I realized this series of paintings – Paleobiologica – for revealing my paleontologic visions. Nonetheless, they are not random hallucinations. My visions raise from the scientific analysis of the Earth’s geologic and paleontologic record.

In fact the landscapes of Paleobiologica are based on real geologic features of precise fossil sites. I scrupulously investigated the geological features of each site: from the sediment grain size to its sedimentary structures. Successively, I integrated the sedimentologic information with the fossil record in order to be coherent with the most recent paleontological discoveries. These data has then been combined with paleogeographic and paleoclimatic information, aiming to develop a consistent and realistic depiction of the Earth’s remote past.

Underground City, showing trilobites and their burrows.

A crinoid with a nautilkoid in the background. Detail from Paleobiologica

Obviously, all this scientific research would be nothing without an aesthetic approach. In Paleobiologica I aimed to emphasize organisms as kinetic constituents of the landscape and, at the same time, I aspired for a sense of unity between the inorganic and organic elements. The large size of the paintings (some of them are 9×4 meters!) challenged me to achieve rhythm and harmony in the whole structure of the artworks.

In order to reach the aforementioned aims, I chose a mixture of digital tools for experimenting more with the arrangement of the visual ingredients. Indeed I did not follow formal rules of composition a priori, but I preferred to test various solutions. Similarly, I did not choose any artist as source of inspiration, although my favorite painters inevitably affected the visual language of Paleobiologica. For instance, when I wanted to depict the successive phases of a Deinonychus attack, I have been unconsciously influenced by the futurist Giacomo Balla (i.e. ‘Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash’).

Visitors in front of my ‘Dynamism of a Deinonychus’.

Visitors interacting with King of the Forest, in which I represented Tyrannosaurus, Parasaurolophus and several social hymenopterans.

I am a paleontologist, and fossils are my key for a world of prehistoric visions.
To the paleontologist’s eyes, fossils unveil tantalizing glimpses of the Earth’s prehistoric past. A fossil bone become an agile and elegant dinosaur. A fossil trackway materialize a herd of gigantic creatures. To the paleontologist, fossils are not just dust-covered objects, but vibrant experiences of sympathy through which the marvels of life are revealed.

To my eyes, fossils are alive.

Garden of Life, portraying a Vendian scenario.