BELIEF IN ANGELS

People want to believe in angels. Even having discovered that the sky is a relatively thin gas blanket around a fragile sphere, which spins in infinite cold and darkness of indifferent and empty Space; people have hope that somewhere in this endlessness dwell beings beautiful and kind, beings that emit warm light which brings hope. People can’t stand empty sky. They are rushing through it in their airplanes and willingly populate it by winged creatures. Belief in angels is akin to belief in Santa Claus – it comes from childhood when all intentions are simple and innocent, and at every moment a miracle is expected.

Giocampo’s art world is the world where exist both airplanes and angels – in the same sky. He is a man who belongs to modern civilization and doesn’t pretend that this civilization is left somewhere outside of pure art, especially such art that is religion orientated. His angels soar not over ancient churches or palaces but over skyscrapers and TV towers, supermarkets and parking places and thus confirm that belief in miracle is still alive and necessary.

At the first glance at Giocampo’s pieces one may recall works of the artists of Italian Quattro cento, especially those from northern Italy, whose art was still strongly influenced by the art of the late gothic period. The same elongation and fineness of proportions, dainty foreshortening of figures, elegance and clearness of drawing, bright decorative colours and clear heraldic compositions. And what is the most striking – the same belief in the miracle coming from heaven but also in human being, in his powers and potentialities. That is why the industrial cities over which soar the angels look like futuristic palaces as if they were project of New Jerusalem, where everything is promised to be well and good under the vigilant surveillance of the fair angels.

A diminished version of this protected by angels world are works that depict angels – home protectors. Cities consist of single houses and every one of these houses needs protection and care. Only then the whole city will be safe and beautiful, and taken care of. And only then people will be happy and will thank their guardian angels for their care. Here we speak of such a world order where everyone is responsible for something and looks after someone, about such a world where people and angels need each other.

And to be sure what religious and especially catholic art – and Giocampo’s art is of this kind not only according to the choice of subject but in its very essence – can avoid the sacred image of Our Lady? “Madonnas” are the most acknowledged phenomenon of classical Italian art. So if an Italian artist works within this tradition, this image will inevitably attract his attention. Virgin Mary in Giocampo’s art is represented by the two most popular hypostases – the Mother with the Child and the Virgin to whom her Destiny had been just revealed through the Angel in the scene of Annunciation. Here the artist joins in the great ancient tradition which also continues to live in XXI century – the time of megalopolises and cosmic velocities. But people still are people and need human dimension. Giocampo’s art is deeply national but at the same time cosmopolitan because people all over the world do believe in angels.