Laura Pesce was born with the DNA of an artist. Following her acedemic studies,
she chose to take the road of experimentation with the craftmanship in glass.
By learning the techniques of Murano glass makers. She researches this ancient
craft and succeeds very early, with much creativity, to fulfill her personal
development. As a student she moves to the United States, and her stay there
is very useful to explore different art currents and the art movements of
that 'young' country.
If we may compare the work of Laura Pesce with her compatriot Baj, who was the
precursor of Assemblage, she goes further by combining glass and painting
in a pictorial-sculptural fashion an the canvas.
L.P shows a stronger spirit of adventure in her assemblage, at times almost
theatrical, utilizing the murrine to give life to the images she wants to
portray. There is no doubt that in the compositions of this artist, painting
and sculpture give a clear sense of exploration. In her early works, such as
'Idols', she combines a real cow skull with murrini glass. An obvious influence
of the culture of the native Americans of Arizona, where Laura Pesce lived for
some time. The all-glass sculpture 'My Brain', like the 'Idols', gives to the
viewer a mixed sensation of archaic and modern spirituality. Travelling
definitely influences her view of the world and consequently she incorporates
those images and feeling in her work. Following her stay in Brazil, shere the
artists' companion was involved in scientific research, her interests focused
in different directions from the previous ones.
Art and science become, for a while, the prime interest of Laura Pesce. The
mystery of science confronted with the mystery of art; a search for infinity.
A road taken already by the brother's and sculptors Gio' and Arnaldo Pomodoro.
However, her exploration of this subject shows a different approach.
The deeply human questions of the mystery of life, beginning with the ancient
philosophers and continuing with modern physicists, fascinate this artist. Her
goal is to 'translate' abstract scientific concepts pictorially onto the canvas.
That's her challenge- which, we think, she has succeeded to meet.
In 1997, she returns definitely to Italy. Her studio is now located in
Populonia, on the enchanted Tirrenian coast of western Tuscany. In the ancient
land of the Etruscans, these marvelous serroundings of nature and history, sea
, woods and archealogical sites, definitely form important inspirations
for her new works, mainly in glass. Kites and sailboats with bright,
transparent colours so reminiscent of the island of Murano!
Laurra Pesce has been a well known artist in the U.S. Her work is present in
many galleries and museums around the country. Further prestigious exhibitions
have been in Brazil, such as 'Art and Science' at the Museum of Fine Arts in
Rio de Janeiro. The uniqueness of her art work, which in my opinion cannot
be imitated, is the reason of her success in the 'old country' too.
The extraordinary quality of Laura Pesce's work lies in the ability to combine
the traditional with the contemporary. A quality that we were the first to
appreciate and love. We may conclude by pointing out that a world almost of
fairy tales is the world of Laura Pesce. Her bright colours, transparent glass,
and mosaic make it a joyous, poetic art, or rather a voyage in a wonderland
of colours that all of us would like to visit. the compositions recall the
tarot garden of Niki de Sait Phalle in Capalbio, in sourthen Tuscany. Like
the famous French artist, she also sees life as a game which all of us are
going through without knowing thee rules.
-Gilbeto Madioni, 2008