Francesco Pergolesi

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Beware the Dog:From Pompei to the present day, the relationship between man and the "canis lupus familiaris" has radically changed. By making each other useful, men and dogs have a parallel evolution. The dog, once an indispensable companion for hunting, has become a faithful inseparable friend, passing from the cold kennel in the courtyard to the comfortable sofa next to the fireplace. The photographic works in the Cave Canem series are the result of a long creative process that connects the traditional genre painting with the places and dynamics of contemporary daily life. Dogs are the protagonists in the scene, appropriating the domestic spaces of their owners.

Heroes: Temple guardians of a little vanishing world, brave and full of passion, they valiantly defend the meeting places for human exchange and relationships, set in unpretentious frames, nibbled by the passing of time. As survivors on a tiny damaged raft, they face restlessness and greed, on a dangerous sea that doesn’t care about the past and its traditions, smashing together people and principles, obeying the march of progress. Before it’s too late I shelter memories smelling of yellow paper, and "Ceci n'est pas une pipe," like a freshly gathered broad bean listening to the gossip of old pilgrims, religiously sitting on green Formica chairs, conserving cloth in dusty trunks and expert hands. They cut cloth in the dead of night, while I preserve pure white clouds made by an ancient pink oven, as old as time; work done by glue and saw, buds and sharp prickles, made by a real good morning and good night!

Tableaux continues his commitment to the people living in small towns in Italy, where human relationships are still the center of daily life. In Pergolesi’s newest series, he focuses his attention on the work surfaces that bear the markings and history of time. This can be seen in photographs of mathematical calculations, assorted tools used for framing, leather remnants discarded on the floor, and a paint splattered table that looks like a modern day Jackson Pollock

Francesco Pergolesi [b. 1975, Venice, Italy] creates photographic works inspired by the people and places from his past that are slowly disappearing: the watchmaker fixing old time pieces; the frame shop where hand-milled frames line the walls; the local cobbler whose walls are covered with leather hides; the sound of a hammer coming from the open door of a shoemaker; the smell of fresh bread from a baker; the steady beat of a sewing machine from an open window; or the smell of old paper in a used bookstore. Working in collaboration with shopkeepers, Pergolesi presents narratives that honor the past while preserving the present. As he says:

“When I was a child, I used to walk free, exploring my village streets. I loved to spend time in the little cobbler or the grocery where my grandmother sent me to shop. Time seemed to be extended and gave me a sense of freedom. I grew up loving neighborhoods where human relationships were the center of life. I understood these places were disappearing, pushed by a mysterious force, and a new era was coming.”

Whether working with people or their dogs, Pergolesi sees himself as a guardian of a vanishing world where people congregated to talk about families and daily activities. Every photograph becomes a new theater set as he continues to wander the streets looking for a connection.

Beware of the Dog All images are available as 7 x 10" and 32 x 40" pigment prints made in an edition of 7 and 3 + 1AP, respectively. Pieces range in price from $2800 - $8000, depending on size and availability.

Heroes: Work made prior to 2016: All images are available as 4 x 6" pigment print mounted to plexi, framed and backlit with LED light and 23½ x 35½" pigment print in a total edition of 10 + 2 APs. Pieces range in price from $1800 - $4000, depending on size and availability.

2016- Present: All images are available as 4 x 6" or 10 x 15" pigment print mounted to plexi, framed and backlit with LED light and 23½ x 35½" pigment print in an editions of 7 + 2 APs and 3 + 2 APs, respectively. Pieces range in price from $2200 - $4000, depending on size and availability.

Stars: All images are available 7 x 9½” and 51 x 78” pigment prints made in an edition of 7 + 2 AP’s and 3 + 1AP, respectively. Pieces range in price from $2800 - $6500, depending on size and availability.

Tableaux: All images are available as 27 x 41" and 40 x60" pigment prints made in editions of 5 and 3, respectively. Prices range from $4000 and $6500. Composition 0, 2017 is only available 47 x 70" in an edition of 5 for $8000.

Please email catherine@edelmangallery.com for prices of specific pieces.
Prices are print only unless otherwise indicated.