Luca Barcelona — Letter Perfect
Luca Barcellona is a man of letters, though his work doesn’t always lend itself to easy reading. You would be forgiven for seeing one of his entwined blocks of chiseled strokes and feathered flourishes and missing all the words nestled amidst them. The unassuming Italian ink-master has somehow distilled the science of artful letters into its essence during his brief 45 years of age. He is widely considered to be one in the petite cadre of pre-eminent working calligraphic artists alive today. His skill with a brush, or a pen, is unrivaled, and the passion of his masterful letterforms elevates visual wordplay to a whole new dimension.
The piece reads “Neither… Redemption, Resistance Became My Resistance.” Even a trained eye can lose the words, whose gorgeous form is their primary purpose.
As most calligraphers do, many of Barcellona’s works feature quotes that have had significance in his life. He dresses the phrases in emotive, flowing strokes that draw beauty out of the shapes of the letters themselves as much as the words they compose.
One of his books, “Take Your Pleasure Seriously,” published in 2012, is a calligraphic volume named for the famous quote by Ray & Charles Eames, of mid-century modernist fame. He has clearly followed their advice, pursuing the perfection of his letterforms with the dogged dedication of a medieval Italian scribe on a holy assignment. His study of lettering began at the young age of 21 in his native city of Milan. From there he ventured into realms of blackletter, hand-script styles, free-form lettering, and beyond. He is lauded as one of very few artists who has successfully found the creative meeting point of traditional calligraphy and late twentieth century aesthetic stylings, particularly the street level energy and visual language of hiphop graffiti script styles. True to his hip-hop roots, he riffed on the same quote in a subsequent poster, in which he wrote “Take Your Handwriting Seriously.”
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Clients of his have included the National Museum of Zurich, Carhartt, Nike, Dolce & Gabbana, Sony BMG, Universal, and many others. His work has been featured on book covers, garments, in letter-pressed and screen printed posters, emblazoned as murals across massive walls, on album covers, and product labels, to name a few. Additionally, he regularly teaches seminars across the globe at gatherings of the most established and exclusive calligraphic and hand-lettering groups. Yet despite these accomplishments and accolades, his identity and presence within the arts community is a steady, measured and humble one. Much like the elegant refinement of his calligraphic strokes, his career is comprised of solid, measured practice and an unwavering passion for mastery and self-discipline. These are the pillars that create Luca Barcellona, enhanced by the well-placed embellishments of international recognition for his craft.
A tag by Luca Barcelona which showcases his deep connection to graffiti street-style letters, a firm element throughout the maturation of his lettering styles.
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