Antonino Trimarchi I n t r o s p e c t i v e Wi s d o m s o f B e i n g
International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi
Front cover: “Kubik” by Antonino Trimarchi Oil on plywood - 40 x 30 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Antonino Trimarchi
ICAC
International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi Int rosp e c t ive Wis doms of B eing
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Contents
The Artist
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‘Glorious Mannerist Reminiscences’
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Elena Foschi, Art Historian
‘Sublime Flow of Intriguing Plots’
Timothy Warrington, International Confederation of Art Critics
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‘Enigmatic Maze of Elusive Metaphors’
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Artwork Analysis
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Christopher Rosewood, International Confederation of Art Critics
Karen Lappon, International Confederation of Art Critics
List of Works
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Antonino Trimarchi
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“Antonino Trimarchi’s endless creativity draws us into a world of unexpected emotional plots, parallel realities in continuous evolution that enthrall the spectators, inviting them to a rediscovery of their innermost subconscious.” Christopher Rosewood International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi
Antonino Trimarchi
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The Artist Sicilian born Antonino Trimarchi was raised in 1960s Messina - a place of vivid characters, spirit and social change. Inheriting his creativity from his father’s shoemaking trade, Antonino realised his natural talent in drawing, which followed him to London when he moved there at age 18. In terms of work in the arts, London offered more opportunity than Sicily. A spectator of society from an anthropological standpoint, Antonino was never lacking material from which to draw inspiration and ideas. His observation of mankind, its internal and external facets, are still the sources from where he draws his individuality. Metaphors of contemporary life are what feed Antonino’s work - portrayed through vibrancy, illusion, depth of palette and perspective. Though inter-human relationships are the foundations to his creativity, religious and mythological references can often be decoded through his work. The complex use of colour is the aspect of the artwork that communicates the emotion, mood and disposition of the subject. Colour acts as a framework for the interlocking shapes to often form the recurrent focal human-hybrid subject of the composition. Piercing hues and tones make themselves known to the viewer, causing instant attraction, whereas the angles intrigue and draw the eye deep into the meanders of the work. Inspired originally by Surrealism and the Fauvism Movement, Antonino echoes their prime manner of working through an interpretation completely unique to him. His illusions fluidly unravel to reveal meaning, creating a puzzle to be solved by the viewer. Complex reality and surreal ideology are juxtaposed, fuelled by temperament and an ability of confronting the viewer with a message. Rich in experience, Antonino has exhibited globally for three decades. His contribution to the contemporary art scene was recognised and awarded at the Florence Biennale ‘Vetrina Degli Artisti Contemporanei’ show in 2008. Antonino’s work has been admired universally as an intriguing and piercing interpretation of contemporary culture in reference and comparison to historical contexts. Antonino Trimarchi was also selected to participate in the prestigious London Art Biennale 2017 at the Chelsea Old Town Hall, London. For this, 120 artists representing 40 nations are the protagonists of an iconic celebration of contemporary art.
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Glorious Mannerist Reminiscences Elena Foschi Art Historian
Antonino Trimarchi’s creative genius transpires from the primary impact that his art induces in the viewer, through the collision of primordial emotions that intrinsically accompany the clash of radiant colours. At first glance, the contrast between the vivid shades of primary pigmentations provokes a stunned silence in the spectator’s mind. Subsequently, the palette gradually evolves into charming and distinct divergences, electrifying the senses. The compositions emphasise an unexpected dimension, which develops into an interaction between balance and ideal beauty as Trimarchi reacts to the harmonious archetype associated with mystical and intrinsic formal order. The sublime grace of his creations comes directly from their unconventional elegance and, analysing Trimarchi’s technique, the skilled brushwork fortifies Trimarchi’s philosophical intentions, animating a critical approach towards the perceptible world. A combination of irrationality and distorted perception gives life to vivid and exotic dreams in which the observer is invited to lose himself. Trimarchi’s artistic approach reminds us of the Italian High Renaissance, when Mannerism emerged in the early masterpieces by Jacopo da Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino.
