by donald dusinberre imartsyfartsy@gmail.com
It’s so rare for me to enjoy all the work in a single art gallery. I’m usually a grumpy spectator with the pessimistic belief that the crappiest artists are the most adept at littering gallery walls with their sub-par work. But for anyone interested in exploring high quality, dynamic contemporary art, The Jane Gray Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition entitled Bright Young Things. Running through March 30th, 2007, the exhibition features Clay Doran, Mark George, Ian Chase, and Andrea DeFlorio, and I hereby commend those artists for their forward thoughts and actions. Let me also give praise to the Jane Gray Gallery for providing such a nice place to visit.
Two things are certain at an art opening. You’ll always be able to talk to the artists, and there’s never enough cheap wine. Art openings are often packed with people more interested in the free wine than the art, which makes it difficult to find the featured artists. Although I missed out on the wine, I was able to talk at length to Andrea DeFlorio, one of the bright young artists whose work graced the walls of the Jane Gray Gallery. With so many pseudo-intellectuals and schmoozing sycophants, it was truly a relief to talk with such a down-to-earth artist. Placid and engaging, she made me feel at ease and even more interested in her work.
Sometimes, knowing the artist or the process by which the artist creates their work is immensely helpful. For instance, Jackson Pollock’s paintings might look like a bunch of splatters and silly string on a canvas, but once you learn a bit about the way Pollock painted and the art world at that time, his work makes a whole different kind of sense. Frankly, that kind of knowledge is probably the exact reason why you’re reading this article right now. The more you know, the more ideas your brain can spark with each painting.
In terms of appearance, Andrea DeFlorio’s paintings are far more discernable than those of Pollock, yet their semi-representational quality begs many questions:
EU: Do you have a specific audience in mind for your paintings?
DeFlorio: You know, I don’t. I never know who is going to be interested in the paintings.
EU: Who do you think appreciates your paintings the most, and do you believe they’re different than the people who might purchase them?
DeFlorio: People who appreciate my paintings and who buy my work come from all different socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, and educations. It is totally unpredictable...I never know.
EU: Is there a subtle idea or meaning attached to your paintings, or are they perhaps best viewed as expressions of color and composition?
DeFlorio: I think the paintings can be enjoyed on a couple of different levels. As you suggested, they can be seen as expressions of color and composition, but they can also be seen as something more. I like to think of chandeliers and other things that we buy - especially ones that we surround ourselves with at home - as having meaning beyond just their function. Domestic objects are an opportunity to express yourself, your fantasies, and your desires. Taste has its own psychology and it can reveal many things about a person. So, I guess I see the paintings as a vehicle through which to explore the domestic object as bearer of meaning.
EU: Why are all your paintings untitled? Do you have a specific reason?
DeFlorio: Titles are very important to me. I have always thought of titles as a way to give the viewer a starting place from which to begin to think about the paintings, as well as a little insight as to what I am thinking about when I create the work. In previous bodies of work my paintings were all titled, and the titles were very specific, but with these pieces, I wanted to leave it open. So I specifically left them untitled. This time I wanted to leave it up to the audience to decide what to think and bring more of themselves to the work.
EU: How important to the finished product is the process of creation?
DeFlorio: The process and the finished piece are inextricably linked. I couldn’t have one without the other.
EU: Each painting seems to contain only a handful of very distinct color choices, very often pastels. Do you deliberately restrict your color variations for each painting? What makes you choose certain color combinations?
DeFlorio: Wow. This is a big question. I could go on and on about my relationship to color. Yes, I do deliberately restrict the colors of the paintings. I don’t necessarily have a color concept in mind when I begin the process, but I do start by working out the colors beforehand on a small study. Ultimately, I choose the colors based purely on visual pleasure. Personally, I’ve always thought of color as a luxury, as an element of fantasy. I see these bold, bright colors as adding a fantasy life to the chandeliers.
EU: Is there an ideal environment for viewing your work?
DeFlorio: I have done some site-specific installations in the past where the environment is extremely important, but these paintings work well in a variety of environments: gallery, home, or office. Although I believe it is only when you have the opportunity to live/work with a painting and see it every day that it truly becomes alive.
EU: Tell the viewers of your artwork something they need to know to best appreciate it.
DeFlorio: Hmmm. I think you can just look at the work and enjoy it, or the viewer could think about how the work relates to the title of the series, Objects of Desire.
Visit the Jane Gray Gallery to see Andrea DeFlorio’s exquisite artwork on display until March 30th. Located just off Riverside Avenue at 643 Edison Avenue, it’s just north of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Building. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Hours during the evening and weekends are available by appointment only.
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