The forthcoming exhibition by Silvio John Camilleri entitled Tempora Mutantur features a series of landscapes painted by the artist over the past two years. Despite that this collection is somewhat different from the last one, presented in 2022 in the exhibition Sights & Sites, there are still noteworthy parallelisms. Most of the exhibits feature locations where we seem to feel dwarfed by their sheer vastness... such as the recently completed flyover junctions in Marsa. The approach in Silvio John's interpretations of Aldo Moro Road in Marsa has become even bolder, and he takes a dose of artistic liberty when distorting the buildings or reducing them to basic cubical shapes. The emphasis is mostly on the colour scheme, rather than the faithful reproduction of detail.
Other locations to be featured in the exhibition include the power station in Marsaxlokk, and the concrete pedestrian bridge in Marsa. Indeed, these works illustrate how our local landscape has changed over the recent past... hence the exhibition title Tempora Mutantur.
In the artist's words...
"According to Plato, art imitates life. Although this concept seems to demote the artist to an 'imitator', one cannot deny that a look at contemporary changes in society is essential if an artistic work is to prove relevant, rather than a plain nostalgic exercise. In the past few decades, we witnessed an unprecedented transformation of the urban environment due to socio-political factors and technical knowhow which led to the construction of high-rise buildings and other mega-projects. In this collection of works I sought to interpret some of these aspects and while I am not seeking to convey any obvious message, some people felt that these works hint at an element of 'controlled rebellion'. At times, the actual motivation behind an artwork is only perceived by the artist at a sub-conscious level, and therefore I shall neither confirm nor deny the former assertion.
At a visual level, these works tend to de-emphasise what we know as 'local colour' in artistic terminology, and therefore skies may take a greenish hue, and buildings are at times rendered in crimsons. Quite a lot of these works attest to my tendency of using desaturated colours - in some cases resulting in a rather mellow palette. I believe that this collection marks a shift towards more stylised compositions... some works play with the idea of a 'painting within a painting', or the impression that we are observing the environs through a window. A more discernible tendency towards abstraction is evident in the renditions of the interior of the pedestrian bridge which towers across Aldo Moro Road in Marsa. I trust that viewers will find these works engaging, inviting them to ponder about all those elements which characterise our daily life".
Tempora Mutantur will be held between the 15th and the 29th May at the Local Council Hall, Republic Square, Valletta. The opening hours are Monday - Friday: 10am -3.30pm ; Saturday : 10 am - 1 pm. Additional opening hours or changes to the opening hours will be advised on the artist's Facebook and Instagram profiles.
Silvio John Camilleri commenced his art studies at the Malta Govt. School of Art in the late 1990s and following a break of some years while reading for a doctoral degree in finance, he resumed classes at the Malta Society of Arts in 2007. He followed specialised courses in human figure drawing and printing techniques under various tutors including Eman Grima and Lino Borg. Silvio John's works span over a variety of subjects, although most of them allude to the immediate environment and mundane life. This is the third solo exhibition by the artist, following Sights and Sites (2022) and Ħarbaħolma - Images of a Wistful Escape (2020).
Tempora Mutantur an art exhibition by Silvio John Camilleri, is taking place at the Valletta Local Council, Republic Square, Valletta between 15 and 29 May.