Jason Amatangelo

Jason Amatangelo’s three-dimensional abstract illusions are funhouses in painting form.  A wild mix of geometric shapes twist and turn, arc into slides and turn into enclosed shoots that race over the black expanse of the universe.  These are madcap landscapes: castles in the sky.  Mind-bending in the way they toy with perspective, the paintings inspire the imagination to consider a world unrestrained by accepted logic.  They are contemporary counterparts to the work of M. C. Escher.

Day-Glo colors explode across the sky of most paintings.  Tangerine, cerulean, lime and fuchsia come together in graffiti-like fashion.  Set against black backdrops, the colors really pop out.  Even when limiting his palette to black and white, though, Amatangelo creates works ripe with visual intensity.  The step-like blocks, spirals, and curves transmit energy into dreamscapes that explore balance and flow.  Although they are steeped in the realm of fantasy, the paintings study shape and contrast with almost technical precision.  Not surprisingly, Amatangelo has a background in both engineering and graphic design.