Description of Work

Autobiographical - 2022 - Charcoal on paper - Not For Sale

Artist's Statement

My research through drawings is based on discovery of myself through the exploration of portraiture of close family and friends. Growing up in an Italian household, one value instilled was that family is our most valued relationship; this bond influences my work. We Italians are extremely passionate, we argue with passion, cook and eat with passion, and we love one another with passion.

I have transformed this passion into creating a body of work that I call autobiographical. An inspiration to me is Chuck Close’s early large-scale portraits. Close choose to only workwith references of family and friends, a key distinction between his work and other portrait painters. He painted his subject without an intent to capture a personality. This is where my work differentiates from Close; not only do I try to capture a flattering likeness, but I also attempt to showcase a soul, which can only be done successfully I believe if the artist personally knows the individual.

My process starts with a photo of someone with a neutral expression, I am interested in how a camera captures someone as opposed to the human eye. I then start drawing using charcoal. I use charcoal because of its malleability. I can shade, add textures and details with ease. I manipulate charcoal in an additive and subtractive process which allows for specific mark making through a classical technical approach.

I choose to draw people that have had an influence on my life and treat the act of drawing itself as a form of contemplation; spending countless hours looking, drawing, and reflecting on the relationship between the person I am drawing and myself. When finished, the drawing changes my perspective of each person; I feel as if through the act of drawing them, through my perspective, I created a more intimate and empathetic relationship between them and I.

If you wish to purchase any of these pieces, please contact the gallery director, Jacqueline Nathan (jnathan@bgsu.edu.)