What's Home for A British Artist and Writer Who Moved to Lake Como? A Chat with Paul Wright
Let’s continue with our interviews to artistic personalities to investigate the atavistic concept of Home. We had a chat with Paul Wright, award-winning stage designer, artist, and author.
We have known Paul for several years now, having lived for a long time within walking distance of our office in Argegno. His house, which we proudly had in our portfolio of our best listings, was a kaleidoscope of works of art, a manifesto of his multifaceted personality. That type of house that is full of the life of those who live there.
In his incredible works, Paul is able to capture the changing nuances of Lake Como, with that kind of patience and perseverance that comes when you deeply love a territory. Anyone who lives here knows it: the color of the lake changes from hour to hour, its surface dances with the wind at ever-changing rhythms, the light illuminates precise points of the mountains (the ones she wants). A landscape like this is a meteor, it's a magical frame that literally slips through our fingers: but Paul manages to paint all the poetry of this unique scenario on his canvas.
But what about the multifaceted concept of Home for an artist like Paul? For him, the house is like a shell that has followed him in his infinite artistic peregrinations - not so much a nest in which to put down firm and reassuring roots, rather a functional element of his art, something that can always be renegotiated, rebuilt, every time from scratch.
However, there was a house here by the lake, in Moltrasio, which profoundly marked his artistic life and somehow had a different, special role in the constellation of his multiple trajectories: it’s from there, from a little village of 1000 inhabitants, that his career took a remarkable boost.
Interestingly, Paul has also written several books about living in Italy. "An Italian Home - settling by Lake Como" in particular is an insightful tribute to the so-called "village life", the authentic side of the “dolce vita” of our awesome lake. A truly insightful and often funny depiction of Italian Life we suggest you to read if you are thinking of moving to Northern Italy.
Why did you decide to move to the Lake Como region?
Nicola, my wife, was an au pair for a family in Como and then Moltrasio when she was a teenager. Some years later she met me in Godalming, England and after a while she moved into my house to live with me. When it came to summer holidays she took me to Moltrasio. Five years later, we decided to move to Italy and there was only one place to go and that was Moltrasio, because we had very fond memories of it. By coincidence, the family she used to au pair for were about to move to another part of Italy for work purposes and after a ten minute telephone conversation with them we decided to rent their house for a year. Only for a year at first to see if we could make a living in Italy. In fact we stayed in their house in via Besana for three years because after only six weeks, I was fortunate enough to meet some people who lived in a nearby Torno and they offered me ten months work painting murals in their villa.
Did you have the chance to live (or work) in different properties in Italy?
In the first house we rented in Moltrasio I utilised a spare room as a studio, mainly doing the designs for the murals I was painting. I also found other work for a notable Como architect who provided me with several mural projects. I also had the opportunity to work for a Count in his residence in Milan who commissioned me to paint the entire 25 metres high entrance hall and stairway to his palazzo. After via Besana we moved to a small apartment above an ex-butcher’s shop in Moltrasio which I converted it into a studio / gallery and that encouraged me to start painting watercolors of the area because I suddenly had a passing tourist trade, given that there are several hotels in the village.
Moltrasio - Paul Wright
How much is there of Lake Como and your roots in your work?
Having lived beside the lake for 28 of our 31 years in this area, I have featured the lake in hundreds of watercolors, drawings and in a dozen murals. I have also featured it in three non-fiction books that I have written. Therefore, I would say the lake has been crucial to my work.
Is there a work of yours that's particularly linked to your love for Lake Como?
I would say all my work, either painting or writing, as Lake Como is so massive and varied, both in climate and in stunning locations that are so inspirational and challenging, that trying to harness it in the best possible way in whatever form requires love and devotion.
Beethoven moved about 80 times in his life, probably for his "artistic restlessness". What connection do you think there is between home and the creative impulse for an artist?
In my case I’ve moved home at least 30 times but I wouldn’t say it was because of a creative connection - it was always because of the necessity to follow work. I worked as a set designer in theatre, TV and film for 18 years and this meant relocating when I was appointed “resident designer” for various theatre companies throughout the UK. In Italy Nicola and I have moved four times and two of those have been for work purposes.
Is there a house, even from your past, that has played a fundamental role in your identity as an artist?
I would say the house with the ex-butchers shop in Moltrasio was fundamental to my art career because the landlords were kind enough to let me use the shop on the ground floor. That gave me the exposure that I required to get me started in Italy because it meant I had a place to display work. Let’s not forget that there were important hotels in the area and several tourists out exploring the area, stumbled across my studio and, not only bought paintings and my trompe l’oeil painted furniture, but ended up commissioning me to go to America to work.
Do you believe in the energy of houses and their souls? What makes you fall in love with a property?
Every property creates an individual atmosphere that can be sensed as soon as you open the door for the first time. The history is not so important but what makes me fall in love with a property is simply a feeling and — where you can fit your old furniture!
Is there an artistic work (be it a song, a painting or a poem) that you associate in particular with a house that you love or have loved particularly during your past life?
Frank Sinatra’s “Moonlight in Vermont.” When I was in Moltrasio, two holidaymakers, an American husband and wife, stumbled upon my workshop and asked me to come and work on their house in Vermont, US. I never imagined that I would be working in Vermont. It was a dream come true.
Do you have a room or a corner of your current house where - either because of the objects that surround you, or because of a particular light - you feel you can best gather concentration for your work?
For my writing I have a laptop perched on the end of the dining table that I work at for four hours every day. I am usually accompanied by one of our two cats who like to help me. For painting I use the taverna. It’s big enough and I can make a mess without being told off.
The hardest question at the end, as always: tell us what home is for you, in one word.
Security.
About Paul, author & artist:
Following a period spent designing stage, TV and film sets, Paul started his own art studio in Surrey painting murals in the homes of some of the worlds most famous celebrities, including, on occasion, royalty. In the 1990s, he moved to Lake Como in northern Italy with his wife where he continues to write and paint. Paul has written three narrative non-fiction books about the life and culture surrounding Lake Como. The first of the trilogy is An Italian Home. The sequel is An Italian Village and the third of the trilogy is Cats Do Eat Spaghetti. Dear Manager: Forever a Red is Paul's fourth book. Paul's latest book, An Italian Island is also a novel. It is an exciting and very different story about a life changing Italian holiday.
If you care to contact Paul to discuss any of his books: pwnja@gruppointercom.net
What’s your concept of Home? We’re eager to hear your story.