Opposite: Bar Sport Oil on canvas 90 x 70 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Critique
Glorious Mannerist Reminiscences This ancient style introduces new dimensions to harmonious ideals associated with the glorious Renaissance triumph. As a result, Antonino Trimarchi reverts the standards of contemporary art. An intellectual sophistication in Trimarchi’s work exceeds the boundaries of Symbolism, combining theatrical lighting, illogical settings, elongated forms and artificial poses. A dramatic tension becomes the majestic subject of the precariously balanced perspective that permeates Trimarchi’s collapsed reality. On deeper analysis, the complex stylistic innovation of this artist astonishes the observer, particularly the daring combination of brilliant vibrancy and dynamism. Moreover, Trimarchi conveys a superb creative consciousness enriched by a refined technical execution, proving once again, that this contemporary artist is able to transmit overwhelming fervor that mirrors the Great Masters of the past. Hence, the viewer feel an intimate connection with an artist who dictates and shapes our perception of reality by intensifying the inner vitality of polychromatic appearances. The stark divergences on canvas dramatise the full effect of its visual aesthetic and consequently, becomes an alluring fil rouge in Trimarchi’s artistic practice. Form and substance collide, giving rise to stimulating results: the artist’s subconscious dreams are transformed into ardent and universal paradigms.
Elena Foschi Art Historian
Opposite: Crune Oil on linen 60 x 50 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Antonino Trimarchi
Cavallina (with detail) Oil on canvas 60 x 45 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Faccia IV (with detail) Oil on canvas 25 x 35 cm
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Faccia III (with detail) Oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Sublime Flow of Intriguing Plots Timothy Warrington International Confederation of Art Critics
Antonino Trimarchi’s intricate and innately powerful compositions reveal an unusual and exceptional talent, conveyed significantly through eclectic and intellectually stimulating creations from Surreal to pure Abstraction. Fierce contrasts of rich tonalities intersect and intertwine in profound, endless meanders of primary colours. A range of striking and energetic shades simultaneously oppose and complement each other, creating a perfect balance between Trimarchi’s imagination and the viewer’s interpretation of these wonderfully evocative narratives. Canvas after canvas, Antonino conveys a new perspective, a unique and intense analysis of our multifaceted modern day society. The artist eloquently interprets the most human weaknesses as well as the most sublime intentions, within context of contemporary impasse and the crisis of moral values. Memories of a timeless glory are replaced by human bodies tangled together in an indistinguishable mass of corruptible flesh. Trimarchi enthrals the observer with his impressive labyrinths of unforeseen objects. Obscure forms are granted life with an animated presence via magnificent hues of colour, simultaneously radiating and disclosing an influential aura of spiritual introspection. Notwithstanding Trimarchi’s expressive sincerity, his sharp eye leaves nothing to chance in the conception of enigmatic plots.
Opposite: Poveri Diavoli Oil on linen 50 x 60 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Sublime Flow of Intriguing Plots
Heterogeneous personalities are the protagonists of Trimarchi’s oeuvre, becoming the channel through which our innermost emotions are transformed into authentic chromatic poems. Mysterious characters and fantastic horizons merge in a balanced transposition of re-entrant and salient angles transmitting powerful depth to each composition or element. The viewer is totally enchanted by the magical rainbow of shades that radiates from the canvas. Stylistically speaking, Trimarchi is able to communicate his deep creative sensibility through skillful brushwork enriched with historical influences and references to the Masters of the 20th Century. Surrealism is perceived in this artist’s flexuous silhouettes and eccentric manner of expressing his emotive climax. Salvador Dalí claimed: “I am painting pictures which make me die for joy, I am creating with an absolute naturalness, without the slightest aesthetic concern, I am making things that inspire me with a profound emotion and I am trying to paint them honestly.” Likewise, we can decode a similar creative stimulus that emerges from Trimarchi’s art. This artist demonstrates a tenacious dexterity that provokes a strong sense of fictitious reality, portrayed with an overwhelming freedom that links form with its surrounding atmosphere.
Opposite: Tiramisu’ Oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Medusa Moderna (with details) Oil on wood 53 cm diameter
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Sublime Flow of Intriguing Plots Moreover, Antonino Trimarchi reminds us of the finest Fauvist painters. This talented Italian artist electrifies contrasting explosions of colour, which is strongly reminiscent of the prized artist Henri Matisse. Trimarchi further juxtaposes vibrant colours with grand fields of chiaroscuro- a technique that reflects the work of Jean Metzinger and Kees van Dongen. De facto, Trimarchi’s acute intellect empowers tradition with modernity and his unique contribution to art conveys a genius rooted in a glorious past, albeit channelled through a creative process in constant evolution.
