I Don’t Owe You Anything by Alessandro Tomassetti
Oil on canvas
36 × 25 1/2 in
91.4 × 64.8 cm
2019
Available from 33 Contemporary, Chicago
In his bold paintings of contemporary men, figurative painter Alessandro Tomassetti combines his naturalistic rendering style with a tenebrous palette and dramatic lighting to create work which is as seductive as it is subversive. Rather than presenting his male subjects as mythological heroes or captains of industry, Tomassetti paints to reveal their vulnerability and sensitivity. From the pose, expression and styling to the glints of light and reflection captured in his brushstrokes, Tomassetti’s work manifests an intimacy most often associated with paintings of female subjects. By eschewing historic expectations – where men were typically the audience for such portraits rather than the subjects – Tomassetti’s oil paintings invite the viewer to acknowledge their preconceptions and explore the state of contemporary masculinity in all its shades, strengths and limitations.
