Flavio Melchiorre was the first artist I contacted about contributing work to the Fall issue of Art Nouveau. The Italian based artist had just emailed me his latest work. It blew me away of course. Here is a snippet of my interview with Flavio.

Art Nouveau Magazine: When did you know you were an artist?
Flavio Melchiorre: Am I an artist? Really? Thank you Kendrick, I thought I’d be crazy but it is just this! Seriously, i don’t know, but I remember that I drew since I was a child, I always loved carrying my thoughts on paper or other materials.

ANM: Would you say culture affects your design aesthetic?
FM: Yes, certainly! I’m a very curious and I love discovering new things (music, film, books, people, places ) maybe my ambient has a great impact on my work. I lives in a zone of Italy called “Abruzzo” know as the “Green heart of europe.” My home is far 10 minutes from the sea and 30 minutes from the mountain, a place full of colors of nature. Also my work experience has influenced my design aesthetic, mainly fashion industry.

ANM: Explain your design process.
FM: When I make my patterns, first I try to get carried instinctively drawing randomly, then I take a long time to create modular and color combinations. When I make figurative illustrations instead usually I know what I want to express, so I try to follow an idea even if I go very often to improve it during its development. Usually I make freehand drawing on wacom tablet using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator but also using traditional tools, like pencil and painting.

ANM: Let’s talk about your influences. Is Keith Haring an influence on your work?
FM: Everything that I live influences my work. I have a great photographic memory and all I see stays in my mind waiting to be unearthed during the creative process. Mainly two cultures have influenced my style, Street art and Pop Art even if the abstract expressionism has been the key element in my personal research. I love the work by Keith Haring and Jackson Pollock, but I think they have not influenced my style but simple inspired me!

Take a closer look at Flavio Melchiorre’s latest work below, brought to you exclusively by Art Nouveau Magazine. And read more of this interview in the Fall Issue of Art Nouveau which drops Sept 30 on www.An-Mag.com.

"Perfect Slang" by Flavio Melchiorre (Digital) from Art Nouveau's Fall Issue

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