Timothy Warrington International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi
Faccia V Oil on canvas 35 x 40 cm
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Trinacria Torso Oil on canvas 46 x 36 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Antonino Trimarchi
Tenersi II (with details) Oil on linen 61 x 76.5 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
“The principle themes of my work are life in general, the human condition, metaphors, historical pasts, the present, but not the far future.� Antonino Trimarchi
Cups (with detail) Oil on canvas 50 x 61 cm
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“In this funny world, art will be one of the only visual things left behind as documentation for observation. Art is important for us - it’s like food. Without art, life would be meaningless for the human species. I don’t think there could be a world without art, however, it’s ingrained in us all. For me, making art is an urge. I feel that I have to express it.” Antonino Trimarchi
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Siciliano Oil on plywood 86 x 59 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Disputa (with detail) Oil on canvas 120 x 90 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Spartan Oil on plywood 30 x 40 cm
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Vuoto D’Uomo Oil on plywood 24 x 34 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Enigmatic Maze of Elusive Metaphors Christopher Rosewood International Confederation of Art Critics
Radiant macrocosmos of colour and contrast are conceived by Antonino Trimarchi - an Italian artist with a creative consciousness, deeply rooted in the strongest upheavals of twentieth century art. The observer is immediately bewitched not only by Trimarchi’s excellent technical skills, but also by an ingenious and unique reproduction of reality. Art History manifests on artists’ need to communicate their intuitive sensibility, often achieved through an unconditional respect for traditions or alternatively through radical and innovative use of expressive means and experimentation. Antonino Trimarchi extraordinarily encloses numerous lines of thought in a revolutionary balance between conventional practices and avant-garde ideas, figurative accuracy and surreal symbolisation. A stimulating reinterpretation of De Chirico’s Metaphysical surroundings combined with Cubist reminiscences breathe life into Trimarchi’s exceptional uses of shape and thoughtprovoking representations of a contemporary virtuosity intensely entrenched in the artistic glory of the great pillars of Modernism. Solitude, frenzy and passion are innate sentiments that animate Trimarchi’s peculiar world. Taking the format of premeditated symbols that embody this artist’s understanding of humanity.
Opposite: Girl Out Oil on canvas 122 x 92 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Detail of “Niente Dietro”
Philosophically speaking, in each figure and composition, Trimarchi offers plentiful emotional nuances, while simultaneously creating an insurmountable veil of mystery. In attempt to analyse the pictorial schemes and compare the compositions, the spectator’s perception is enhanced by the endless psychological perspectives of the unconscious dreams that this artist conveys in disguised symbolism on canvas. Impetuous souls originating from the innermost thoughts of a creative mind come to life as Trimarchi is able to communicate his intimate ardor with the archetypal language of colour, pure explosions of wonder that remind us of Kirchner’s palette that is characterised by absolute areas of unbroken hues. Nonetheless, Trimarchi touches the most sensitive chord of the viewer’s heart exploring the human figure through a pictorial vocabulary reminiscent of the work by the French artist, Fernand Léger.
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Several detachable elements compose the anomalous elongated and extravagant figures, communicating a sense of precariousness and fragility that promptly affects the psyche of the characters themselves. Ultimately, Trimarchi’s compositions draw attention to the alternation of curved lines and edges, concave and convex shapes, soft and sharp forms. This vibrant process of construction and modelling at times mirrors the emphatic mannequins by Giorgio De Chirico who stated: “To become truly immortal a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken it will enter the regions of childhood vision and dream.” In fact, Antonino Trimarchi exceeds the boundaries of knowledge, through an investigation of the captivating world of imagination. Christopher Rosewood International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi
Sbadiglio (with detail) Oil on canvas 40 x 40 cm
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Tango (with detail) Oil on canvas 80 x 80 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
“My pieces start simply and evolve into more elaborate shapes that I then start removing and refining. Once I find the forms that I require, I think of the colour there and then. The colour that reflects the mood, usually contrasting one another. � Antonino Trimarchi
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Opposite: Uomo che tiene la donna Oil on canvas 70 x 60 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Above: Faccia II Oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
Opposite: Eat Eat Oil on canvas 60 x 70 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
“The themes of my work dictate the content. It’s up to the audience to decode what I have placed before them. The audience must to simply observe and conclude the messages for themselves...� Antonino Trimarchi
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Henry’s Dragon Oil on plywood 40 x 21 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
L’Attesa (with details) Oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
2 Facce II Oil on canvas 24 x 30 cm
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Jolly Impalati (with detail) Oil on linen 91.5 x 71.5 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Abbraccio Infinito Oil on canvas 40 x 40 cm
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Artwork Analysis Antonino Trimarchi’s “Abbraccio Infinito” is dedicated to an allusive mutual understanding between two opposite souls - two linked personalities become an indivisible entity. The distinct divide between the two temperaments materialises both formally and stylistically, in a superb clash of lively interlocking geometric shapes, conflicting colors and underlying references. The fierce and warm hue of the background creates a surreal atmosphere that discloses an incomparable artistic enthusiasm, while the identifiably figurative elements dramatically vanish in the intricate whirlpool of completely abstracted forms that structure the bodies. Regardless of the dichotomy of converging characters, these cryptic subjects do not seem to truly communicate with each other. They are woven in a limbo that speaks of loneliness and unsolved grievances, one senses a ray of hope. Besides a brilliant stylistic composition, Trimarchi stimulates one’s mind, indeed honing his talent in a deep analysis of contemporary relationships. Thus, this artwork becomes a metaphor for daily misunderstanding in a world consumed by technological intercommunication and consequently poor in authentic emotional connections. A silent embrace between two souls not close enough to actually touch. Nevertheless, the forms and the bodies inspired by conical and cylindrical forms adopted by Kazimir Malevich in his Cubist period, recall a vibrant metamorphosis and an unceasing transformation process. The artwork conveys optimism and faith in humanity proving that Trimarchi’s skilled mastery uniquely interprets present-day critical circumstances in unifying visual perfection and intellectual stimulation.
