{"id":192,"date":"2019-04-01T12:04:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-01T12:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/?p=192"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:05:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T12:05:19","slug":"fabio-rieti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/fabio-rieti\/","title":{"rendered":"FABIO RIETI"},"content":{"rendered":"

FABIO RIETI \u2013 THE CITY IS OUR SHARED APARTMENT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 2019 \u2013 2841 words<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AN IMAGE MAKER<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You reject the label of artist, to put it mildly. <\/strong>\u00ab"image maker"\u00bb<\/em><\/strong>. What differences do you see between the two?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hate the word "artist," which I find pretentious. I always tell this anecdote, typical of what art was in the past and what it has become: Donatello, the Italian sculptor, was in Padua when he received a new commission from members of the Church. He apologized, saying he couldn't fulfill it because he had a commitment in Rome. He then offered them his student, telling them he was just as good as him, but a little more expensive because he was slower. For me, art was still a gift; you paid the artist because they had to eat. Today, the art market has taken a bad turn, fueling inflation based on name: I don't know what Basquiat is worth, but I don't think it makes sense to see his works, like those of Cy Twombly or others, selling for several million euros. That is why I want to be an image maker and not an artist: I do not want to be part of this speculation in any way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I paint both painted walls and canvases for private clients. There is a fundamental difference between the two, because a painting is addressed to a viewer, to someone who wants to see it, whereas a painted wall is addressed to the passerby. It is not meant to be seen; on the contrary, it is the wall that tugs at the passerby's ear and says: Look at me, I'm here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What role does composition play in an image for you? I'm thinking back to your statement: <\/strong>\u00ab"Composition is essential, but not because it creates a harmony of a visual nature. It is essential in an emotional sense."\u00bb<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composition also has a literary dimension. I always use the example of painting a portrait: if the head is in the center of the painting, it has a certain significance, but if you take the same head and place it in a corner, the entire atmosphere is transformed, because it then becomes part of the setting, without dominating the whole. Thus, composition tells the story of the painting. It's not a question of geometry; that's nonsense, because there's nothing formal about it: it's purely literary and intellectual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could you elaborate on the creation of the <\/strong>Pedestrian area of Les Halles<\/em><\/strong> in 1979?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time the Forum was built, there was a large blank wall, now hidden by buildings, that needed painting, knowing full well it wouldn't last. So we had to find something very cheap, and that's how I came up with the idea for that famous... Pedestrian area of Les Halles<\/em>, A man with his shadow walking in the middle of the wall. A true Parisian pedestrian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does representing a character at human scale change the nature of the interaction?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn't answer that question. When you create a portrait, the head will be much larger than that of the original person. For the Pedestrian area of Les Halles<\/em>, The question of scale was important. I had painted it at home and then pasted it on site, and I had to move back about a hundred meters to see the effect. I realized that at the normal scale \u2013 1.80 meters \u2013 the pedestrian looked much smaller and practically disappeared. This explains why this seemingly ordinary figure is actually a giant, 2.80 meters tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of your paintings bring together members of your family and artists: why mix the two?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To bring them together, so they could get to know each other. So my stepdaughter could know Dostoevsky. In a painting in Vitry, I mixed members of my family with Russian writers. It wasn't without reason, since the avenue was named after Yuri Gagarin. Russia is a homeland of my heart, because when I arrived in New York, there was a large Russian diaspora from France, where they had been expelled, including Stravinsky, Nabokov, and Pito\u00ebff. I even ended up learning Russian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this respect, Etienne Marcel's wall is somewhat autobiographical. At the bottom of the stairs there are musicians, and my father is a composer, so I was immersed in that world as a child. The traveler climbs the stairs with his suitcase, towards a little girl who reaches out to him, the next generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this also a way of rescuing them from the passage of time?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is probably the fundamental quest of all artists: to leave a testament, a trace of the past as profound as possible. Without it, we revert to an animalistic, ahistorical state. But we have gained\u2014or lost\u2014something about animality that differentiates animals from humankind. First and foremost, language, and above all, history. We create stories primarily because of this. Ultimately, it's about not dying. Leaving a trace behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON THE TROMPE L'OEIL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the differences between decor and decoration?