Francesco Vullo toys with familiar images of pop culture in a way that is both playful and provocative. His work frames everyday objects in new ways, generating fresh perspectives and coercing audiences to question their version of reality. We caught up with him for an insight into his clever world.
How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it before?
Like a vivid, colorful twist of pop culture, social criticism, surrealism and a good dose of irony.
Who and what inspires you?
I’m strongly influenced by actuality and contemporary society. The internet and personal relationships are good starting points too. I also have different creative influences from the past and from today’s art world: classics like Magritte, Picasso, Andy Warhol and other contemporary artists like Banksy, Aiweiwei, Cleon Peterson, Olympia Zagnoli, Dominic Bahmann and Fidia Falaschetti.
What are some of the challenges that arise in your process?
The daily challenge in my creative process is to find effective ideas and represent complex concepts in a simple way. To be smart with original ideas is important to me.
What are the themes and ideas you like to explore?
I like to talk about our reality and modern society. I express my opinions on things like politics, sexuality, consumerism, and the dark side of social media.
Is there an overarching feeling or message you hope to give your audience?
My goal is to stimulate the critical thinking of my followers on serious topics in a charming, colorful and ironic way. I hope that my audience begins to question reality and look at things in a different way.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Set precise goals and work hard to achieve them, don’t get discouraged in front of obstacles or problems.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in your time as an artist?
When realizing an artwork, the technical aspect is very important. But without a strong idea behind it, the work loses its value.
See more of Francesco’s work at www.francescovullo.com