Xavier Casalta
Xavier Casalta is a French artist specializing in stippling, a technique he uses to create detailed drawings using millions of dots and thousands of hours. After a decade exploring the different aspects of the technique, he now focuses on creating large works depicting antique subjects, floral compositions and architecture.
What is the vision (the common thread, founding concept or main objective) that you pursue through your work?
For a little over ten years, I have been trying to perfect an ancestral technique by pushing its limits in order to bring to life works never seen before. The millions of small black ink dots placed over the years, after more than 30,000 hours of practice, have allowed me to reach a level of precision and detail that meets my initial expectations. I hope that over the next few decades, I will be able to push these limits even further by focusing on several meters-long formats, created over several years, to generate even greater wonder in those who contemplate my works.
What cultural or historical roots, or what other disciplines or areas of society do you think have most influenced your profession?
I have a great passion for all professions that involve traditional know-how, quite far from current modernity. Fascinated by antiquity, the Greek and Roman periods, and more recently Celtic art, I have been collecting various antique objects for years, such as marbles, mosaics, and coins that I include in my ink compositions on paper. The artistic genius found in coins over 2000 years old, the complexity of the motifs and the scenes represented on mosaics, the finely detailed jewelry... All these subjects inspire and fascinate me. At the same time, I am equally attached to the work of the letter, to the variety of architectural styles, from ancient to modern. Among my favorite drawings, you can find drawings of Parisian facades with Haussmannian buildings and private mansions.
What are the main changes you have observed in your profession over time and the challenges that could arise in the coming decades? How do they reflect societal and technological transformations?
My daily work has changed very little over the years, apart from a recent exploration of more varied subjects such as antiquity, my routine has remained quite identical. I am fortunate to be relatively unaffected by societal and technological evolutions, since I work with a traditional technique, all the innovation especially in terms of digital and AI does not intervene in my creative approach. I continue to work with tools that were used in the 20th century, on a paper from a company created in the 15th century.
Hermes
Is there a book, movie or piece of art you think perfectly captures the essence or dilemmas of your profession?
A work that inspired one of my drawing series would be "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi, this series being my favorite and one of the most appreciated by my collectors. A set of four squares of flowers representing each season with flowers and fruits. One of these pieces was even my first work to be sold at auction at Artcurial.
Imagine you could create a capsule that would travel through the universe and time, what would you like to put in it?
Having a quite varied collection, it would be difficult to make a choice! My favorite ancient coins, engravings from different centuries, notably one by Jean Audran entitled "Virtue is pleasing although vanquished" after a painting by Charles Lebrun (late 17th century), my ancient books on architecture and letter models. On the more contemporary side, a sculpture by Haroshi, a sketch by James Jean... The first sketches from my youth to my most recent. My first work for Maison Dior, and my drawing of Marcus Aurelius, my most complex work to date with more than 2400 hours spent inking. And finally, perhaps to finish, a pen with its black ink cartridge!