Italian culture is nearly an endless source of inspiration!

You could write about Italy pretty much forever. I will do my best to avoid any cliché related to Italian culture, if that´s even possible when writing about Artist´s work so deeply rooted in the Italy. I think that´s how I actually started this text, damn!

This is rather a personal Art Blog, not some sort of official university course so I am not planning to refrain completely from my own opinions because I like Christian´s work a lot. On top of that, summer is gone, September is leaning towards its half, last people are getting back from their holidays in Italy and other fantastic places. Some people fight with "holiday is over blues" so perhaps it´s a perfect timing to publish this text which I have actually written during my own summer holiday in Italy. But, let´s take it one after another...

The Apennine Peninsula has fostered a rich creative and artistic culture. No clichés right? Ah, perhaps it´s not possible...

Italian has simply an incredibly impactful history of architecture, sculpture and painting, which later branched out into globally defining design and fashion. When considering design in the context of the 20th and 21st centuries, it is important to acknowledge the typeface as a phenomena on its own. While I am not an expert on typography, I am familiar with some key type groups. For example, everyone knows "Times New Roman" and "New Helvetica." Understanding of what fonts are is quiet substantial to understanding the distinctive contemporary paintings of Christian Ettmayr. But perhaps we stay in Italy a little longer...

It doesn't take a long walk in the streets of a simple regional Italian town to recognize the aesthetical value of a simple street sign. And it doesn't even have to be vintage. When discussing Italian street signs, it's important to understand that we are not referring to traffic signs. The vintage acrylic paintings by Christian Ettmayr focus on the nonchalant, simple civic street signs or indoor signs that kindly remind you to refrain from a certain activity or point your attention to an important local rule. Christian simply turns this form of visual communication into Art. There are of course some examples which are bit more literal like his painting called "Sali e Tabachi" one of the best known street signs in Italy. But to be honest I prefer those more simple ones like "Senso unico" which has more distilled style to it and feels actually really very modern and original a painting and as own artistic style.

I will be including a few examples of street signs that are rather unusual for other parts of Europe for you to be able to navigate a bit better in Christian´s work. For instance, "Proprieta privata," embedded as a stone in the paving in front of a house, is quite unique. The text and occasionally the typeface have clearly served as a strong artistic inspiration for a number of acrylic paintings by Christian Ettmayr. When you see that Roman typeface chiseled into a piece of marble, you get a feeling of stepping on a piece of history. It is simply an acknowledgment that the piece of pavement is not public and belongs to the owner of the house. Simple, yet aesthetically pleasing! It´s no surprise that it has been so inspiring.

On my walks through Italian Grado, I have noticed the sensibility being used when domestic and public signs and warnings are being placed. These signs are usually smaller than in other countries in Europe, clearly showing respect for the aesthetics of public space. The culture and art are already present within. I find it quiet amazing. This is one of the invisible aesthetical factors recognized by Christian and his work.

The balance between consciously chosen size and the color of the background combined with consciously chosen text is the main ingredient of Italian street sign-inspired paintings such as Sali e Tabacchi, Spiaggia Libera, Ingresso Libero, Listino Prezzi and many others. The careful selection of typeface and the integration of text within the sign field are crucial and remind me of how quickly one can recognize being in a different country simply by noticing the use of a different font on exterior signs.

Do you ever have the feeling of looking at a familiar sign and realizing that something about it has changed? The difference may be subtle, but it's there. It could be the thickness of the letters or the spacing between them that catches your eye. This is the artistic domain of street sign inspired acrylic paintings by Christian Ettmayr. It's a world of carefully designed and layouted text with a touch of vintage Italian heritage. Christian Ettmayr appreciates the aesthetic value of monochromatic backgrounds and clean typefaces, and he incorporates these elements into his work with unparalleled artistic sensibility.

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Peter von Hauerland