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We prefer the word "decoration" because the word "decoration" is closely linked to a form of architecture. Decoration is very important and embellishes architecture, for example through caryatids, but it is applied to specific places, buildings, or churches. Conversely, what we do as urban artists is not intended to decorate, but to engage in dialogue. It is more about decor in the sense of natural scenery, the scenery of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term "trompe l'\u0153il" is also very easily misunderstood. It means exactly what it says: it deceives the eye. When you get close, you realize it's false, but from a distance, you've truly been fooled. Thus, when I present the portraits of Rimbaud or Victor Hugo in Chanteloup, they are not trompe l'\u0153il at all, but rather tributes to these artists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You say that the painted wall is not meant to beautify but to provoke a discourse.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To enrich the urban fabric through dialogue and discussion, so that the city doesn't lose its identity. Some cities in the United States are losing their identity, because all that remains is a business center and a large residential suburb. There is then no urban life at all: people drive to work and back home because these two places are too far apart. This dissolution of the city is, in my opinion, a catastrophe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship of a painted wall with its environment is important because the people of the neighborhood will live with it every day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The residents end up becoming familiar with this painted wall. It becomes like an acquaintance. In La D\u00e9fense, they realized this danger, so they interspersed residential buildings with office towers, which works quite well. During the day, you see people strolling, going to restaurants\u2026 I'm against separating cars and pedestrians, which tends to turn the city back into a bedroom, instead of a place where deliveries also take place. Bicycles\u2014and possibly motorcycles\u2014must also be able to circulate. The urban fabric should be full\u2014even of inconveniences!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could you elaborate on the difference between mosaic and ceramic and its use in Grande Borne and Vigny?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ceramics is a form of paint that is fired in a kiln and thus fixed by heat. Mosaics are made of small tesserae which, when assembled, form an image. I created mosaics in public spaces in La Grande Borne and Vigny. The cladding of these houses was made of colored glass paste because the public housing authorities didn't want to deal with restoration every ten years. So I used a prefabrication method: the glass paste is placed in a mold, and then concrete is poured over it. I drew images with it to avoid leaving it monochrome. These projects contributed to the early stages of reusing mosaics in public spaces and to the development of street art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON URBAN ART<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your view on Street Art?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I'm entirely in favor of it, and it even surprises me that the artists, who gain notoriety from it, can't make a living. There was a very questionable initial period, with writings and critical messages that were incomprehensible. It wasn't very good, because it gave the impression of a sectarianism, a secret community. One can write things if they have meaning, but not use letters to communicate with a select few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you think of the ephemeral nature of creations in urban spaces?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This ephemeral aspect is present but not intentional. I sincerely hope that my creations last indefinitely. Mosaics contain elements that, if the adhesive is good, can last for thousands of years. Like any facade renovation, a painted wall can be redone every fifteen years. There's a design involved; it's not like a painting, it doesn't require the painter's hand. The main activity in creating a wall is the drawing, which requires more time and thought, not the color. Paintings have a texture that allows the color to truly become part of the surface, but for a painted wall, there is no surface, only the design. The sense of touch doesn't come into play; there is only the sense of sight. When these walls give the impression of disappearing, it's the color that fades, but the design remains. The restoration was therefore much easier than the initial attempt, and when Etienne Marcel's wall was touched up, all the elements were still present. Thus, a painted wall is ephemeral in the same way as any building facade, but potentially imperishable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many street artists today believe that putting artworks in the street helps to brighten it up.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

"Brighten up" isn't quite the right word. It's more about sparking interest and igniting discussion. Many young people walk around with a tablet in hand and have lost touch with the urban landscape. This is a new and dangerous phenomenon that ultimately traps us in a virtual life instead of a real one. In this respect, the city should be seen as a large apartment. The painted walls are like canvases in the background of this shared space, made for everyone, speaking to whoever is interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They therefore consider bringing the museum to the street.