Meet Elisa Bertaglia | Freelance artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elisa Bertaglia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elisa, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Again: art is not a matter for decent people. It is useless for the viewer to seek in the vision of a contemporary artwork something that will console them. They will only find something that will tear them apart. […] Art is the wonderful and the monstrous together.” Taken from the last chapter of her book “Art is not a matter for decent people”, this sentence by Lea Vergine is by far the quote I cherish the most. In just a few words, Lea Vergine describes what art is, and she makes this concept as simple as true. It would be worth delving more deeply into her vision, but these few lines alone are enough to encapsulate a world. I read his book during the pandemic and it was important for me to understand several crucial things. First, that art is absolutely necessary. And then that the direction my work was taking in that period—full of mystery and turmoil—was the right one. I cannot be grateful enough to this extraordinary art critic for giving me the strength and lucidity to take experimental and innovative paths. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I achieved my artistic success through constant persistence and great willpower. I did not attend an art high school and I decided to enroll myself to the Fine Art Academy despite I didn’t have much natural talent. It was very difficult, especially at the beginning. I had to free myself from the pressure to please others with my paintings. I had to pursue my goals with conviction and resilience, making my way in a very sexist and somewhat snobbish environment (the Italian one). But my attitude and enthusiasm for experimentation led me to stand out and achieve great results, such as my participation in the Venice Biennale in 2011, a museum exhibition in Japan, and my recent transfer to the USA. About my story, I’d like it to be known that everything has been achieved with hard work, a little luck, the support of my family, many sacrifices and the determination to never stop. 

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have lived in Brooklyn for two years now, and I am in love with this city. Often my family or my best friends from Italy visit me, so I usually take them around to see places that are special to me. First of all Prospect Park, where you can walk for hours surrounded by the natural forest of this wonderful green area. Here you can also eat at the local Smorgasburg, or on summer evenings, on your way for a free concert or a movie night, you can meet fireflies and raccoons. Then I would certainly take them Upstate to visit the Dia Beacon Foundation (in Beacon) and Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring, where I would stop for a nice lunch along the Hudson river at the Hudson House River Inn, the oldest restaurant in the area. A tour of New York’s most important museums is a must, but certainly the Rubin Museum is a little hidden gem in the heart of Manhattan. I would definitely avoid Italian restaurants in favor of the delicacies of many different types of cuisine: from Korean to Indian to Thai to Japanese. I would take them on a journey into the flavors of the real American kitchen, which is more than just burgers and fries. A cream-cheese bagel in a deli at 11 p.m. is one of the cheapest and most delicious things you can taste. 

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I chose the first question of this interview since my work is permeated with the influence of the work of other great artists, it is in constant dialogue with different readings, images, movies, sketches, inspirations from all over. The idea that an artist is influenced and grows through everything around them, was the basis of my Master’s degree thesis in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. Without a constant look at the brilliant minds operating around us, we would be isolated and boring. There are many people in my career who deserve credit and recognition for the constant developments of my poetics. First and foremost my husband, Gabriele Grones, an extraordinary artist whom I will never cease to praise. Then, I mention Luc Tuymans, a constant source of inspiration and esteem; Bernardo Bertolucci, a master of Italian cinematography; and Mirene Arsanios, a very young writer whom I met recently and who overwhelmed me with her incredible work. Just to name very few of them. 

Website: www.elisabertaglia.com

Instagram: @bertagliaelisa

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisa-bertaglia-ba0a12240/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisabertaglia

Image Credits
Officine Saffi gallery SARAHCROWN gallery Martina Corbetta gallery MZ Galerie Cosimo Filippini Andrea Arrigoni