Biography

Gianni D’Anna, former teacher at the U. Boccioni Arts Institute (retired in 2005), made his first public lay out back in 1975 at the Oberdan hall in Naples. His artistic evolution has always been heavily influenced by his naturalism. In 1980, at the “La Roggia” gallery in Pordenone, the Artist set up an exhibition named “Iconografia di un gioco tassonomico”, whose catalogue’s author, professor Franco Lista, defined it as a “ludic deconstruction of formal and semantic chaos”.

In the same year the Artist set up another exhibition, “La Historia Naturalis” at the “Lineacontinua” gallery in Caserta, introduced by professor Mimmo Natale who pointed out how two opposite kind of nature concepts, the occidental and oriental one, are shown in each work, mixing and clashing at the same time with one another. This concept had then been strengthened by the articles written by critics Enzo Battarra (“La Gazzetta di Caserta”) and Enzo Di Grazia (“Il Giornale di Pordenone”).

In 1981 professor Riccardo Dalisi, in his review of the exhibition “Manualità della natura” at the “Multiplo2” gallery in Marigliano, wrote: “I would likely see D’Anna at the Venice biennial. [in his works] nature recollection crops up showing several experimentations for both technique and materials; lead, copper and very patient, detailed remembrances of ideogrammatic writing experienced just like natural fibres. The malacology and entomology studies performed allow the Artist to move across the naturalistic area with imaginative creations.

Lately the interest in chaos and specially fractal theories has enriched Gianni D’Anna’s knowledge base with revolutionary concepts inducing a deep shake in the static Euclidean spatial vision. All the experience gathered through this research has allowed the Artist to set up the following personal exhibitions:

  • 'Le conchiglie in mostra: la malacologia e i frattali', Associazione Culturale Poiein, Naples, 1994;
  • 'Oggetti e Geometrie Frattali', I. Cerio Hall, Capri, 1997;
  • 'Brani di Autosomiglianza', Il Brandale Gallery, Savona, 1998;
  • 'Suggestioni ed estetiche evolutive frattali', Ipogeo dell’Annunziata, Naples, 2005;
  • 'Conchiglie di tutti mari', sea shells and works of art exhibition within the XXIV edition of the manifestation 'Festa internazionale della Primavera 2010', , Sorrento, 2010;
  • 'I FRATTALI: LA GEOMETRIA DELLA NATURA', Museo di Paleontologia dell'Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Naples, 2010;

The approach to painting techniques which allow the creation of works observable both in standard two-dimensional way, and in three-dimensional way, by the means of 3d glasses, brings to further interesting artistic results. Some of these works have been exhibited in the individual shows:

  • 'Tra naturalia e artificialia: aspetti della geometria del Caos - DANZA DI REAZIONI', Associazione Culturale S.O.S Napoli, Naples, 2013;
  • 'Tra naturalia e artificialia: aspetti della geometria del Caos - STORIE DI CONCHIGLIE', Associazione Culturale S.O.S Napoli, Naples, 2013;

He’s showed his works at the “X Quadriennale d’Arte” in 1975; at Premio Scultura - Terzo Millennio ‘Terra Moretti’, Erbrusco (BS), 2000; and at the collective shows:

  • 'A semantic of reason', Northern Illinois University Gallery 200, Chicago (USA), 1989;
  • 'NICEXPO', Esposizione Internazionale d’arte contemporanea, D. ART, Palais Des Espoitions, Nice (Francia), 1996;
  • ARTE+SUR: Feria internacional de arte contemporaneo, Ifagra, Feria de muestras de Granada, Granada (Spagna), 1997;
  • 'MIART': Fiera d’arte moderna e contemporanea, Fiera di Milano, Milan, 1997;
  • 'CAOS ITALIANO - Arte caotica: curve di Peano, attrattori strani, frattali', Milan Art Center, Milan, 1998;
  • 'CAOS ITALIANO' - Biennale Internazionale d'Arte, Palazzo Nieddu, Locri (RC), 1998;
  • 'CAOS ITALIANO - Incontri d’Arte contemporanea', Liceo Scientifico E. Majorana, Rome, 1998;
  • 'MIART': Fiera d’arte moderna e contemporanea, Fiera di Milano, Milan, 1998;
  • 'CAOS - In rerum natura', Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea "I Muini", Portogruaro (VE), 1999;
  • 'CAOS - Villaggio globale', Art Box, Latisana (UD), 1999;
  • 'CAOS ITALIANO', Novosibirsk Picture Gallery, Novosibirsk (Russia), 1999;
  • 'CAOS ITALIANO - Risonanze dinamiche', Auditorium Centro Civico, San Vito al Tagliamento (PO), 1999;
  • 'MIART': Fiera d’arte moderna e contemporanea, Fiera di Milano, Milan, 1999;
  • 'MIART': Fiera d’arte moderna e contemporanea, Fiera di Milano, Milan, 2000;
  • RIPARTE 2000, Cavalieri Hilton, Rome, 2000;
  • Biennale Internazionale di Fiber Art 'Trame d’Autore', , Chieri (TO), 2003;
  • 'CIBARTE', Villa Maria, Quiliano (SV), 2003;
  • 'Isole Frattali', Pretura di Castell’Arquato, Piacenza, 2003;
  • 'Negli orli del caos', Elsa Morante Biblioteque, Ostia Lido (Roma), 2008;
  • 'Negli orli del caos', Marconi Biblioteque, Rome, 2008;
  • Seminario: 'L'arte frattale: i percorsi della complessità', Università "La Sapienza" - Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale - Sala Parravano, Rome, 2008;
  • 'A Pieno Titolo', Studio Sedicinoni, Naples, 2013;

His work has been reviewed on the art magazines: Arte e Carte, That’s Art Show, Juliet, Titolo, Eco d’Arte Moderna, Next, Flash Art (italian and international editions), Art Diary, Terzocchio, La Stanza Rossa, Harta Performing. 

It was also quoted in the book "Art Fractaliste - La complexité du regard" by Jean-Claude Chirollet.

Rewievs about his works written by: Assunta Amato, Enzo Battarra, Luigi Campanella, Diego Collovini, Nazareno Cursio, Riccardo Dalisi, Enzo Di Grazia, Sandro Felletti, Antonio Filippetti, Luigi Paolo Finizio, Franco Lista, Angela Marino, Mimmo Natale, Vincenzo Perna, Giudi Scotto Rosati.

Speeches by: Vittorio Bacelli, Guy Bleus, Cohen John Held Sr, Francesca Incardona, Ferruccio Massini, Antonella Micaletti, Clemente Padin, Mimma Pasqua, Pierre Restany, Gennaro Sangiuliano, Carmelo Strano ed altri. 

Works in public places:

  • Patchwork, 800x300cm, at Planet Night Club, S.Giuseppe Vesuviano;

  • Painting-Sculpture, 300x200cm, at Hotel Albornoz, Spoleto. 

  • Painting, 200x100cm, at Hotel Hit, Perugia.