Paolo Ghilardi was born in 1930 in Bagnatica (Bergamo), his family supported his passion for art since the beginning, playing a crucial role in his artistic education. He studied at the Industrial Technical Institute that allowed him to work as a mechanical engineer. Meanwhile, he attended Achille Fumi's evening courses at Giacomo Carrara's Fine Arts Academy deepening his artistic education.
From the 1968 he started to teach "Drawing Techniques" at Liceo Artistico Statale in Bergamo, a role he held until 1968.
In the 1971 Ghilardi created a series of canvas with squares made of acrylic and fluorescent colors. This research presented a main central field of color (red, green, blue, yellow, purple) and others squared shape underneath. The chromatic and structural tension are linked with American and European trends and studies.
PAUL GHILARDI (1995) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
Red + Green + purple + orange + Blue (1972) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
Green+Red+Black+Orange+Blue (1971) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
Paolo Ghiliardi - blue, green, red in the square - 1971 (1971) by Paolo GhiliardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
Paul Ghilardi the rhythms of color, the dance of forms (2016) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
In his career, Ghilardi often changed the focus of his studies always working with abstractionism, color and geometry. For this reason, he gave different acronyms to the different "cycles". E.g.: "NS-R" for canvas with four variation of squares or "PC" - "PC-V" for composition focused on how the space exceed the material one.
NS-R 207 (1976) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
NS-R 190 (1977) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
NS-R 196 (1978) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
NS-R 192 (1977) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
NS-R 206 (1976) by Paul GhilardiArchivio Paolo Ghilardi
From the 1976 Ghilardi's research went from the canvas' surface to the space seen as the environment where different elements interact with each other modifying the environment itself. This research ended with the creation of Environments with colored aluminum foil applied on the walls and floor as in the Lorenzelli Gallery in Bergamo.
He created another important Environment at Galleria La Polana in Genoa. IN this case, Paolo Ghilardi, didn't use aluminum foil but adhesives stick on to the walls in order to create different axes and levels that created movement in the space.
From the 1977 to the 1980 he teached "Color and painting Techniques" at Giacomo Carrara's Fine Arts Academy in Bergamo.
From the 1969 he got in touch with artists and gallerists in Milano and he intensified his exhibiting activities and led his research through the abstractionism. In the mid-70's, together with his friend Alberto Zilocchi, he took part to the meeting promoted by the Constructive Art International Center of Antwerp-Bonn.
Paolo Ghilardi has been the artist of the color, with great creativity and interest in design and architecture. He died in 2014 in Bergamo.
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