Born
in 1930 in Rotella, a small italian town located in the Piceno area from a noble
family, he is now living in Grottammare where he works.
After
studying in the Montalto delle Marche Seminary, he shortly approaches technical
studies in Ascoli Piceno and then attends the Art Lycée in Rome and Bologna.
Here he enters the Fine Arts Academy and the Clementina Academy, working for the
famous painter Ferri. Years full of art, love and university spirit.
But
the Bohemian life is just a short period: when 13, he is present at his father’s
death; when 20, he is retired from the school by his family.
Caught
by politic events which have been exciting him since his adolescence thanks to
the exceptional frequentation and influence of some political personages, he
takes distance from his professional fate also facing different working
experiences.
In
1963 he marries the great love of his life Marisa Francesca Simonetti, who gives
him three children.
During
the 60’s and 70’s he is fully plunged into the local economical problems and
distinguishes himself for his activism and initiative not always lucky.
In
this period, his artistic vein is not completely dead yet suffocated under heavy
matters from where it constantly re-emerges as human and poetic relief for this
artist urged by material needs.
In
1978, at last, his artistic personality comes out from the schemes derived from
his social responsibilities and gives birth to the polychromatic sensism.
Spurred
by his friend, the critic Giuseppe Novelli and fully aware of his renewed
creative power, he decides to go back to the public artistic activity, left for
a long time.
He
exhibits in San Benedetto del Tronto, in Rome and New York and the success,
derived both from the critic and from the public, is full, convincing and
immediate.
critics
The
painting of Egidio Maria Egidi has three main features which can be seen only
looking at it carefully: rhythm, effect of space and the chromatic naturalism.
The first one aims to show the movement, the second one gives the dynamic volume
to the rhythm and the third one excites the memories of those nearby.
It is obvious that such considerations come out from a strong belief: although
placing his art within the polychromatic environment, Egidio Maria is the author
of an art which loves the nature, the landscape, the primordial atmospheres, the
seas, the forests, the stones.
It is the non-figurative pantheism of Jean Paul Riopelle, translated in a
singular way with short and vibrating chromatic scanning.
It can also be likely that Egidio Maria springs out a spiritual energy as
intended by Hans Hartung: a strength which looks for reality in all its
inaccessible depths, a world parallel to the one where everybody lives,
invisible yet alive.
Egidio
Maria Egidi is an emblematic example of the split (perhaps I should say "division")
between the abstract and the informal.
This is so by virtue of his concept of "polychromatic sensationalism",
a concept which fascinates and moves through the astuteness of his premises
and intelligence of his references.
This is anything but a proposal for the rejection of the image: the
sensationalism of Egidi is itself an image (in terms, that is of "presentation",
not "representation"), rich, pyrotechnic and sumptuous. Thus, the
stereotype of Egidi’s abstractionism becomes more precise and the informal/emotive
element can take shape; in Egidi, that is, real intelligence has a much more
pre-eminent role than unbridled emotion.
Today, in fact, it is becoming more and more clear that whoever rejects the
"museified" image can still save himself (extremely well indeed)
without "leaving for Cythera".