Interview with Silvio Mastrodascio, Artist from Across the Ocean (ARTE) ~ Marco Lettieri - TeclaXXI

 

ARTE

 

Marco Lettieri

 

Interview with Silvio Mastrodascio, Artist from Across the Ocean

BALLERINA

 

Silvio Mastrodascio is an acclaimed painter and sculptor, based in Toronto, Canada.  

        Mastrodascio's artistic focus initially centered on painting, but then shifted almost entirely to sculpture, the ultimate plastic art. He delves into the themes of his artistic research through frequent travels abroad, followed by intense engagement with various cultural environments. His favorite subjects include female figures and, in general, subjects that, through the malleability of their forms and the interplay of light and shadow, achieve notable artistic, sculptural, and pictorial value.

        We interviewed him in Mississauga, a city located in the southern part of Ontario, in the western area of the Greater Toronto Area.

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Lettieri: Your sculptures are often linked to ancient art. How do you see your work in relation to Greek or Roman sculpture? What classical elements do you incorporate?

Mastrodascio: The creative path I follow belongs to what is often called the figurative tradition—an artistic language grounded in the depiction of the human body. This mode of expression allows me to explore timeless themes through form and gesture, drawing from classical roots and historical memory. By referencing ancient imagery and archetypal figures, I aim to evoke a connection between past and present, between what is eternal in the human experience and what is fleeting. My sculptures are not mere representations; they are vessels for emotion, memory, and cultural identity.

Lettieri: Which artists have most influenced your sculptural style, and how have their works shaped your own artistic philosophy?

Mastrodascio: My artistic approach is profoundly shaped by the legacy of some of Italy’s greatest modern sculptors—Giacomo Manzù, Marino Marini, Giuliano Vangi, and Igor Mitoraj. Each of these masters brings something unique to the sculptural tradition: Manzù’s emotional restraint, Marini’s expressionistic dynamism, Vangi’s refined attention to detail, and Mitoraj’s mythological symbolism. Their works not only inspire me aesthetically but also challenge me to rethink form, space, and meaning in my own practice. They are guiding lights in a constant dialogue between tradition and innovation.

Lettieri: What role should art play in public life today? How do you ensure your work is accessible?

Mastrodascio: In recent years, I’ve observed a disturbing trend: the steady erosion of public art in our urban environments. This decline reflects a broader cultural indifference, particularly among institutions and governments, toward the value of visual art in communal life. It’s disheartening to walk through city squares that once stood as open-air museums, now stripped of the monuments and statues that once narrated our collective history. These artworks once served not only as decoration but also as civic markers—reminders of who we are, where we’ve come from, and what we aspire to be.

Lettieri: Your work features symmetrical human forms. Do you agree with Plato's idea that the true artist "sees" the human form in marble? How do you reveal this form in your sculptures?

Mastrodascio: While marble holds a revered place in the history of sculpture, I personally feel more connected to clay as a medium. Clay allows for a more organic and intuitive process, one that mirrors the way ideas take shape in the mind—gradually, through trial, touch, and refinement. Working with clay gives me the freedom to build my figures from the inside out, sculpting each detail with care and spontaneity. There is something almost meditative about the act of shaping the material with my hands, as if each movement channels a fragment of the figure’s inner life.

Lettieri: Danesi suggests ancient art had a ritualistic function. Does your work carry similar symbolism or ritual? How do you want viewers to engage with its meaning?

Mastrodascio: Yes, I do believe that my sculptures speak a kind of silent language—one that bypasses words and speaks directly to the viewer’s inner world. My goal is to capture the invisible: the essence, soul, or emotional weight that a person or story carries. This “language” is not always literal or easily interpreted, but I trust that attentive viewers will feel its presence. I want them to engage in a kind of introspective conversation, to pause and ask themselves, “What emotion is being communicated here? What unspoken truth lies within this form?”

Lettieri: Danesi discusses art's shift from public to individualistic during the Romantic period. How do you view the artist's evolving role? Do you think art is returning to a more collective public focus?

Mastrodascio: The role of the artist has undergone a radical transformation in the last hundred years. Where artists once saw themselves as interpreters of beauty, emotion, and the human condition—particularly during the Romantic period—contemporary art has largely shifted toward abstraction, conceptualism, and individual interpretation. While these movements have expanded the boundaries of what art can be, they often place the burden of meaning entirely on the viewer. As a result, the emotional immediacy and symbolic clarity that once characterized figurative art has, in many cases, given way to ambiguity and intellectual distance.

Lettieri: Picasso said art "washes the dust of daily life" from our souls. Does this resonate with your process? How do you think art offers relief from life's challenges?

Mastrodascio: Certainly. emotions, dreams, and the complexities of the inner life are integral to everything I create. I see art not just as a profession, but as a reflection of my emotional and psychological state. My sculptures are born out of personal experiences, daydreams, and reflections—sometimes joyful, sometimes painful. I believe that the more personal and emotionally authentic an artwork is, the more universal its message becomes. That is what allows a sculpture to move people, regardless of culture or language.

Lettieri: Oscar Wilde believed art should be learned from life, not just academies. How does this align with your practice? Do you think public space is still a vital classroom for artists?

Mastrodascio: Art should live among people, not just within gallery walls. Experiencing art in public spaces—on the streets, in parks, in the everyday flow of life—is essential for maintaining a vibrant cultural dialogue. It allows art to be accessible, democratic, and integrated into the rhythm of daily existence. In contrast, academic and institutional art tends to focus on analysis, historical context, and theory. While that has its own value, especially for education, it often lacks the visceral impact of a sculpture encountered unexpectedly on a walk through the city. Public art engages the senses and emotions in a way that theory alone cannot.

