Description

In the year 1996 we were introduced to Marco Petrus, an Italian artist on the verge of a breakthrough.

Mutual friends-architects sensed that we would feel related to his work. The signs were obviously favorable. We were told he studied architecture at the Politecnico until he decided to be a painter, quite natural for him being the son of the painter Vitale Petrus. They also told us that the sole subject of his art was the city of Milan and its modern architecture, preferably from the Razionalismo and Novecento movements. When we first entered his studio it felt like crossing a border. Inside the atmosphere was timeless and different. Silently Marco started to unravel the rows of paintings standing against the walls of his high studio. What we saw was a completely personal way of looking at Milan. We knew most of the places and buildings on the paintings, but the light and shadow, the colors and viewpoints made the images part of another world, familiar and unknown at the same moment. Looking more closely at the paintings we noticed that people were absent in all of them. They are not missed, because Marco’s universe is created purely by architecture.

We wanted to be close to this world therefore we introduced it into our home by the direct acquisition of one of his works. Since then we followed his development. During the years Marco gradually broadened his horizons towards international modern architecture, always succeeding in evoking the atmosphere of his private world while keeping Milan as his base.

When I design ed ‘Estanteria II’,  bookcase 2 in Gracia (see interiors) I reserved two voids and invited two contrasting artists to make a work of art. Marco responded immediately with the message: ‘I will fill this hole!’. The task encouraged him to focus eastwards, to Moscow. Thinking of our affinity with Constructivism, and Konstantin Melnikov in particular, Marco made one of the emblematic buildings of Melnikov subject of his painting.

Looking on youtube at reports of his recent exhibitions, reading ‘Petrus News” dedicated to his work and, above all, meeting him personally last November in Milan convinced me that Marco, with all the recognition he has in recent years, resolutely continues to enrich the personal universe he is creating with his paintings.

video LewAllen Galleries

video  Dalle Belle Citta – Roma

video Synchronocity