Currently living with his family outside of Orlando, Florida, Mr. Castelluccio's studio is a veritable treasure trove of pieces that would not look out of place in the Louvre. His work is in turn whimsical and romantic, turbulent and heroic. Life literally surges from his sculptures, whose sinewy and supple forms look so lifelike that one expects them to move at any moment. The soul of a poet inhabits Mr. Castelluccio, who takes many of his subjects from great works of literature and the most stirring stories of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Castelluccio credits the work of Carpeaux, Bernini, and he says “of course Michelangelo," as some of his earliest influences, informing his taste for representational sculpture of intense anatomical realism and emotional immediacy.
“Years spent at the art students league in NYC, creating anatomical drawings, provided me with the foundation necessary to have freedom to create the human figure from within," says Castelluccio of his early years as an artist. “To not be confined to what I can see in a model before me, but rather to have the command to create what I know... is the essence of a good sculptor."
With the encouragement of his family, Mr. Castelluccio has now taken what was a personal passion and turned it into his life's work. His early shows in the Southeast United States were a resounding success, and his works are now sought after by art collectors from around the world. His work can been seen online at francocastelluccio.com or at Facebook.
Franco Castelluccio is currently exhibited at the Regions Bank (Ponce De Leon Branch)
March 1st - March 31st. Mr. Castelluccio's next event will be held at the Astor Crowne Plaza, New Orleans starting April 15th for the Jazz & Heritage Festival.
