The Metaphysics of Unity

A study through the eyes of art master Lorenzo Quinn

Frequently seen in extravagant surroundings, the Italian figurative sculptor, who happens to be the son of Oscar-winning actor Anthony Quinn, has achieved global acclaim for his distinctive and empathetic creations that effortlessly transmit timeless values and authentic emotions.

We delve into the essence of what molds the artist in his steadfast pursuit of unvieling authentic elements of the human experience.

How has your philosophy on life and art evolved throughout your career? Can you share a personal story that highlights a significant transformation in your perspective?

Well, I’ve always made art to carry messages, to spread messages. Most messages, of course, are universal messages about family, about love, friendship, life, and death. I suppose these are the universal life questions we all ask each other. I try to make them as universal as possible, but sometimes some of them are more personal than others. I remember realizing the personal nature of my sculptures when, for example, I noticed a client purchasing a significant number of them. He had bought about 7 or 8, and they all had very, very direct messages like “time flies,” “destiny,” “love,” “eternal love,” and so forth and so on. I told the gallery people that I’d like to meet this new client, but they said he did not want to meet me. I was surprised. I said, Why? Why doesn’t he want to meet me? Strange. He’s buying so much of my art, and I’m the artist. Why would he not want to meet me? Then they explained, “This particular client has terminal cancer, and it’s not about you”

He’s buying the art because of what he wants to say to his family and the message he wants to leave them when he’s no longer around. That was very, very striking to me. And yes, it did create a change. It made me realize that art is very powerful, and art with a message even more. So I promised myself that from then on, I would always try to make that message as valuable as possible.

We often come across messages in your artwork about the significance of unity and human connection. What sparked the initial wave of influence?

I’ve been quite consistent throughout my life and career. My father (Anthony Quinn) greatly influenced me. My father, of course, was a famous artist and actor, and he portrayed many roles from many different nationalities. I truly understood the significance of this, as it brought everybody together under one umbrella. Humanity and how important it is. I have always been open to learning about new cultures and embracing them. Since I was very young, I’ve traveled the world. I’ve met so many different people. I’ve really been impressed and affected by a variety of different cultures, and I’ve tried to put this into all of my artwork, trying to find what we have in common rather than what separates us.

What factors do you consider when selecting a location for public art? How do you ensure a profound and meaningful resonance with the communities where you exhibit your sculptures?

Public art is always site-specific, and, of course, it varies because it is site-specific, it varies from location to location. However, sometimes I have a monumental piece that is then adapted to a public location. For instance, in one of my most well-known pieces, “Support,” two white hands emerge from the canal in Venice to support a historical building, symbolizing the awareness of climate change and the importance of preserving our heritage amidst the rising sea levels worldwide due to climate change. Of course, placing that sculpture elsewhere posed significant challenges. In fact, I’ve received numerous requests to relocate that sculpture.

Ultimately, I determined that Venice was the only suitable location for the sculpture, leading to its destruction. I recycled it into four other sculptures, smaller sculptures called “The Give,” with white. hands holding an olive tree. Of course, this is not a site-specific sculpture, it’s a sculpture that, of course, needs to be placed in a specific place where the message is needed.

In what ways do you believe beauty contributes to societal transformation? Have you ever witnessed a situation in which your artwork sparked a significant dialogue or had a transformative impact on a community?

Indeed, I have experienced this with quite a few of my pieces. I’ve had the good fortune to witness this phenomenon with several of my pieces. Definitely the piece I mentioned before, “Support” for Venice, I know that sparked a lot of meaningful dialogue towards climate change, and then my other sculpture, my next sculpture I did in Venice called “Building Bridges,” that is still sparking dialogue today, as the sculpture is still there and a smaller version is traveling throughout Italy. I observe people commenting on it on a daily basis, which underscores its significance. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, I created the sculpture “Together,” which stood in front of the pyramids and garnered billions of shares on social media. It was also the first instance of people coming together after COVID, meeting, and simply being able to embrace one another again. Humanity had missed that during COVID I believe that art should carry a message. I don’t believe in art for purely decorative reasons, so I don’t always succeed. But I try. Sometimes with the smaller work, sometimes with the bigger, larger public work, I try to spread these messages. And sometimes critics have accused my work of being too easy. Too simple to be understood. They never understood that that’s exactly what I was looking for, especially with public art. Public art is for everybody, and everybody has to be able to understand it, not just a small, reduced elite crowd. This is because public art is meant for everyone, not just a select few. It is for everybody.

During the inauguration of my “Building Bridges” project in Pietra Santa, two individuals engaged in a discussion near my sculpture. Suddenly, other people approached them and asked, “Guys, how can you be discussing?!” And I heard this, they said, “How can you be discussing underneath a sculpture that is all about building bridges and peace!?” They stopped discussing, and they hugged each other. And it was such a beautiful moment. Such a beautiful moment I will never forget. So I hope I can create more sculptures that unite people. We need it. We need love. There is a lot of hate in the world, a lot of negative images, and we need to spread positive images and love. It’s very important.

What one major message would you wish to send to humanity through it?

The major message I wish to convey with my sculptures is that if we travel to the moon and turn back and look at the earth, all we see is one minuet, a blue sphere traveling, spiraling through this immense universe. We don’t see barriers. We don’t see frontiers. It puts things into perspective, and I wish we could all travel to the moon once and look back and realize that we are nothing in this, in this vast expanse of infinity.. and that we should be working together because we’re traveling together through space and time.

Was your artistic journey transformative?

I hope it (the artwork) has an impact on society. Every voyage begins with the first step. So I hope I can affect even just one person, and then that person can affect others. That’s how you get a mass moving.

Does your artwork have an average timeframe for completion?

My last sculpture took me 58 years, because I had to be 58 years old and have the experience. I had come to the point to want to make that particular piece.

I am my art. My art is me. I am in constant transformation.

Images courtesy of the artist.