Salvatore Pione is a London-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores the intersection of tradition and modernity. His work, deeply rooted in his Sicilian heritage, employs a variety of materials like steel, wood, and jesmonite to create sculptures and installations that are both nostalgic and strikingly contemporary. Pione’s art invites viewers into a theatrical world where personal narratives and historical echoes intertwine.
Pione’s Artistic Process: A Dialogue Between Past and Present
Pione describes his creative process as a “personal procedure” that stages a dialogue between elements of the past and present. This dialogue manifests in his exploration of traditional crafts – ancient techniques of working with wood, iron, and marble – alongside contemporary materials and concepts. For Pione, this is not just about technique; it’s a way of protecting a heritage that risks being lost in the modern world.
His Sicilian upbringing plays a pivotal role in shaping his artistic vision. The customs, traditions, and landscapes of his homeland are recurring sources of inspiration. Experiences and places from his childhood are often reimagined and reinterpreted in his sculptures, lending them a deeply personal and autobiographical quality.
Salvatore Pione, Two by Two- steel, potassium sulfide, casting sand, foam, jesmonite, sand – 160x100x12 cm – 2023
Nostalgia, Theatricality, and the Personal Touch in Pione’s Art
When asked to define his work in three words, Pione chooses “Nostalgic, Theatrical, Personal.” These words encapsulate the core themes that run through his oeuvre. His sculptures often evoke a sense of memory and longing, a connection to times past, while simultaneously possessing a dramatic, stage-like presence. This theatricality is not merely aesthetic; it’s integral to the way Pione constructs narratives within his work.
Two by Two: Spectacle and Sensation in Pione’s Narrative
The artwork “Two by Two” (2023) serves as a compelling example of Pione’s approach. In creating this piece, Pione delved into the dynamics between sensation and spectacle. He envisions “Two by Two” as a “battleground” featuring two wolves locked in perpetual combat, circling each other as both “prey and victim.” The metal base surrounding the wolves acts as a stage, separating the dramatic scene from the viewer’s space and intensifying the sense of spectacle.
Adding a layer of interactive engagement, Pione incorporates arrows on the wolves’ backs, reminiscent of a ring toss game. This invites the public to participate, transforming the desperate struggle of the animals into a game for “outsiders,” further highlighting the themes of spectacle and vulnerability.
Salvatore Pione, Two by Two- steel, potassium sulfide, casting sand, foam, jesmonite, sand – 160x100x12 cm – 2023
The Animated Influence: Body and Motion in Pione’s Sculptures
A distinctive feature of Pione’s sculptures is the recurring presence of body parts, particularly legs and feet. These are often rendered in bold, exaggerated, and dynamic forms, regardless of scale. This emphasis on body representation stems from Pione’s background in animation and drawing. Motion and character design principles from animation inform his sculptural compositions, creating figures that seem poised to move.
Pione is fascinated by exaggeration and absurdity in society and everyday life. Drawing from animation techniques, he employs distorted body parts and exaggerated volumes to inject a sense of dynamism into his works. This creates a visual connection with the viewer, making the sculptures feel almost alive and in motion.
Animal Silhouettes and the Sicilian Puppet Opera: Pione’s Theatrical Structures
Animals frequently appear in Pione’s sculptures, as seen in works like “Cavallo Blu” (2022), “Leaving Dog” (2021), and “La Lupa è stata ferita” (2020). These structures, often large in scale, possess a theatrical movement and enlarged body shapes. This is directly inspired by the Sicilian puppet opera, a traditional form of theater from Southern Italy dating back to the 18th century.
The silhouettes of Pione’s animal sculptures are constructed using layers of flat surfaces, emphasizing the interplay of light and shadow. While each animal sculpture carries its own narrative, Pione uses these animal forms as “vehicles to express vices and virtues of human behaviors.” The colors he employs are often drawn from traditional Sicilian playing cards, further anchoring his work in his cultural heritage.
Salvatore Pione, Two by Two- steel, potassium sulfide, casting sand, foam, jesmonite, sand – 160x100x12-cm-2023
Human Figures and Queer Narratives: Challenging Machismo in Pione’s Art
Pione’s human-like characters, as seen in paintings such as “Siamo in due” (2023), “Vento” (2021), and “Runner” (2020), present a “monstrous and powerful appearance.” These figures are silhouettes caught in action, often in awkward poses, their giant bodies contributing to a sense of the grotesque and ambiguous.
Beneath the surface, Pione weaves in “queer narratives” that challenge the “rampant machismo” prevalent in Italian Catholic culture. His depiction of hyper-masculine figures engaging in homoerotic scenes, often with feminized features, disrupts traditional notions of masculinity and identity.
Salvatore Pione, UNTITLED – 2022 – Pine Wood, Steel, Plastic Pearl, Wood Stain, Varnish – 146x125x125 cm
From Concept to Material: Pione’s Flexible Creative Process
Pione’s creative process is not rigidly linear. He explains that sometimes a specific concept sparks the experimentation with materials, while at other times, the texture or color of a material – “a specific plant or stone” – might inspire a narrative. He prefers to keep the process open and flexible, allowing for changes and discoveries to emerge during the work’s development.
Experiencing Pione’s Art: Installation and Visual Impact
Pione views his works as “visual micro-narratives,” bridging the worlds of stop-motion animation and large-scale theatrical sets. He sees them existing “somewhere between a sculptural and a performative dimension.” For Pione, the “visual impact” of sculpture and installation is a powerful communication tool, which is why he often works on a large scale.
He believes the best way to exhibit his work “depends on the space and interaction I want to create with the public.” Pione appreciates the freedom of an “empty room” to allow the narrative to unfold within the space itself, emphasizing the importance of context in experiencing his art.
Salvatore Pione, LEAVING DOG – 2021- Acrylic and wax on wood – 88x150x35 cm
Inspirations and Studio Space: Inside Pione’s World
Pione cites a diverse range of artists as inspirations, including Fausto Melotti, Dimitris Papaioannou, and Sarah Woodfine, among others. His studio practice is divided between woodworking and metal workshops, where much of the physical creation takes place. His London studio serves as a space for final experimentation and storage, while his larger studio in Sicily provides room for bigger projects. He describes his studio as “schematic,” with designated areas for storage, working space, and drawing.
Future Directions for Pione
Currently based in London while completing his studies at Goldsmiths, Pione is contemplating a move back to Italy after graduation in 2024. He envisions relocating to a “smaller and quieter” environment, seeking inspiration from the landscape, while remaining open to future possibilities. Salvatore Pione continues to explore themes of tradition, spectacle, and personal narrative through his compelling sculptural language, marking him as a significant voice in contemporary art.
