Biography

Marcello Scarselli was born in Santa Maria a Monte, in the province of Pisa, in 1953.

Graduated from the State Technical Institute of Pontedera, he attended courses in drawing, carving and subsequently in engraving at the International School of Graphics) “Il Bisonte” in Florence.

Marcello Scarselli started his artistic career in the 1970, taking part in several collective exhibitions, as well as in the lively aesthetic debate in the same period. Decisive for his vocational training were meetings, friendships and cultural exchanges with several Tuscan artists.

Scarselli’s early works are marked by a realistic representation; subsequently they turn towards the rendering of an idea of the “real” pictorial rediscovered internally by way of memory and intuition and expressed through the continuous experimentation of avant-garde techniques and contents. As the critic Giuseppe Cordoni points out, “most of the critics have repeatedly stressed the flexible (ductile) complexity and stylistic eclecticism that feeds the synthesis to which Scarselli’s language gradually reaches: abstract and informal expressionism, sign gestures and childish oneirism” .the ductile complexity and stylistic eclecticism that feeds the synthesis to which Scarselli’s language gradually reaches: abstract and informal expressionism, sign gestures and childish oneirism”.

(Through his early works, Marcello Scarselli intends to achieve a realistic representation; subsequently, he turns towards the depiction of a pictorial “reality” – discovered in his inner being through memory and intuition and expressed through a constant experimentation of techniques and cutting-edge contents. As noted by the critic Joseph Cords, “Much of the criticism has often already stressed the ductile complexity and stylistic eclecticism that feeds the synthesis, which the artistic language of Marcello Scarselli gradually reaches: abstract and informal expressionism, gestures of signs and a childishly dreamlike language.)

“Dino Carlesi, a poet and an art critic, points out: “A remarkable graphic sense gives new impetus to the works of Marcello Scarselli. Every sign lives on its own limitless freedom, takes up the sheet in its own way, as if to mean the emptiness of reality; grey vertical traces matched with circles, parallel planes interrupted by almost figural hieroglyphs, kites, moons, stairs and heads, figures that hide behind evanescent stripes. Nevertheless, beyond the specific meanings, everything implies a narrative urgency, as though the lyrical sign became a word and a symbol.”

The critic of art Nicola Nuti writes: “After deepening his painting and plastic in a realistic sense, he gradually felt the need to experiment with abstract dynamics or, at least, structures in which the figurative structure is altered profitably in contact with the linguistic synthesis of non-traditional forms. The result is a page of deeply lyrical compositions, albeit far from narrative or descriptive elements. Scarselli combines the memory of signs and forms with naturalistic horizons, that is, preserves the emotional imprint of things without denying the images or archetypes that have impressed them on the collective consciousness.

Although the Tuscan artist began his artistic and exhibition career in the early seventies, his curiosity and desire to expand the pictorial lexicon led him to a greater selection of places and opportunities to exhibit his work “.

(“After having added a realist touch to his painting and plastic representation, Marcello Scarselli has gradually felt the need to experience abstract dynamics or, at least, structures whose figurative frameworks are profitably altered in relation with the linguistic synthesis of non-traditional forms.

Marcello Scarselli matches the memory of signs and forms with naturalistic horizons, i.e., he retains the emotional mark of things without denying the images and archetypes through which they have been impressed on the collective consciousness. Although this Tuscan artist started his artistic career in the early 1970s, his curiosity and the desire to enhance his style led him to a skilful selection of places and opportunities to exhibit his works.”)

His work as a painter has increased during the years through a constant exhibition activity in Italy and abroad (Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, Portugal, England, Croatia, Japan), with wide-ranging solo exhibitions, such as  at the “Maison d’Italie” (Cité Universitaire) in Paris and at the “Foire de Nice” (Fair of Nice), by invitation of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in France.

The sculpture is a no less important parenthesis for Scarselli. In 2002 he made a bronze bas-relief depicting the Vittorio Emanuele square in Bientina; in 2016 he made the monumental sculpture “Pinocchio and the game of the circle” (h. 3.90 mt) in Corten steel positioned in San Miniato (Pisa) and in 2019 a monument to Sanminiatesi fallen on the job “Work, Salary, Dignity, Freedom” in the municipality of San Miniato in the province of Pisa.

Among his works, we can mention some art labels for fine wines produced in Bolgheri, created for the exhibition “Versilia Wine Art”, organized by Lodovico Gierut.

In 2011, the English critics selected him for an international exhibition at the Royal Opera Arcade – Pall Mall, in London.

In 2012, he painted for the Municipality of Pontedera “Omaggio a Renzo Remorini” (A Tribute to Renzo Remorini) − hosted at the Centro La Badia (Centre “La Badia”).

Some of his works were also the subject of locations for advertising photo shoots, such as the Del Tongo/Delta Group’s commercial catalogue “Dream design” (2006) and the catalogue Soggetto-Oggetto (Subject-Object) Art (2012).

