Original artwork description:

“Ognuno sta solo sul cuor della terra
trafitto da un raggio di sole:
ed e subito sera" ― Salvatore Quasimodo, Tutte le poesie

"Everyone stands alone at the heart of the world,
pierced by a ray of sunlight,
and suddenly it’s evening”
― Salvatore Quasimodo, Tutte le poesie
The central figure is depicted as an elongated and fragile silhouette, composed of intricate, overlapping lines reminiscent of origami or a body wrapped in striped bandages. This stylization is not accidental: it symbolizes the precariousness of human existence. Like origami, the figure appears "folded" and temporary, evoking the transience of life—a key theme in Quasimodo's poetry, where man "stands alone on the heart of the earth."
The upright yet isolated posture, with the head slightly tilted back and the arms at the sides, conveys a sense of vulnerability and introspection, emphasizing individual isolation at the "heart of the world." The empty white background amplifies this solitude, representing the indifferent immensity of the universe, devoid of any contextual elements or social interaction. The Ray of Sun: Fleeting Illumination and Wound. The title and inspiration derive from the line "pierced by a ray of sun," which in the poem symbolizes a moment of ephemeral illumination—a glimmer of beauty or awareness that bursts into life, but is also painful and fleeting.

In the work, the "ray" is not depicted literally (there is no explicit beam of light), but is implicit in the structure of the figure: the broken, penetrating lines suggest a perforation, as if the body were pierced by an invisible energy. This symbolism evokes the existential aspect of time according to Quasimodo, where the ray represents life itself—a brief illumination that "wounds" the individual, bringing him to the awareness of his own finitude.

The horizontal and vertical stripes that compose the body may allude to this luminous intrusion, creating a contrast between light (implied) and shadow (the monochrome design), which anticipates the "subito sera"—the sudden fall of darkness, a metaphor for death or nothingness. The Intricate Lines and the Chaos of Existence: The gestural and expressive lines, typical of Puglisi's style, form a complex, almost labyrinthine pattern on the figure's body. Symbolically, these represent the layers of human experience: the folds and overlaps evoke entrapment in a fragmented and chaotic existence, in keeping with Quasimodo's hermetic style, which condenses profound themes into vivid and concise images.

The monochrome black-on-white ink accentuates a tone of melancholy and abstraction, transforming the figure into an "abstract heart," where inner emotion is exposed but unattainable. This element reflects the poetry's contemporary relevance, exploring alienation in the modern era.

The work is a visual homage to Quasimodo's poetry, published in the collection Ed è subito sera (1942), which embodies Italian hermeticism: a symbolic language that captures the essence of existence through evocative imagery.

The "subito sera"—the sudden transition from day to night—is symbolized by the figure's immobility, suspended in an eternal yet ephemeral moment, like a "provocative sting" that leaves the viewer with a sense of existential urgency.

In short, Puglisi translates poetic symbolism into a minimalist visual language, where formal fragility and spatial isolation underscore themes of solitude, the brevity of life, and painful illumination, making the work a bridge between literature and contemporary art.

inks,pencil on canson paper250 g/m
shipping in a cardboard box
-The artwork listed are unique, original drawings and not prints, signed and dated by the artist.
Drawings is signed and dated by the artist as well as accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
Multiple purchases of the same size will be shipped together, where possible, and any excess shipping costs will be refunded after purchase

Materials used:

ink,pencil

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