Sandro Del Rosario shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Sandro, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: When was the last time you felt true joy?
When I was able to work on my art. As short as it was, being in front of my images, layering the colors, thinking over about the project I’m trying to give shape to, provided an unmistakable joy. I feel other artists might understand what I’m talking about. It is a feeling of deep connection with one’s soul, of excitement in the exploration, of discovery, of joy.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an interdisciplinary artist who chose animation as this wonderful way to set drawings, paintings, and photographs in motion, using bi-dimensional layers to create the feeling of three-dimensional, emotional spaces. The way I work is experimental and labor intensive, and materials and processes change for each project. My personal and creative identity is shaped by memories of feelings and places, and I use animation to bring those memories to life again and share them with others.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
An Italian abstract painter I took classes from when I was young, Gabriella Capodiferro, had a tremendous influence on the way I learned to appreciate and analyze works of art. My first trip to the Venice Biennale with her in 1988 was a groundbreaking experience for me, and gave me the first inspiration to pursue art as a career. Later, another wonderful teacher and artist, Jules Engel, who was the founder of the Experimental Animation program at CalArts, taught me the value of explorative play in animation, and gave me the confidence to believe in my ideas and my work.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
When I was young my family didn’t encourage or support my desire to study art, and it has been a deep wound for a long time. Many of the challenges I had to face later, somehow highlighted a lack of confidence in myself linked to that wound.
My first steps in the professional world, as a graphic designer in Italy (which was my undergraduate specialization), were a minefield of disappointments and exploitation, and it seems that connections, family lineage, and politics were more important that talent and hard work.
Later on, as a filmmaker and animation artist in the United States, I also experienced similar setbacks (although less than in my native country) and often I felt “unseen”, and under appreciated, including in the academic arena where I work right now.
These wounds are deep, and difficult to heal. I don’t know if I healed them, but I know that I have never – ever – given up, and the enthusiasm and love for my art never faltered.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
There is a relentless push to digital technology and to AI, in Academia right now as well as in the world. The lie is that AI will improve our lives, or “democratize” education. Instead, I believe the opposite is already happening. Clearly, the heavy use of technology (phones in particular) has neither made people smarter, more productive or better educated. We are dealing with young individuals who have the shortest attention span in history, who are unable to concentrate, who are under the threat of anxiety, mental health disorders, addiction, and a deep, pervasive inability to socially interact with their similars. Besides, this push to technology clearly satisfy the entrepreneurial and capitalistic goals of a few individuals who make up the top 1% of our world. We need to revalue the use of our hands and traditional media in learning, as well as critical thinking and in person relationships if we want to grow in a more equitable and fully functional world.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am doing what I was born to do, finally. As an experimental animation artist and educator, I feel I fulfilled my dreams. It didn’t come easy though, as I pointed before in other questions, and sometimes the price I paid to follow my desire was very high. But I never gave up the dream of doing what I thought was born to do.
For as long as I can, I want to contribute in sharing the knowledge of this wonderful art form, which is still for the most part unknown and under-appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sandrodelrosario.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrodelrosario
Image Credits
Sandro Del Rosario
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