Marco Di Francesco began his artistic career as a child, at the age of 14, discovering a passion for painting. At only 19 years old, he had the opportunity to exhibit his works for the first time.
Since his beginnings, the central theme of his creations has been the feeling of loveexplored through intimate scenes and characters often associated with poverty, marginalisation and political themes. His early works were set in suburban locations, characterised by chaotic urban development, where decay and lack of beauty were evident. It was noticeable that the artist perceived the need for an improvement in the world.
Initially, he painted using only thelight bluesufficient colour to express mood and feelings. His works were monochromatic and essential, dedicated to the representation of feelings. Over time, he gradually introduced soft shades of colours such as yellow and pink, which evoked the dawn and symbolised a projection towards a better future, a world to be created. This creative phase began in the 1970s and lasted for a decade.
In the 1980s, the artist's painting underwent a slow but significant change. He experimented with new themes related to love, gradually abandoning the aurora to make way for more intense light and stronger colours. The subjects of his works were mainly young people and parks, symbols of nature and the future, reflecting the atmosphere of social change and the very soul of the painter.
It is in this same period, in the 1982that the artist made a discovery by observing how the sunlight acts on things. He experimented with the sun art technique, using it on materials such as wood, paper and fabric. Through this technique, he left some areas covered and others exposed to the sun, creating plays of light and shadow that took shape as desired by the artist. Also in these works, the theme of love was central, with the depiction of faces, figures and stylised scenes.
At the same time, the artist began to explore landscape painting, painting from life. He began by representing the landscapes of his homeland, Abruzzo, and then extended his research to southern Italy. Using mainly acrylic colours and working with a palette knife, he captured the variations of light and the nuances of nature. His landscapes were characterised by bright, bold colours and sharp shadows. His works ranged from realistic depictions, with an attention to detail, to more evocative and poetic compositions that conveyed a chromatic and sentimental atmosphere.
Also in the 1980s, the artist began to explore the sculpture in wood, using ivy. The interlocking of two ivy branches gave rise to shapes and meanings that changed from random to intentional. The sculptures represented different themes, from mythological to historical and poetic, characterised by fluid lines.
In 1983the artist enrolled in a course of engravingwhich resulted in a series of small colour engravings. During the 1990s, he applied silkscreen printing to the engraving technique, experimenting with different solutions. In contrast to the traditional use of black and sepia, he avoided these colours, preferring to exploit all the shades of colour. His engravings portrayed both suburban themes and memories of the past and its origins. Later, he used unusual and original shapes, such as the texture of melon skin, leaves, wood grain and crushed jars, thus creating mysterious works that differ from the classic style.
Also in the 1980s, he experimented with the collageHe combines acrylics with pieces of newspaper, posters, papers and tree bark, transforming his works into material compositions.
At the beginning of ’90through the acquaintance of Alberto Vagata, one of the first silk-screen printers in Rome, the artist made the first silkscreens. Initially, the works presented flat colours, typical of screen printing. However, together with Vagata, they discovered how to combine four colours in a single frame, resulting in unprecedented shades that characterised the painter's style, both on canvas and in silkscreens. The main subjects of his works were significant figures evoking themes of freedom, love and feelings in general. Only later did he also devote himself to the depiction of landscapes.
In the early years 2000, the approach to landscape painting has undergone aevolution. The landscapes became more ethereal, almost dematerialised, characterised by less vivid colours and softer contrasts. The works became lighter, with a greater mastery of light and colour. The landscapes became timeless and mythical, with a yellow background on which the paint was applied, allowing the yellow to shine through in small spaces. Later, he started his works with a white background colour instead of the colour of the canvas itself.
Later, the artist took up the art of the sun with a new and different approach, using overlapping colours. His works became more complex and elaborate, moving from a simple and sentimental representation to more rational and thoughtful works.
Currently, the artist continues to experiment and search for new solutions, focusing mainly on works with the sun. Whenever possible, he paints from life and also devotes himself to wood sculptures, shaping unique sculptural works.
