In this interview we get to know better Dario Licata, an illustrator with a very particular and poetic style and author of some “illustrated songs” on Tabloud.
Dario, tell us a little bit about your artistic path.
I have been passionate for drawing as long as I can remember. It has always been a passion, ever since I was little. I am an Account Manager and work for an advertising agency. Professionally, therefore, I’m on the other side of the creative process. This is, for me, an advantage because it allows me to see things, from more than one point of view. It is a singular mixture, account by profession, illustrator by passion.
There is a lot of poetry in your work. How would you define your style? What are your favorite techniques and mediums?
Certainly, the style is constantly evolving and change is part of everything.
I started on a notebook, simply with pencil and charcoals. Initially my drawings were black and white. I then discovered watercolors and afterwards digital drawing, which I became passionate more every day. I believe some emotions are easy to feel but difficult to explain. Many people see dreamy, sometimes surreal atmospheres in my illustrations. I always try to tell a story through a visual metaphor.
The most natural way for me to do this, is through drawing.
Please tell us a little bit about the character represented in most of your artworks. Does it represent your alter ego or your way to depict the human figure?
It is a good question. At first and sometimes he represents someone important next to me; sometimes he’s my alter ego, sometimes human nature He doesn’ t represent what I see but more I feel. It is hard to explain, but I would not be able to draw anything apart from him. It is like my drawings are his diary.
In every artworks published on Tabloud, there is a link with a song. Please tell us how these “illustrated songs” are born.
I love a song more than a musician itself; it is evident in the works I usually publish on Tabloud. Music is an important part of the creative process. The idea takes shape in an illustration, starting from a piece of music or, sometimes, from a specific verse of the piece itself When I draw, I already have in mind what I want to realize, meanwhile, silence is fundamental. Music is like the starting point of an idea. When it’s defined, music can stop and the illustration can start to live.
The choice of the song is also almost always linked to the video clip. I am often struck by a specific frame that lasts even a few seconds. I try to capture the essence of that precise moment.
Italian songwriters seem to be a great source of inspiration for your musical artworks. Isn’t it? What’s your idea of the relationship between Music and Art?
It is true; I love many Italian singer-songwriters and, in general, they are the ones who inspire my works the most. I would like to do a collection on De Gregori’s discography. It’s a project I’ve been thinking about for a while and which I hope to complete.
In general, I believe that art is first and foremost instinct, an impulse towards something essential which brings us far from everyday life. The same applies to music.
What are you working on?
I started a collaboration with an organisation operating in spreading culture on mental health, to make treatment accessible. There are many barriers today, such as mistrust, stigma and the social context. It is great to think that I am giving my contribution, in a small way, to such a great challenge.
Thank you
Thank you, and see you soon here in Tabloud.
