ELISA MONTI

SKETCHER SPOTLIGHT

‘ART is part of my life’

USK REPORTAGE GRANT WINNER ELISA MONTI FOCUSED ON TWO SISTER SHIPS, DRYDOCKED AT HER HOME PORT OF GENOA, ITALY, FOR HER PROJECT ‘HOW A SHIP STARTS HER LIFE’. HERE SHE SHARES HER PROCESS AND HER LIFE IN NAVAL ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN.

ELISA IS DWARFED BY A CRUISE SHIP’S PROPELLER AS SHE SKETCHES IN THE COMPLEX, NOISY SETTING OF FINCANTIERI DOCKS, IN GENOA.

Elisa Monti graduated in Architecture in University of Genoa, Italy in 1994. She has worked as an architect and interior designer in the Cruise and nautical field since 1991. Between 2002 and 2004, as project engineer of naval contractor, Demont, Elisa was in charge of Costa and Carnival Cruise Ships fitting of Main Atrium and Main Lounge Areas. Since 2012 she has been a partner at SA3 Ship and Architecture Avant-Garde Atelier, a new firm dedicated to interior design, which works on ship and yacht interiors, plus landbased projects.

DA: What was your path into marine / cruise ship architecture?

Elisa Monti: I’m from a family with a sailing tradition, but I never thought about it for my studies. My father, my grandfather and so on were ship captains. From sailing ships to liners and oil tankers, ships were their everyday reality. My sister and I were used to listen to our father’s sailing stories, such as the [Genoa-ported ocean liner] SS Andrea Doria’s sinking and his own onboard experiences, while having dinner. Maybe this background influenced my choices in early years of work as an architect.During my architecture training, I had the chance to follow some naval design courses that were starting at Genoa University. On gaining my degree I had the chance to work in naval interior design. The first time I went on board a ship under construction, the emotion was so huge that I knew I wanted to continue this job.

DA: What are the highpoints and challenges of this work?

EM: Working in cruise ship design means balancing the technical aspects (such as rules for security, material selection, escape routes, disablity spaces, hygiene) and a fantastic open mind approach to design. Cruise ship interior spaces must surprise and be very different from everyday spaces to help passengers feel they are very special guests and experiencing something totally new and exciting. When the ship is ready to sail you can see an autonomous entity that departs with about 3000 people on board, cabins, restaurants, gymnasium, pools, all kinds of entertainment, kitchens, foodstuffs, energy generators, water purifiers – everything working together. So it’s amazing to know you were part of making that a reality.

DA: Your scenes and forms are full of bewildering detail. How do you find a way in without getting overwhelmed?

EM: When I choose a subject for a sketch it is because of something particular that catches my attention. Sometimes it is proportion, sometimes light, color, details, perspective. For me, the process of drawing starts by giving space on the sheet to the main parts, and highlighting the particulars that grab my attention. It is also an investigation; I’m thinking “how is it done?” and this helps me to draw it correctly. Sometimes I move closer, look at a detail more closely, then I come back and go on.

DA: You work across a variety of mediums, both digital and analogue – can you tell us about your materials and techniques?

EM: I always have a piece of paper and a felt tip pen with me. I also use an I-Pad and Procreate. I sketch when I explain an idea to the client or to discuss some technical details like mechanical or mounting schemes with a producer. I’m used to

HOOKS (‘GRILLI’) AND ROPES LAID OUT IN THE YARD NEAR CRANE RAILWAYS. WHEN A PIECE IS TO BE LIFTED THE WORKERS HANG THE ROPES TO THE CRANE AND CONNECT THEM TO THE PIECE. ROPES MUST BE LAID OUT PERFECTLY, READY TO BE USED. switching from pens to watercolors, from monochrome to colored drawings. I love trying new mediums and use them when I get the chance. I mostly use lots of sheets of paper, since each technique demands a different kind of paper texture and I like to spread all my sketches on a table and see the whole collection of a trip or a theme together at the same time.

ABOVE: CONSOLLE IN THE WHEEL HOUSE OF A SUBMARINE NOW PART OF GALATA MUSEO DEL MARE, GENOA. BELOW: A SHIP AT QUAY AFTER THE TECHNICAL LAUNCH. THE FITTING WORK CONTINUES FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS.

