"Entre el Cielo y la Tierra" - Guest Artist Gennaro García

"Entre el Cielo y la Tierra"

"Between heaven and earth"

"Painting is addictive and therapeutic. 

It is the best way to communicate everything --

the way I feel, the way I think, and what I love.

Oils, acrylics, monoprints, hand carved wood,

plaster techniques learned in Italy, and

a color palette created from a childhood in Mexico.

These are some of the tools that bring to life

a fascination with

old world and religious iconic images."

Gennaro García

This exhibit title expresses

Gennaro's desire to take

two disparate sensations, expectations,

and join them: 

heaven, earth, & the space between.

Unexpected differences;

unexpected similarities.

Loneliness.

The space behind, & to the side of,

the Archangel

(a frequent subject of Gennaro's painting)

illustrates both the specific sense of loneliness,

and

also the idea of A Single Emotion.

Over a decade ago,

Gennaro's mother 'stole'

one of his original paintings,

a Madonna,

which she recently gave back to him.

He's returned to the material source

where he began,

iconic religious themes.

He gathers inspiration wherever he travels,

and he's traveled extensively:

Spain, South America, Africa, Italy,

to name a few of his destinations.

It was a Beautiful Woman who led

Gennaro to paint abstracts. 

She loved them, & 

he wanted to win her heart.

Traveling with His Beauty to New York in 2004,

& after carrying around

an engagement ring

in his pocket for five days,

they visited the Basilica ...

he knew this was the day!

But to Gennaro's astonishment,

a song from his childhood

lifted within the cathedral arches,

a song sung in Spanish --

& he felt such familiarity with the

art inside the church,

the architecture itself,

this music from his youth!

For him, 

everything focused and disappeared

concurrently.

He knew what he now wanted to paint.

Research began immediately.

[I remain uncertain if the proposal

actually did take place that day,

but his Beauty IS now Gennaro's wife!]

The arrival of their daughter

also deeply influences his painting.

The tree of life,

above,

is a celebration of her birth.

The myriad birds

symbolize

the male presence,

Gennaro.

Lush & brilliantly colored

lotus flowers

represent the female presence,

Gennaro's Beauty.

And the sheer abundance of flowers

indicates the birth of a girl,

Frida Sophia.

And yes,

Gennaro confirmed that,

 at 12 weeks,

she is already

in possession of an easel!

Three weeks ago,

when I first personally met Gennaro at the

Phoenix Art Museum Open Paint,

he had just started this canvas.

I noticed then a photograph taped to the easel,

above the canvas.

This is how he always works,

and he has difficulty choosing from among

his hundreds of photographs.

The plastering/texture technique so beautifully

rendered here is the one he

learned in Italy.

 

The subject is a young lady Gennaro

considers as a daughter.

Again,

notice his technique of

leaving her surrounded

by space.

My comment to him was 

that I felt myself drawn in,

pulled nearer,

and ultimately completely

engaged by her eyes. 

Speaking of Eyes:

here is my favorite from the Exhibit.

Gennaro met this woman in

North Africa,

and she spoke perfect Spanish.

Again,

he experienced a paradox --

what is 'expected' in/from Africa

versus what it's possible to discover.

In rendering portraits,

his main concern is the quality of the eyes.

Hers halted me.

Found me.

Held me.

And followed me,

wherever I moved.

But I didn't want to move

from her gaze.

And I kept returning.

Because he began in a place

where it was necessary to use

everything

until it couldn't be used anymore,

Gennaro still uses his paintbrushes

until they're nubs.

He considers this to be his only

'ritual',

except ...

He HAS to listen to music!!!

I asked;

I told him it was

the ONLY question 

I wanted to ask for myself.

He said yes;

 I grinned & grinned;

then we traded recommendations.

His: Chambao

Mine:  Jesse Cook

Both:  Sade's new one, Soldier of Love

 

We also bonded

over our mutual admiration of 

Anthony Bourdain.

Gennaro is a Foodie to the Max --

ultimate dream?

A restaurant gallery!

I volunteered to chop onion.

Finally,

I asked Gennaro if

he has any advice for

beginning artists,

shy artists,

artists who think they make bad art.

"I grew up under the shadow

of my older brother,

who is an incredible artist,

and I felt it all, 

that I'd never be 'that good',

hearing that voice in my head saying

'You'll never be able to paint.'

But I painted anyway,

and the voice disappeared.

Art has to be expressed,

and the expression dissolves the doubt,

silences the voice.

And, also,

I've come to love 

'the perfection in the imperfection.' "

The Artist,

with my favorite of his paintings.

I have no sufficient words to thank Gennaro,

for his generosity of time & attention,

for being so engaging,

sharing his stories both

personal & creative,

&

for inviting me to this meeting

in the first place.

Gracias por todo, Gennaro!

  

Calvin Charles Gallery

4201 North Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ

Exhibit runs through March 8, 2010

Partial Proceeds to benefit Xico, Inc.

Gennaro García

Official Website:  ArteGennaro

Blog:  Arte+Gennaro

Facebook:  ARTEGENNARO