Local artist Paolo Giorgi's paintings to be displayed at Hood River library

By the time the show came and went, he found that there was still work to do on this idea. This summer, as Paolo visited his native country of Italy, he had a burst of inspiration. He began to dye blank canvas in substances such as coffee. When he returned to the States, he got to painting.

In this upcoming display, Giorgi seeks to continue his search for identity. This time he painted two portraits and two scenes using acrylic paints on four separate vertical 50-by-30-inch canvases. Among the new works are renditions of the famous portrait of Apache leader Geronimo, as well as inspirations from Caravaggio, Savonarola, and Bosch.

“This time I went more fast, more fluid,” Giorgi said. “It was fun, something I really enjoy.”

The paintings draw inspiration from Caravaggio and Savonarola, two Italian Renaissance painters, reflecting Giorgi’s roots. Bosch, that is, Hieronymous Bosch, to Giorgi represents the bold confidence to create outside the normal boundaries of societal expectations. “Nowadays, I feel my identity matches a lot with his,” he said.

Partly his inspiration for this body of art is his children. He said he wants his three teenagers to grow up with a sense of interest in Italian culture as well as American culture. He said he hopes to embolden his “Renaissance spirit,” and by drawing inspiration from Apache leader Geronimo, seek to discover what is “the larger value of my being here in America.”

The immigrant experience in America is varied, and for Giorgi, an obstacle he has had to overcome.

He oftentimes remind himself: “You need to feel optimistic about the future, save some integrity, do not lose the little identity we have.”

Beyond the canvas paintings, Giorgi will also display a painting which seeks to resolve an imbalance within Raphael’s “The School of Athens,” in which Socrates and Aristotle hold a debate within a massive fresco. Giorgi flips the position of the two philosophers and between the two, inserts a portrait of Friedrich Nietszche.

The meaning behind the work of art is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.

Giorgi is holding a free presentation on his new body of art at the Hood River County Library meeting room at 4 p.m. on Oct. 22, where you can view the art and meet the artist.