Alex Turco: A Master Of Mediums
With a career that spans the worlds of design, interiors and art, Alex Turco is a creative force to be reckoned with.
For Alex Turco, art has always been a constant. With a father who was and still is a painter, graphic designer and photographer, Turco’s esthetic is one fuelled largely by the creativity imbued in him from a young age. By the time he was nine he’d won awards like “Best Young Photographer,” he’d seen his work published in magazines, and by the age of 13 he was experimenting with graphic design. While he still utilizes those early experiences in his work today, it wasn’t long before he had strayed into stage and set design, fashion and interiors.
For Turco, his success didn’t just come from the inspiration he took from his father, but also from his unconventional approach to collaboration. “Thanks to my father I started as a graphic designer and painter,” says Turco. “I grew up with these from the beginning. The key to our success, however, was to believe in interior design firms and architects, rather than art galleries or art collectors. That was very different and unusual for an artist, but it was key. We called designers we liked at the time, sent samples and afterwards they would send us requests and we would do the work.”
“We Always Ask Which Colour Or Material A Designer Uses So We Can Match That. We Always Want Our Work To Complement A Space, Rather Than Break A Style”
Today, Turco’s work revolves around decorative art panels that have, due to their striking visual impact, become so sought after that they’re considered cult objects. They can be found in homes across Italy and America, as well as commercial spaces worldwide. Fendi is one such client, and Turco has designed panels for the brand’s Miami, New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles showrooms. “We always ask which colour or material a designer uses so we can match that,” he continues. “We always want our work to complement a space, rather than break a style.”
When asked what inspires him, Turco is quick to proclaim his love for nature, minerals and fossils, stating that the natural world is the “best inspiration.” But, beyond that, he enjoys looking at other artists to inspire his craft. “I love the photographer David LaChapelle, Italian artist Vincenzo De Cotiis and fashion house Saint Laurent,” he continues. “Because what we do is mixed media, I try to take inspiration from everything and all artists so I can use it to create something new.”
Having worked on so many projects across so many mediums, Turco needed a new way to brand himself. As his website states, after becoming “an artist who is not a painter, a graphic designer who is not an advertising man, a non-professional photographer, an entrepreneur,” he decided to brand himself in 2006 as an ARTDESIGNER. And though it may be hard to pick a highlight or favourite moment with such an expansive career, he states that projects like his collaboration with Louis Vuitton in Beijing, Shanghai and Los Angeles were particularly poignant as “they inspired us with future projects.”
Currently based in Los Angeles, Turco shows no sign of slowing down and is already working on his next project, Only One. “It will be a collection of unique furniture pieces that incorporates tables, coffee tables and so on,” he explains. “It will be something very different to what we normally do but people like bespoke, unique design pieces so I feel it’s a strong idea.” But, aside from his work, Turco enjoys the simple things in life. “An ideal, beautiful day for me is to wake up early. I prefer the day to the night. I’d work out, work on my creations and spend time with nature,” he concludes. “This is why I live in Los Angeles. It’s the best place to wake up early, walk and spend time with my wife.”