He is included in the catalogue of the 2011 and 2012 edition of the Enciclopedia d’Arte italiana (Encyclopedia of Italian Art).

In 2012, Marcello Scarselli was one of the main artists at the Rita A. Dollmann’s photographic exhibition “Lo spazio e l’artista” (The Space and the Artist) – last act of the reportage made in the art studies and hosted at the Ginori Castle of Querceto in Montecatini Val di Cecina (province of Pisa).

In 2013, there was the remarkable traveling exhibition – organized by Giuseppe Cordoni and Filippo Lotti  – “Humanitas Machinæ (il lavoro dipinto, the painted work)”, with stopovers at Medici Riccardi’s Palace (Florence), at Medici’s Palace (Serravezza, in the province of Lucca) and at the Museo Piaggio in Pontedera (province of Pisa). In the context, a rich art catalog was published by Bandecchi & Vivaldi in Pontedera, in which there are testimonies of writers such as: Massimo Dalle Luche, Alberto Bellocchio, Umberto Piersanti.

In 2014, after the collective exhibition “Il Muro – 25 anni dopo (The Wall, 25 Years After)” at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Rome, he donated one of his works, to commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the same year, the cover of the book of poems “Strana-mente distratti dalla vita (Strange-ly Distracted by Life)” by Italo Zingoni bears the representation of one of his works – and some of his paintings are included in the work book.                                                                                                                                                                                                    In 2015 “Ignis” (My gesture) was organized as a great exhibition at the Museum of Pretorio Palace in Certaldo, in the province of Florence, with Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo Gallery curated by Roberto Milani and Filippo Lotti, and with the patronage of EXPO-Milano 2015.

In 2015 he participated in the Art week in Sardinia in the resorts with the Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo Gallery. In the same year the prestigious collective “Expo Arte Italiana” was organized at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi in Varedo (MB) curated by Vittorio Sgarbi. In the same year “The perfume of the wind” was curated by Catia Monacelli and Filippo Lotti in the Monumental Church of San Francesco in Gualdo Tadino in the province of Perugia.

In 2017 the exhibition at Del Pegaso Palace, in Florence, headquarters of the Tuscany Region, was curated by Riccardo Ferrucci.

In 2018 “Symbola” exhibition in Rome at the Simmi Gallery was curated by Luca Nannipieri; in the same year  his anthological exposition was organized at the Palazzo dei Priori in Volterra, in the province of Pisa. In October 2018 he was invited to Tokyo in Japan where he exhibited at the Tokiù Plaza in Ginza with “The noise of the Earth”.

In May 2019 he held an exhibition in the spaces of the B&B in Tokyo and in June 2019 in the premises of Kiton Hilton with the collaboration of Lidea & .co, and, subsequently, in the premises of the Cruciani Grand Front in Osaka in Japan.

In 2019 he presented his works  in  the exhibition “Wireless puppet” at the Fondazione Parco di Pinocchio, in Collodi in the province of Pistoia, and, subsequently, at the Lu.C.C.A Lounge & Underground in Lucca  curated by Maurizio Vanni and Filippo Lotti.

He participated in “Leonardo 50.0” promoted by the Association VivaVinci in collaboration with Fuoriluogo, organized by Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo and curated by Filippo Lotti with critical intervention by Ivan Quaroni in the city of Vinci in the province of Florence.

Moreover in 2019 he created a monument to the Samminiatesi who fell at work, “Work, Salary, Dignity, Freedom”. In 2020 the exhibition on Pinocchio at the Chiesa della Spina in Pisa with the Casa d’Arte San Lorenzo gallery, and also the Murals at the Miró School in Pontedera commissioned from the Municipality. In 2022 he took part to “Artinsolite Teatro Del Silenzio” in Lajatico directed by Filippo Lotti and Alberto Bartalini.

In September 2022 the exhibition “Good Morning Taviani” curated by Riccardo Ferrucci and promoted by the Lucca Film Festival & Europa Cinema.

He has participated in various international art fairs, in Innsbruck and Lugano with Sincresis Association by Alessandra Scappini, and also in London, Bolzano, Nice.

He is cited by several personalities from the world of art and culture: Salvatore Amodei, Sandra Campaioli, Elena Capone, Dino Carlesi, Renato Civello, Giuseppe Cordoni, Giovanni Faccenda, Riccardo Ferrucci, Catia Giaccherini, Lodovico Gierut, Egidio Innocenti, Filippo Lotti, Mario Meozzi, Nicola Micieli, Roberto Milani, Franco Milone, Catia Monacelli, Nicola Nuti, Bruno Pollacci, Daniela Pronestì, Mario Rocchi, Alessandra Scappini, Giandomenico Semeraro, Alessandro Toppi, Ursula Vetter, Ivan Quaroni, Selenia Fanteria, Pier Francesco Bernacchi, Maurizio Vanni, Luca Nannipieri, Ilario luperini

Many of his works appear in museums, public and private collections.

He lives and works in Bientina (Pisa), Italy.