Adolfo Pretorino
The Odyssey Within: an Exhibition of Fine Art by Greek and Italian Artists
December 23 - January 12, 2012
Reception:
Thursday December 29, 2011 6-8 PM
Press Release
Beginning as a youth by painting murals on the streets of his small Italian hometown, Adolfo Pretorino has evolved into a master oil painter with an important and timely message for the world. His artwork is at once dark, beautiful, and full of complexity. The faces and figures that populate Pretorino’s paintings are expertly rendered, usually in a posturized manner that removes flesh colors in favor of intense contrasts of crimson and black. He works primarily with oil, but will also use enamel and mixed media to expressively alter the surface depending on the subject.
In most of Pretorino’s paintings there is a distinct narrative, often dealing with violence, fear, and power. In this way his works are deeply compelling, not just for their intense appearance, but for the hidden messages that lie within. “We are faced with disturbing images as the purity of youth is obviously violated,” he explains. “[So] I dedicate myself to oil painting, with which I denounce the anxiety that lives in the insecurity of my generation.”
Artist Statement
I love working with oil, and even when I began creating – using the streets of my town as my canvas – I gravitated towards using oil paints. I find that using that medium in particular helps to produce the dark, mesmerizing atmosphere that I want to achieve, something that will make people pause and think. My works reflect and develop my inner world, creating something with a sense of subtle uneasiness which has come to characterize my art. It is important to me to give these ideas full expression through paint, and to share them with my viewers in that way.
Invitation to the exhibition
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View the catalog page
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Artists in this exhibition
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