The Saints of Sex: Art by Francesco D’ Isa

Feb 07, 2010 | Comments 4

Incomprehension, Art by Francesco D'Isa

In between the mind of the artist and the canvas there lies a layer. This layer is one of personal experience, interpretation and visions. This is the place where the core of our uniqueness resides and is married to the collective consciousness. The sacred place that gives birth to ideas and creation and quietly reveals it secrets in it’s gentle commands. If the artists is smart, they don’t fight in this voice, they just listen and act with fearlessness. What the artist chooses as their subject is less important than how they transform their subject.

Francesco D’ Isa’s garden of transformation has been seeded with an unlikely subject: porn. He is on path to redefine and reveal the spiritual and artistic nature of this subject without apology. It is not a stance of shock or controversy, it is his a reflection of his will, and that will is to elevate porn to sainthood.

Reflected by his color choices and thematic conventions D’Isa’s work is soft in nature and appealing to the eye. Although his imagery is modern, it is often peppered in the traditional including clinical diagrams, machinery, wallpaper backdrops, animals, mystical creatures and pattern. He fuses traditional with the non traditional. His gaze is unapologetic and fetish plays a secondary role to his central subject matter.

At first site of these works I was impressed by both their simplicity and their beauty. I have felt they were made with a sense of care and intimacy. I look forward to seeing how Isa’s church continues to evolve.

Vanity Machine, Art by Francesco D'Isa

Your work seems closely tied with the theme of porn and you’ve also founded a group called Pornsaints. Could you tell me more about this group and it’s vision?

I founded the Pornsaints group in early 2007, and the project grew more everyday. in short, Pornsaints is an artistic approach to porn. It is a pornographic approach to art, a porartistic approach to religion. The “Pron Church” is the art side of porn and the art side of porn. It’s a porn-art community made up of artists from around the world working in an array of mediums ranging from digital video to oil and canvas and porn stars.

Artworks created by Pornsaints contributors is based upon the idea that porn stars may be “sanctified” by their performances.

As I wrote in my essay ”Pornsaints - a brief essay about pornography and transcendence”, the definition of a Pornsaint is inspired by many religious concepts and beliefs. It’s closer to Mystic and Oriental definitions (Taoism most of all) more than Christian. If God is the most unreachable concept, the saint, being closer to God, renounces human features and identity. A cool separation from the world, like an extreme behavior, is one way to overstep humanity. Like I wrote in the essay “…the pornsaint dwells in the house of the saints, but got there traveling a different way, and came in knocking at another door.”

In my philosophic interpretation of religious themes, I think that every step you make towards the absolute, you take a little step far away from Humanity, both in a ”good” and a ”bad” sense. Transcendence requires not humanity, it’s by definition beyond good and evil.

So, if the saint obtained the absolute by clambering up on God (any God), the pornsaint obtained it climbing over man. His way doesn’t go through renouncing the world of man in favor of the world of God, but through the utmost simultaneous participation in opposite aspects of the human world. In a few worlds, extremes can coincide (a porn star and an ascetic, a killer and a holy man) in the attempt to reach the coincidence of opposites (God). But as I wrote: “…this doesn’t mean that each and every porn actor is a pornsaint…..Pornsaints might not even actually exist, but what interests us is that they might exist, and how they might exist.”

Whales Fur, Art by Francesco D'Isa

What inspires your choices in subject matter and how your models are defined in your work?

I’ve not a definite source of inspiration, I just let my visions flow. I’ve no ideal models as well, even if I’m fascinated with pale skin and red hair. Everything can inspire me, but I’ve some very peculiar idiosyncrasies.

The word “Porn” and the sexual nature of your art can often draw criticism from certain circles, has this happen to you and if so how do you respond to it?

Of course this happens, I get some hate mails from bigots of every sort at least once a month. To tell the truth, I don’t really care, every kind of debate against sexuality bothers me. I find myself scandalized by things that usually people find quite normal, and I never look for scandals. I hate to scandalize, my art is my normality. Usually people that get offended looking at my artworks don’t interest me at all: I’m very interested in every type of critic, except these. Another banal truth is that if someone hates my works for its sexual nature, it means that my art is working well inside him/her, and I like that. To these peculiar critics, I simply suggest to look to something else – if they can find something NOT sexual in the occidental imagery.

How do you feel being a self-taught artist has effected your work?

It effected a lot. It give me a minus in technique and a plus in freedom.

Spring With Black Squares, Art by Francesco D'Isa

Why should people care about art?

I don’t know if we should care about something, but if we should, then art is in the top ten. It’s one of the best things around, and one of the few things that makes me happy.

What is something that you have not done artistically, that you would like to do?

Maybe a masterpiece and a movie / animation.

Do you have any favorite artist, or find any art scenes interest to you at this time?

Oh, they are so many! I’m not bound to a definite art scene, I like too many different styles, even if I’ve my own peculiar world. Now I would suggest you Danny Malboeuf art, just cause he is not known as he deserves.

What is the most important thing every artist should remember when creating?

Don’t fear anything.