GIUSEPPE DUCROT: REINVENTING THE BAROQUE

Ducrot’s monumental busts and statues of saints and religious figures can be seen in sacred sites all over Italy, from Norcia Cathedral to the Basilica of St Peter’s in Rome. But the 52-year-old artist also has a more flamboyant, semi-abstract vein that emerges above all in the ceramic decorative and structural works he makes for private collectors, in the form of both standalone objects and fixed architectural installations.

One of the largest and most striking of the latter is the yellow fountain commissioned by Antonio and Carla Sersale for Franco’s Bar, the street-level establishment that pays homage to the generous Dolce Vita spirit of the late Franco Sersale, whose patient curation and impeccable taste made Le Sirenuse what it is today.

When envisaging the fountain, Ducrot aimed, he says, to do “something a bit different from the classic centrepiece with mermaids, something a little riskier… starting with a very classical inspiration, but performing a kind of short circuit by using this type of clay modelling, and this colour, which creates a disorienting effect”. He refers to the end result as “a freehand sketch in sculptural form”.

Ducrot has also recently begun to channel this side of his work into a series of smaller vases and cake stands, each of them different, all hand made by the artist. These glorious creative flourishes in refractory clay that is fired with Ducrot’s familiar selenium yellow glaze are made to order exclusively via the Emporio Sirenuse in Positano. They are utterly unique collectors’ items, designed to dazzle. Please contact Carla Sersale at [email protected] for more information about pricing, models and delivery times. More photos of these very special decorative items can be seen on the Emporio Sirenuse’s Instagram feed, @emporiosirenuse.