Paolo Cristianis wonderfully observed scenes of airports, hotel rooms and city streets all places of movement and transition present a tangible yet unpopulated world. Cristianis rich colors and detail are realistic with just enough heightening to create an inviting warmth, becoming attractive and relatable in a way that real hotel rooms seldom are. The viewer can easily imagine entering the space of a Cristiani painting, yet there are no protagonists in the work; there are rarely any figures in the frame, and the few who do appear are turned away, for all intents and purposes faceless. The human presence in these works lives in a half-empty water glass, or the ruffle of a bedspread that has been tossed aside just so.
Cristiani is equally adept with oil, acrylic and ink, in addition to practicing mixed media sculpture with wood, terracotta and cloth. Born in Milan, the artist remains based in northern Italy but travels frequently. His series Airport and Hotels aims to capture and fix the silence and the human movement within a virtual reality.
Exhibition Dates: December 20, 2012 January 12, 2013
Reception: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 6-8 pm
Gallery Location: 530 West 25th St, New York City
Gallery Hours: Tues Sat, 11a.m. – 6 p.m.
Event URL: http://www.agora-gallery.com/artistpage/Paolo_Cristiani.aspx
About the Exhibition
In The Odyssey Within viewers are introduced to art that takes the power of tradition and melds it with the thrilling novelty of the present. Charming, thought-provoking and intelligent, this is art with the ability to inspire. Pathway to Abstraction explores the force and creativity that consummate skill offers when combined with a feeling of daring and innovation. Lively, lovely and full of energy, the art contains both breadth and depth in terms of both content and technique. The artists of Sensorial Realms sensitively investigate the complex layers of human thought and imagination, yet remain carefully rooted in the physical world. The result is an appealing meeting of everything that is most fascinating about human nature and experience.
Featured Artists:
The Odyssey Within
Mariana Acua | Laura Almerico | Stefania Buccio Gonzato | Paolo Cristiani | Lucia Ferrara | Luka Hajdini | Sofia Dorotea Kukkonen | Massimo Margagnoni | Vito Matera | Silvio Natali | Fabio Pasotti | Fabrizio Pinzi | Alma Sheik | Elio Talon | Monia Tartarini | Franco Testa | Guido Villa
Pathway to Abstraction
Kathleen Barefield | Helen S. Cohen | Michael Freedman | LeeAnn Gorman | Emily Grieco | Shu-Tsin Liu | Tyice Natasha | Minami Ogura | Maurice van Tilburg | Yana Yami | Chiho Yoshikawa | Susanne Zimmer
Sensorial Realms
Eva Fritz | Cathy McClelland | Therese Obergottsberger | David Renn | Samuel Rosell | Eduardo D. Rubin | Pati Trippel | Uriu Veselik | NJ Woods