David Grassi
A RESTLESS BIOGRAPHY
Many years ago, I was educated and served apprenticeships as an architect, city planner, and inventor, and I have practiced as a general contractor for the last 45 years. Currently, I am reinventing myself as a painter of “layered space - captured space,” allusions to life’s entanglements, and observations that will serve a purpose, even if much later.
Academia In my twenties and early thirties, I studied architecture and city planning at the following institutions: University of Florida, Gainesville/Ecole des Beaux Art, Paris/ Technische Hohe Schule, Berlin/ Facolta di Architectura, Venice. Hornsey College of Art, London... I met many accomplished people- some I still see as well as their children, and now, grandchildren.)
TRAVELS THAT INSPIRED
I once traveled for eight years running ...short stints working in architectural offices and studying languages (achieving 7-year-old proficiency in a few) in France-Paris, Germany- Berlin and Munich, Italy-Venice-Florence-Rome, Austria-Vienna; England-London; saved money to attend a friend’s wedding in Upsala, Sweden (I remember: diagonal patterns of trees as the plane lowered over a leafless forest in a stinging winter); switching planes of all vintages to land in Kathmandu, Nepal to marvel at hand carved, ancient wood balconies (I remember: white on white Himalayan mountain ranges-endless stretches of whip cream peaks)seen from an agitated, old prop plane; went scuba diving in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt (I remember: dancing light geometries on sand and coral); Taveuni, Fiji Islands, Truck Islands, Carolina Islands (sunken naval vessels with broken cutlery and human bone fragments); Belize (angel and parrot fish parading colored bodies- slippery, graceful – unimpressed with my presence. Once back home, as construction permitted, I saved for periodic trips during some 30 years to visit more countries and revisit friends previously encountered: (China, Russia, India, Africa, Central, and South America (remember: pure, see-through icebergs in Patagonia, Chile), Arab countries of the Sahara, apple tea and more apple tea... so many others. Irreplaceable experiences/unrepeatable moments. You have to be young and foolish. Today, I am in my 80s and traveling, straddling a paintbrush. When you are young, industrious, and frugal you confirm that the world is indeed round, good people are everywhere. Your vocabulary as an artist is strewn on lands in every direction. I believe art creates a revision, provided you pay attention.