Eye Claudio
A book by Claudio Silvestrin
With a preface by Clare Farrow and a postscript by Francesco Alberoni
In the work of Claudio Silvestrin, the most modern is also the most ancient. Selecting a simple palette of natural materials, and keeping the formal elements to a minimum he focuses on the essence of architectural configuration, with an unyielding vision that finds expression in the still, enduring line and silent beauty of the horizon. What concerns Silvestrin is the flow and ‘thickness’ of space and light – intensely felt and perceived; the soul (as he puts it) of the ‘humble’ materials he employs; the meeting-point between the horizontal and the vertical – earth and sky; and the balance between geometry and instinct, weight and lightness, the sensual curve and the austere line; between the stone and the space that it inhabits, between a building as both dwelling and sanctuary. Whether speaking of Raphael, St Francis of Assisi or Mies van der Rohe, Silvestrin shows architecture to encompass many disciplines.
It is often said that Silvestrin is as much an artist as he is an architect, and with his book-sculpture he has produced not only a manifesto of words and images but also an artwork in its own right. Conceived in two parts – the one theoretical, the other practical – Eye Claudio presents his writings (over a period of 18 years, including his lectures and aphorisms) and projects in parallel – linked by a flow of energy, in the form of geometric square cut-outs, that mirrors his creative process. The two parts – theory and practice – are separate elements, but at the same time they are interdependent. Silvestrin’s philosophy is also reflected in the presentation of his projects – ordered according to the natural elements, which are the instinctive foundations of his work: earth, air, fire, water and wood; together with geometry in its ancient sense – as the measuring of the earth, and the spiritual meaning of abstract forms.
Eye Claudio is 564 pages, measures 185 mm x 185 mm and
80mm thick
Price: €90 + Postage
To purchase Eye Claudio through Claudio Silvestrin Architects,
please send your enquiry to pa_claudiosilvestrin@claudiosilvestrin.com
Photo: Malena Mazza – Clare Farrow