Lettieri: Nuessel notes your connection to Italy’s classical sculptures. How did your childhood exposure to these influences shape your work? Do they still inspire you today?

Mastrodascio: Yes, very much so. I feel a strong connection to my cultural roots in Abruzzo and to the artistic legacy of fellow Italian sculptors such as Costantino Barbella and Venanzo Crocetti. Their work, which honors the dignity, elegance, and simplicity of rural life, particularly the peasant world of central Italy, deeply resonates with me. There is a tenderness and grace in their portrayal of everyday subjects that I strive to echo in my own work. Through them, I’ve learned to see beauty not only in grand historical narratives, but also in the quiet resilience and purity of ordinary lives.

Silvio Mastrodascio's Artworks

                                    Courtesy by Author for TeclaXXI

 

Bibliography

 

Bouchard, Norma. “Silvio Mastrodascio”. Silvio Mastrodascio. Il soffio vitale della materia. Breathing Life into Matter. Giuseppe Bacci (a cura di). Controguerra (Teramo): Edizioni Centro Staurós, 2015: 17-18 (versione italiana), 19-20 (versione inglese).

 

Calvesi, Maurizio. “Silvio Mastrodascio”. Mastrodascio. Monografia. Testo critico di Maurizio Calvesi. Apparati bio-bibliografici di Maria Cristina Ricciardi. Colonnella (Teramo): Grafiche Martintype, 2010: 5-7 (versione italiana), 8-10 (versione inglese), 11-13 (versione francese).

 

Danesi, Marcel. “Recovering Art for the Contemporary World: The Work of Silvio Mastrodascio”. Silvio Mastrodascio. L’eleganza della materia. Elegance of Matter. Giuseppe Bacci (a cura di). Controguerra (Teramo): Edizioni Centro Staurós, 2017: 19-20 (versione italiana), 21-22 (versione inglese).

 

Di Felice, Paola. “L’arte di Silvio Mastrodascio tra ascetismo e dissolvenza materica”. Silvio Mastrodascio. Il soffio vitale della materia. Breathing Life into Matter.Giuseppe Bacci (a cura di). Controguerra (Teramo): Edizioni Centro Staurós, 2015: 21-23 (versione italiana), 24-26 (versione inglese).

 

Lettieri, Marco et al. (eds.). Silvio Mastrodascio’s Artworks: Critical Reception and Visual Intepretation. Studi 52. Firenze: Società Editrice Fiorentina, 2024.

 

Lettieri, Michael. “Un artista tra due mondi: uno sguardo critico su Silvio Mastrodascio”. Daniela D’Eugenio, Alberto Gelmi e Dario Marcucci (a cura di). Italy, Italia, Italie. Studi in onore di Hermann Haller. Milano: Mimesis Edizioni, 2021, pp. 171-185.

 

Lettieri, Michael. “Mastrodascio nella tradizione figurativa mediterranea e occidentale”. 

Mediterranean Encounters and Legacies / Incontri e lasciti mediterranei. Edited by Antonio C. Vitti and Anthony J. Tamburri. New York, NY: Bordighera Press, 2021, pp. 125-142.

 

Maraini, Dacia. “Mastrodascio, lo scultore dei cappelli misteriosi”. Silvio Mastrodascio. Il soffio vitale della materia. Breathing Life into Matter.Giuseppe Bacci (a cura di). Controguerra (Teramo): Edizioni Centro Staurós, 2015: 13-14 (versione italiana), 15-16 (versione inglese).

 

Martone, Thomas. Silvio Mastrodascio. Teramo: Stampa Deltagrafica, 1999: senza n. pagine [testo originale in inglese, traduzione inglese-italiano di Giovanni D’Agostino e Cristina Sansalone].

 

Pegoraro, Silvia. “Silvio Mastrodascio: i colori della scultura”. Mastrodascio. Mostra antologica 1978-2005. Testo critico di Silvia Pegoraro. Apparati bio-bibliografici di Maria Cristina Ricciardi. Teramo: Edigrafital s.r.l, 2005: 5-12 (versione italiana), 13-20 (versione inglese), 21-29 (versione francese).

 

Nuessel, Frank. “Silvio Mastrodascio”. Silvio Mastrodascio. L’eleganza della materia. Elegance of Matter. Giuseppe Bacci (a cura di). Controguerra (Teramo): Edizioni Centro Staurós, 2017: 23-24 (versione italiana), 25-26 (versione inglese).

 

Rosato, Giuseppe. “Silvio Mastrodascio”. Silvio Mastrodascio. Retrospective 1985-1995. Catalogo della mostra tenuta presso la Joseph D. Art Carrier Art Gallery del Columbus Centre, Toronto, sotto gli auspici dell’Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto. Teramo: Stampa Deltagrafica, 1995: 7-9. 

 

Strozzieri, Leo. Silvio Mastrodascio. Teramo: Stampa Deltagrafica, 1999: senza n. pagine [testo originale in italiano, traduzione italiano-inglese di Giovanni D’Agostino e Cristina Sansalone].

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BIONOTA Marco Lettieri, Ph.D. University of Toronto, is Assistant Professor at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. His publications include a monograph, Word and Image in Alfonso d’Aragona’s Manuscript Edition of the «Divina Commedia (2021), a co-edited volume, Silvio Mastrodascio’s Artworks. Critical Reception and Visual Interpretation (2024), and articles on second-language acquisition.

BIONOTA Silvio Mastrodascio is an acclaimed painter and sculptor, based in Toronto, Canada. Born in 1943 in a small town in Abruzzo, Italy, he moved to Canada in 1967, first to Montreal and then to Toronto, where he still resides with his family. Mastrodascio’s works have been widely discussed, evaluated, and analyzed by various important critics.