for his sculptures is dated back to when he was probably just 6 years old. Being half Italian he recognizes that hands are very important for communicating, everywhere in the world gesturing with the hands it is possible to be understood. Everyone left encouraged visiting his exhibition in New Bond Street and admiring his sculptures around London.
