Meet Dante Shelly | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dante Shelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dante, why did you pursue a creative career?

Creativity is my form of expression. It’s how I interact and live in the world. Whether writing, painting or photographing, I am my best self when I am creating.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I began my creative career as a Getty commercial photographer, where I spent several years photographing Oscar winners and nominees: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Casey Affleck, Octavia Spencer, Kate Hudson and others. My work has appeared in magazines such as Time Magazine, Teen Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, and Rolling Stone, and I am a founding partner of Greenlight Creative, an entertainment design agency. My expertise behind the lens introduced me to my passion project: ETERNAL BEAUTY – an art book about the monumental cemetery sculptures in Italy.

I’m really happy to have this forthcoming coffee table picture book out in the world, to share with everyone the beauty of these dying treasures. While there are already a few books out there by amateur photographers that cover this subject, there is a grace, tenderness and emotional tenor that have not been previously captured photographically. Sadly, marble doesn’t do well in certain conditions, like rain and snow, so these masterpieces are fighting for survival against time. ETERNAL BEAUTY captures these artworks in all their emotional decay and dignity for future generations to behold.

I’m honored to have ten expert contributors provide context for these monuments, offering insight into the history, artistry and meaning of these resplendent monuments. These contributors consist of notable art historians, museum curators and monument conservators from across Europe and America, plus J. Paul Getty Museum Senior Curator & Department Head of Sculpture and Decorative Arts, Anne-Lise Desmas, PhD who has written the book’s foreword.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Here are some thoughts:

Food is essential. Here’s the best: Factory Kitchen, Cut Restaurant, Bestia, Bike Shed (free parking for motorcycle riders), Joey Downtown (tasty burgers), Zinc in DTLA’s Art District (you’d never know it’s vegan) and don’t forget Intelligentsia Tea & Coffee for a tasty hot chocolate.

Rush to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena and The Broad Museum in Downtown LA.

The Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, and Malibu Surfrider Beach are all must-sees for anybody visiting Los Angeles for the first time – ideally on a motorbike.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

A shoutout to Tami, my Italian wife. ETERNAL BEAUTY, the ultimate collection of cemetery photographs I shot at five cemeteries in Italy, was inspired by her. My wife loved to hang around a cemeteries in New York and Los Angeles. She loved to go there often because it was quiet and comforting. I thought she was nuts, but after spending time with her, she showed me these beautiful marble sculptures, and I understood.

We were married in Chianti, Italy and the culture has always been a romantic draw. I began shooting these outdoor museums during our honeymoon and several travels to Italy with my wife or alone, and I haven’t stopped since. What’s waiting to be published is one of the most comprehensive collections of funeral sculptures ever assembled.

Website: https://www.danteshelly.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eternalbeautyphotos/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EternalBeautyBk

Image Credits
Images ©Dante Shelly