Cv/bio
ALAN MAZZETTI is a contemporary artist living and working in San Francisco California, specializing in abstracted landscapes and cityscapes. As a second generation artist and Californian, he is strongly attracted to the many visual delights of the Bay Area and has developed a unique approach to depicting them in his acrylic paintings.
Re-locating to San Francisco from his native Santa Barbara, Alan studied at the Academy of Art College in the early 1970's, concentrating on Graphic Design and Illustration. Hired at his graduation show by a local design firm, he was employed in the field for 3 years before deciding to go freelance in 1976, and has remained an independent artist since then. "Designing logos, posters, collateral print material, packaging and book jackets, working with typography, was very rewarding and a great application of distilling visuals to their essential components. That approach certainly informs my paintings today." Ten years of graphic design evolved into the next ten years of Illustration work for national clients and the development of a personal pictorial style. "Design work was all about defining the client and solving their communication needs. Illustration, while still visualizing someone else's story, developed my perspective and approach to picture-making. The fine art I've been doing since the mid 90's is now totally self-directed in both subject and style."
Alan's fine art was originally an extension of his Illustration work, using collage and photo-transfer imagery to describe his environment, primarily urban secenes from San Francisco and from travelling. Still intrigued with the idea of "essentials" this imagery was gradually edited down to basic shapes, colors and textures leading to geometric abstracions. These early paintings were exhibited and sold through galleries and consultants in the Bay Area, Palm Desert, Tucson, Washington DC, Boston and other cities. Around 2010, the abstract paintings developed "horizon lines" and while still non-representational, suggested the natural forms of landscapes. That led to observing and depicting the urban and natural environment of his native California. "The thing that excites me the most now is shapes and patterns - obvious in buildings with their blocky forms and repeated windows, and also present in the vineyards and agricultural valley scenes. I apply my mnimalist, painterly approach to these subjects."
It is the formal elements of painting: composition, color, texture, value, shape and mark-making that he is most concerned with, using the subject matter as a starting point. In taking an abstract approach to the piece, he is more interested in suggesting than defining, depicting mood rather than details. The process of painting is perhaps the main subject of his work.
Re-locating to San Francisco from his native Santa Barbara, Alan studied at the Academy of Art College in the early 1970's, concentrating on Graphic Design and Illustration. Hired at his graduation show by a local design firm, he was employed in the field for 3 years before deciding to go freelance in 1976, and has remained an independent artist since then. "Designing logos, posters, collateral print material, packaging and book jackets, working with typography, was very rewarding and a great application of distilling visuals to their essential components. That approach certainly informs my paintings today." Ten years of graphic design evolved into the next ten years of Illustration work for national clients and the development of a personal pictorial style. "Design work was all about defining the client and solving their communication needs. Illustration, while still visualizing someone else's story, developed my perspective and approach to picture-making. The fine art I've been doing since the mid 90's is now totally self-directed in both subject and style."
Alan's fine art was originally an extension of his Illustration work, using collage and photo-transfer imagery to describe his environment, primarily urban secenes from San Francisco and from travelling. Still intrigued with the idea of "essentials" this imagery was gradually edited down to basic shapes, colors and textures leading to geometric abstracions. These early paintings were exhibited and sold through galleries and consultants in the Bay Area, Palm Desert, Tucson, Washington DC, Boston and other cities. Around 2010, the abstract paintings developed "horizon lines" and while still non-representational, suggested the natural forms of landscapes. That led to observing and depicting the urban and natural environment of his native California. "The thing that excites me the most now is shapes and patterns - obvious in buildings with their blocky forms and repeated windows, and also present in the vineyards and agricultural valley scenes. I apply my mnimalist, painterly approach to these subjects."
It is the formal elements of painting: composition, color, texture, value, shape and mark-making that he is most concerned with, using the subject matter as a starting point. In taking an abstract approach to the piece, he is more interested in suggesting than defining, depicting mood rather than details. The process of painting is perhaps the main subject of his work.