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps they think that, but it's completely different: the museum is made for people who will see<\/em>, with spectators who go there specifically. Street art is made for the passerby who isn't there for that at all, but to go buy bread, and who is drawn in by the ear when they come across a work of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ON THE JOURNEY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this theme of the traveler so important to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was born in Rome, Italy, in 1925. My father, after having me\u2014as is what men do\u2014left his wife to come to Paris, where he was immediately embraced by Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, Poulenc, and the French musicians. My mother, who was trying to win back her husband, frequently came to Paris with this child. Thus, I learned to speak two languages, and I don't know which is my mother tongue: they are both Italian and French. I constantly traveled between Rome and Paris by train, before spending a longer period in Rome until 1938 and Italy's complete fall into the Nazi camp with its anti-Semitic laws. Rieti is undoubtedly a name of Jewish origin, and we had to leave Italy. We remained in France until 1940 and the arrival of the Germans, before sailing to New York, where we stayed for the duration of the war. There, I learned English, joined the army, married an American woman, and had a child. After the war, I returned to France, passing through Italy again. I've now been here for over fifty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boat and the suitcase are two recurring motifs in your work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Marseille, there used to be large sailing ships entering the old port. Those things now exist only in books. They are recurring themes from that part of my life, which ended around 1957 with my permanent move to Paris. I remarried, had a daughter, and even my American son came to live here. Nevertheless, I lived in the United States until I was thirty-two, and that had a profound influence on me. You can't live fifteen years in a country without being deeply transformed. Language also leaves its mark, and today I speak English as fluently as French. I even sometimes find myself thinking in English, which has become my third language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You write the following sentence about vagrancy: <\/strong>\u00ab"A vagabond is a vagabond even when he has managed to find lodging. Vagrancy is a vice and a passion from which one can never free oneself."\u00bb<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trip can be imposed, it can be done involuntarily<\/em>. On the contrary, wandering is a love of travel; one undertakes it because one loves movement. It's not that I want to go somewhere, it's the very fact that the landscape changes that attracts me. That's why the airplane is a poor means of transport: it immediately places me where I want to go, but bypasses the journey, makes it disappear. For me, travel was the train window, from which one watched cows and windmills go by. It can sometimes be unpleasant: to go to Italy, we would stop in the middle of the night at the Modane customs post, without understanding why, hearing voices. But all of that was part of a true journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

REFLECTIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What role does literature play in your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There isn't such a distance between painting and literature. There are plenty of written things in the city, like street names. I campaigned hard for these plaques, especially those honoring writers, to include something written or spoken by the person, and possibly their portrait. It's not embellishment: we could explain in a few words who Raspail was and what he did. No one knows he was a doctor and a member of the National Convention. Then we come across a two-kilometer-long boulevard with an unknown name. \u00c9tienne Marcel, the murdered Provost of the Merchants, has a metro station and a street named after him. Yet, I wouldn't bet on how many of the two million Parisians even know that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can music be linked to painting?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not part of the urban landscape, at least not classical music, which seems less linked to mass phenomena than popular music, being more related to dance and song. Mondrian, Kandinsky, and Klein tried to create musical paintings, without realizing a fundamental point: that music enters memory and can be sung again; but one does not sing a painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also say: <\/strong>\u00ab"What is serious is not really serious, and what is serious is never serious.".<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People can discuss stock market quotes very seriously, but it's not a serious subject, whereas children playing and laughing together may not seem serious even though it's about shaping their lives. These two concepts are often confused, but we must be very careful with our vocabulary. I always advocate thinking aloud\u2014even if it makes us sound like the crazy person we are anyway\u2014because doing so forces us to find the right words. If we think without speaking, if we're content with simply knowing what we want to say, we're making a mistake in the eyes of those who need to hear us. This is fundamental, firstly to avoid being misunderstood; worse, to avoid misunderstanding ourselves. Naming something correctly allows us to think about it thoroughly, to explore it fully, and therefore to experience it fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could this impoverishment of language be an impoverishment of thought?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wouldn't say that. I don't know if computers are a destroyer of language\u2014or of thought, which would be worse. It's too early to answer that question. What is certain is that we have access to more information. Is information a form of culture or not? Because ultimately, it is culture when we talk to each other, understand each other, form friendships, and love.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FABIO RIETI – LA VILLE EST NOTRE APPARTEMENT COMMUN avril 2019 – 2841 mots UN FABRICANT D\u2019IMAGES Vous refusez l\u2019appellation d\u2019artiste, pour vous dire \u00ab fabricant d\u2019images \u00bb. Quelles diff\u00e9rences faites-vous entre les deux ? Je d\u00e9teste le mot artiste, qui est selon moi pr\u00e9tentieux. Je raconte toujours cette anecdote, typique de ce qu\u2019\u00e9tait l\u2019Art […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192\/revisions\/193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qgdesartistes.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}