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MIDWAY — Though he focuses most of his artistic energy on depicting the American West, painter Robert Duncan says he has always tried to create work that speaks to people from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures.
Now, that methodology has been validated for the Midway artist.
His work is on display on the town of Lovere, Italy — literally. Duncan’s paintings are being projected onto the sides of buildings throughout the town. The project is dubbed “Lovere, Il Borgo Della Luce,” or “Lovere, the Town of Light.”
“I’ve always tried to create paintings that spoke to a universal audience, to paint things that people in a lot of different places could relate to,” Duncan said. “So that’s probably the greatest reward for me.”
The mayor of Lovere discovered Duncan’s work after seeing an online slideshow of some paintings. He loved the art and got in touch with Duncan’s family to ask if the paintings could be used in the project.
This will be the third edition of “Lovere, Il Borgo Della Luce,” according to the town’s website. It’s intended to enhance the architecture and the historic beauty of Lovere.
Duncan is the first American artist to be featured in the installation, which takes place each year during Christmastime.
Duncan was born in 1952 in Salt Lake City and began drawing at age five, according to his website. He spent summers helping out on his grandparents’ ranch in Wyoming. His work focuses on scenes of the American West.
Though it’s thousands of miles away on a different continent, Lovere is geographically somewhat similar to Utah. The town is nestled in the Alps in northern Italy and is on the shore of a picturesque lake.
“I love that,” Duncan said. “I love the little bit of uniting our cultures in a way with my art. I’m honored by that for sure.”
Duncan’s grandfather is from nearby Slovenia, so it is meaningful for him to have work featured in that part of the world, he said.
Duncan is on deadline for another project and is working hard at the easel, so he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to make it to Lovere to see the display, he said. The family is considering a last minute trip, though, before the project ends on January 13, Duncan said.
Duncan was in Paris last year during Christmastime, and experiencing Christmas in a historic town was interesting, he said.
“It’s kinda fun and something different,” Duncan said. “So when I saw my paintings in that kind of format, it was really kind of exciting.”
Seeing the artwork as big as a building is different, as well, Duncan said. But he said he has always tried to create work that looks good whether it’s displayed on a small postcard or a gigantic building wall.
Duncan is excited that Utahns are able to get a peek at the Lovere art display, he said.
“You’re trying to make something that looks good from across a large room or up close, so if it works that large, I’m thrilled because that’s really something that I try for — to have art that you can’t tell when you see a picture whether it’s huge or a little painting,” Duncan said.
