William Vinci is an artist, master plasterer and founder of Pure Plaster, a recognized decorative arts and historical ornamental plaster studio in New York City. His body of work includes painting, drawing, mixed medium and fine art restoration. Vinci’s (b.1956) early years were influenced by the artisanal life and culture of his grandfather the fine figurative artist Amedeo D’ Aponte and his early years spent in Tuscany.
Vinci’s early series of white and gray relief paintings created during his time at the Parsons New School and The Arts Students League brought him to the attention of the abstract minimalist and former Professor of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania, Angelo Savelli. Savelli served as a mentor to Vinci from1984 until 1995 the year of his inclusion in the Venice Biennale, a retrospective at the Prato Art Museum and his passing. Throughout this time Vinci assisted Savelli in his Soho and Water Street studios preparing for museum and gallery exhibitions, archiving and restoring work. During this time Savelli introduced Vinci to his inner circle which included the artists Pietro Dorazio and Will Barnett. In 1985 Vinci was commissioned to restore an Alexander Calder mobile, a successful and important undertaking that furthered his development in fine art restoration. Instrumental in this pivotal period of his life was Sergio Cossa, president of Emergency Records, an early advocate, supporter and promoter of his work. Cossa introduced Vinci to Savelli, coordinated private showings of his work to collectors, the media and personally commissioned art and furniture installations. His friendship and advice remain a continual source of guidance to this day.
Starting in 1989 Vinci began working on interior design projects, experimenting with furniture fabrications and the plaster medium as applied to surface finishes which culminated in an award for furniture design at the ICFF Jacob Javits Center in 1991. Time spent working on interior design eventually led to Vinci forming a specialty finishes studio and later Pure Plaster in 2006. His experimentation with plaster and a return to drawing led to a series that combine minimalist plaster relief and figurative traditional fresco and secco painting. Harriet Glazier, an artist known for her mixed medium sculptural paintings, also a friend and advisor, was an influence in his return to figurative drawing.
In his New York City and East Hampton studios, Vinci continues to explore work in the plaster medium and is currently working with mixed medium including a series of organic paintings involving materials exposed to moisture and decomposition. His liquified plaster paintings have been included in auctions, exhibited and sold in New York and the eastern end of Long Island. His steel fiber and pigment compositions are currently with private collectors in Manhattan.
