Sunrise Stonehenge（2015），Burned Drawing，122× 145 cm，Courtesy of Blindarte Gallery

Using photography as a basis for his art, Italian artist Davide Cantoni creates works that are deeply rooted in the traditions of fine art which mimic photography in its approach. His images build upon existing sources like found photographs already published and typically depict scenes from war zones and disasters to moments in history which the artist carefully ‘filters’ in his selection.

As a means of mark-marking, Cantoni begins by first tracing these photographs with graphite. He then mimics the process of film development by selectively exposing parts of these drawings to sunlight through a magnifying glass. The end result is a tattered, singed and fragile surface, almost evanescent as if reflecting the fragility of the lives of the people and subject matter he is depicting. 

His burnt drawings counteract the indifference resulting from overexposure of images in our daily life, by transforming them into works that are intimate and fragile. Beyond re-presenting forgotten bits of history, remaking these images brings up questions about how we look and the things we choose to remember.