press release
‘Why Can’t I Be You’ by Paolo Giardi
Paolo Giardi was born and grew up in Florence, Italy, and has lived and worked in London
for the past 8 years. Why Can’t I Be You is his first major UK exhibition.
Renowned for his work constructed through collage, Giardi draws from his vast catalogue of
found 2D images. He juxtaposes this material to create images of familiarity spliced with the
artificial. Appropriation is a discipline that he embraces, railing against the idea of the artist
as the creator of all.
‘I think of myself more as an accountant’ says Giardi ‘It’s more about collating and filing, then
being guided by my findings.’
The inaugural exhibition at Whitecross Gallery, Why Can’t I Be You, deals with Giardi’s
observation of the artist as the egoless protagonist – a view of the self, seen through the
distorted eyes of a hidden persona.
“My intention is to emulate the Countess de Castiglione” says Giardi.
Creating furore with her bold and visually arresting outfits, the endless and obsessive vanity
of the Countess was legendary in the Imperial Courts of Paris. The seductress of Napoleon
III captured her schizophrenic repertoire in front of the photographer’s lens, leaving behind a
legacy of images of her narcissistic wake.
Focusing on large-scale graphic images, Giardi intentionally loses his own sense of self.
Alluding to advertising billboards, propaganda posters and fashion shoots, he adopts
different outfits of female personae striking poses, flirting and laughing. Seducing you, the
viewer, he begs the question ‘Why can’t I be you?’
Showing from 5th October until 11th November at Whitecross Gallery the exhibition centres
on prints developed from Giardi’s preparatory collages.
Open from 10.00-18.00 Tuesday to Saturday at Whitecross Gallery.