The Art of Max Bertolini

 (...) Nowadays, when new novels or movies are forever telling stories about distant civilizations, discovering yet undiscovered worlds or narrating new legends, finding subjects for own illustrations is not a very difficult task. However, visually implementing the imagination is a much more difficult thing to do.

 Max Bertolini is a true master in both disciplines. The Italian artist is bubbling over with ideas and the implementation of his visions gets the viewer completely overawed in front of his artwork. Without any doubt, Max Bertolini is one of the best artists of this genre. His reputation has gained him a large circle of fans all over the world. Although the Italian artist has never been to art school...

 (...) 

Art Scene:
Some of our readers will certainly shake their heads in surprise. You have never been to any art school? 

Max:
Well, what can I say? I have asked myself many times where in hell I might have gotten this talent. In my family, there is nobody with any real artistic talent, so I cannot put it down on this. The only thing I can say is that I have always had a great desire to visualize my "pipe dreams". Well, this does not usually come with the skills needed, but I was lucky enough to realize that I could do one thing for sure: draw. So I simply had to accept this "gift", build it up and make use of it.

Art Scene:
On the other hand you had started a completely different professional career, right?
 
Max:
Yes, that is right. Although I really wanted to do this, but after school I was frustrated to find out that no university or art school offered what I wanted to do: Cartoons and commercial illustration. You have to keep in mind that this was at the beginning of the 1980's and at that time there was not one single institution all over Italy who had these subjects on its curriculum. And as I was quite good at sciences I thought I would better go for that. What can I say? I wasted the next five years on a scientifically oriented university. At least it taught me a rational way of proceeding in my work.

Art Scene:
How do we come to understand that?

Max:
It taught me to be neither eccentric nor inconsequent. Characteristics you often find in artists who have been to art school. Moreover, a rational approach is very helpful for the understanding of techniques and the correct use of colors, perspective and composition. All the basic components of art itself.

Read the whole article in issue 75.

For more information about Max Bertolini and his art, please refer to his web site  www.maxbertolini.com/