Karen Lappon International Confederation of Art Critics
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Antonino Trimarchi
Pesci (with detail) Oil on linen 60 x 50 cm
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“My biggest frustration is that sometimes I can’t actually do what I think I can, so I have to compromise. In the end I always seem to make an outcome that is close to what I wanted it to be. [...] My work grows alongside my own personal evolution.” Antonino Trimarchi
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Antonino Trimarchi
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Opposite: Due Uscite Oil on plywood 24 x 34 cm
Caos Assemblato (with detail) Oil on canvas 50 x 60 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Above: Mezz'Ala Oil on canvas 50 x 61 cm
Opposite: Faccia I Oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
Lavoro Serale Oil on canvas 61 x 55 cm
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List of Works Cane nel sonno - Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm
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Spillo - Oil on linen, 50 x 60 cm
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Passione - Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 cm Paesaggio Concavo - Oil on canvas, 60 x 50 cm
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Bar Sport - Oil on canvas, 90 x 70 cm
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Crune- Oil on linen, 60 x 50 cm
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Niente Dietro - Oil on canvas, 102 x 76 cm
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Cavallina - Oil on canvas, 60 x 45 cm
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Faccia IV - Oil on canvas, 25 x 35 cm
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Faccia III - Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm
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Poveri Diavoli - Oil on linen, 50 x 60 cm
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Tiramisu’ - Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm
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Medusa Moderna - Oil on wood, 53 cm (diameter)
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Faccia V - Oil on canvas, 35 x 40 cm
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Trinacria Torso - Oil on canvas, 46 x 36 cm
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Cavillo Rosso - Oil on canvas, 76 x 61 cm
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Tenersi II - Oil on linen, 61 x 76.5 cm
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Cups - Oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cm
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Nodi - Oil on linen, 60 x 50 cm
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Siciliano - Oil on plywood, 86 x 59 cm
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Disputa - Oil on canvas, 120 x 90 cm
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Spartan - Oil on plywood, 30 x 40 cm
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Antonino Trimarchi
List of Works Vuoto D’Uomo - Oil on plywood, 24 x 34 cm
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Girl Out - Oil on canvas, 122 x 92 cm
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Sbadiglio - Oil on canvas, 40 x 40 cm
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Tango - Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
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Uomo che tiene la donna - Oil on canvas, 70 x 60 cm
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Faccia II - Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 cm
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Eat Eat - Oil on canvas, 60 x 70 cm
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Henry’s Dragon - Oil on plywood, 40 x 21 cm
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L’Attesa - Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm
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2 Facce II - Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 cm
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Jolly Impalati - Oil on linen, 91.5 x 71.5 cm
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Abbraccio Infinito - Oil on canvas, 40 x 40 cm
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Pesci - Oil on linen, 60 x 50 cm Due Uscite - Oil on plywood, 24 x 34 cm
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Caos Assemblato - Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm
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Mezz’Ala - Oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cm
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Faccia I - Oil on canvas,30 x 40 cm
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Doggolo - Oil on canvas Lavoro Serale - Oil on canvas, 61 x 55 cm
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www.trimarchi-art.com
Edited and published by International Confederation of Art Critics London, 2017 Copyright Š 2017 International Confederation of Art Critics Layout by Elena Foschi www.international-confederation-art-critics.org
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