Artist in studio on Point Breeze Ave where he worked from the late 60s to the late 70s
Mary D'Anella
1988 photograph taken for a feature
article in Philadelphia Magazine.
Luigi Ardimento, 1931-2004
Born in a strict Italian household in South Philadelphia with no room for creative expression, Luigi struggled to find his identity as an artist. As a young teenager he realized his artistic abilities when he started drawing cartoons, the influence of which is visible in his early work. Self-taught, he painted mostly from memory. His nature and street scenes, interiors, still lives and portraits are all synthesized compositions derived from long walks, his love for the streets and an intense relationship with the natural world around him. A fascination for the elements, snow, fog, sunlight and wind shimmers through much of his work.
He drew inspiration from the Dutch masters, but his main influences were the impressionist and post-impressionist painters. His heart beat as one with Vincent, Baudelaire and Modigliani, whose lifestyles captured his desire to live the life of a poet.
Throughout his career Luigi’s preferred medium was oil on canvas or Masonite. Drawings, mainly self-portraits, dominated his artistic expression during the final years of his life.
Luigi and children on Mount Desert Island, Maine during summer trip which inspired many of his subsequent paintings.
Outdoor Exhibition in Belmont, Philadelphia, May 1972.
Studio/bedroom in Wilson Park Projects, South Philadelphia in the late 50s, Luigi’s most prolific period as an artist.