The artisanal nature of Petrocchi, lawyer and artist

The artist behind this month’s “Foglio della Moda” cover, Evaristo Petrocchi, works as a lawyer, dividing his time between Rome and his hometown of Assisi. But between one court case and the next, he nurtures his passion for art

His gaze, which has always been directed towards nature, has led him to commit himself to protecting the environment through a major international project aimed at raising public awareness of climate change.  His works form a sort of unconventional ecosystem of diversity: flowers, seeds, leaves, pods, roots, ants, anthills, hybrid insects, pomegranates, jasmine flowers, elements – or, as he calls them, ‘Natural Intelligences’ (the title of his recent exhibition in Milan) – through which he has always sought to make a ‘noise’ in silence. It is his way of shouting to the world about the need to protect the environment – an expressive language designed to raise awareness, even before making a complaint, of the need for care and respect for our planet.

“I’ve always done this, even before it became fashionable. I have also been involved through an association dedicated to the protection of cultural and environmental heritage. But art has always been a necessity for me, a means of drawing attention to the true value of what surrounds us – something which, unfortunately, is taken for granted, when it really shouldn’t be. Even today, in the face of the catastrophes we are witnessing, climate change is ignored and even denied by many."

Collages and installations are created by hands skilled at assembling elements that others would often overlook. His artistic signature is a poetic language expressed through craftsmanship honed over time and experimental techniques with which he secures his elements: ‘linking’ – simply the act of gluing, the connection formed with a natural element, such as a pod, on the surface – and ‘bonding’, that is, the choice of the exact position in which to place the element, which is never random. It is a position which, within the composition of the painting, means that it can only be in that specific spot.

This is how its landscapes come into being – at once natural and alienating, where the real and the artificial ultimately merge. Take the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), the common dandelion, with its seeds carried by the wind – a metaphor for detachment and journey – anchored in beds of roots – those of a common hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) – and juxtaposed with flowers, fabrics and other seeds, in a delicate balance of shapes and colours. Or wasp and beetle nests, olive blossoms, human faces and animal figures, intermingled with leaves and blue flowers alongside wild sage blossoms.

The works take the form of microcosms, painstakingly constructed with a delicacy that is only apparent, for every organism is subject to a tension that alters its equilibrium. “Nature defies all rationalisation, even though its turbulence stems from profound climatic and environmental changes; yet its natural intelligence forms the bedrock of the earth. It is precisely in this space, between the vitality of nature and human intervention, that the works find their strength.”

What do these compositions aim to convey? "They are an expression of that something which, otherwise, would never be seen amidst the banality of everyday life. They help to foster greater awareness and a deeper appreciation for our surroundings, by using natural elements in an unconventional way. The beauty of nature is something that allows us to live our daily lives with greater satisfaction and mindfulness. My paintings are fragrant; they are immersive in themselves, enveloping. In my archive, I keep books which, even after years, are capable of releasing scents and flavours that reconnect us with our own identity and that of the places we inhabit. To protect the Earth from the consequences of climate change, we must protect identities – everything that is unique to a particular territory, to a particular way of life – because beauty lies precisely in diversity.”