THE SHAPED WOODEN AND CAST IRON BLOCKS (‘TACCATE’) SUPPORT THE KEEL. EACH SHIP NEEDS DIFFERENT BLOCKS

ELISA’S PERSPECTIVE TIPS:

PERSPECTIVE IS A KEY FEATURE OF MY DRAWINGS & I OFTEN FIND MYSELF GIVING TIPS ABOUT IT WHEN I SKETCH WITH OTHERS – A GREAT PLEASURE BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL HELP THEM.

PERSPECTIVE CAN BE FACED IN STEPS, STARTING WITH FINDING AND RESPECTING THE HORIZON LINE AND VANISHING POINTS AND GOING DEEPER – EMPHASIZING IT WITH DETAILS, LIGHT, FISH EYE EFFECTS AND SO ON. I LOOK FOR ANGLES THAT WILL HELP SHOW AN EXAGGERATED VIEW OF MY SUBJECT, AND WORK FROM BIG SHAPES TO SMALL.

I TALKED ABOUT SOME PERSPECTIVE TIPS WITH USK CAMBRIDGE EARLIER THIS YEAR WHICH YOU CAN CHECK OUT HERE.

RIGHT: A COMPLETED SHIP A FEW DAYS BEFORE LAUNCH. “I DID THE PENCIL SKETCH ON LOCATION, THEN ADDED WATERCOLOUR AT HOME.”

DA: Your profession must have been very male- dominated, especially when you first started. How did you manage that?

EM: Yes, that’s right. When I started I had some problems enforcing my opinion or technical position since I was a young woman and architect among male engineers. I was completely unprepared to this. Fortunately I’m strong enough and I took this challenge as a game to be played. I must say I found a different situation travelling for work over the years – in France or USA, for example, women generally hold higher positions and receive more respect in this field. Moreover, ‘Italian style’ opens doors that in Italy are kept closed.

RIGHT: INTERIOR CONCEPT DESIGN FOR THE MAIN RESTAURANT OF THE CRUISE SHIP CARNIVAL DESTINY (REFITTING)

9 • 2021 37 “I like to spread all my sketches on a table and see the whole collection of a trip or on theme together at the same time.

SKETCH OF CAMPO PISANO, A SMALL MEDIEVAL SQUARE FACING THE SEA GENOA PORT

DA: I imagine the Covid pandemic’s effect on tourism impacted your work?

EM: Yes, COVID caused a full stop on all construction and ship refitting. The construction already ordered started early this year and now we are running to make up for lost time. Materials are also a problem in the construction and naval fields, and they are more and more expensive. Fortunately some projects didn’t stop, including a project in Abuja, Nigeria, for offices, atriums, restaurants, meeting rooms and a theatre in a large building. We learnt about local culture, houses, artisanal production, and translated this to a contemporary style.

DA: Can you tell us about your home town and what you would like to show visiting urban sketchers?

EM: I live in Genoa, a city at north of Italy. It has a unique location, squeezed between hills and sea, with narrow streets and steep hill climbs. The port is both touristic and industrial. During the extraordinary Renaissance and Baroque periods, the Genoese aristocracy entrusted many artists with projects and built a series of prestigious palaces. There are plenty of subjects for sketchers who want to come to Genoa – I’m waiting for them!

DA: People who draw for a living sometimes want to be doing other things in their free time – it can seem like more work! What other things do you love doing?

EM: I’m passionate about photography, even if I’m not a technical expert. The way to frame a shot is similar to the choice you make for a sketch. The difference, and this is really important for me, is that in a sketch you can show the dimension of time; you can make a tracking shot or direct the focus to something. Sometimes I can’t stay for long in a place so I make a quick sketch, and fix light and the feeling in my mind, then I use this as base for a watercolor at home.

Art is part of my life – my mother is an artist and I grew up looking at art books. I’ve been traveling to art cities in Italy, Europe and overseas since I was young. I like traveling – I take a breath and inspiration for my soul. My husband is an architect too and our family is trained to factor in cultural aspects when we are on holiday! My sons are patient; if we need to stop, turn around to take the right angle for a picture, or I want to make a sketch, they wait for us.

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GENOA PORT

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