Vincent Giarrano: Interview with a Contemporary Master
I met Vincent through Facebook and was instantly taken by his figurative compositions. His paintings capture the deep contemplation of Hopper with the efficient brush work and illusion of Sargent. Through his work we get a glimpse of the quiet loneliness and grit of urban America in a way that is decidedly beautiful. Truly a Contemporary Master.
What inspired you to become an artist?
I started drawing at an early age, just copying cartoon and comic book characters. I remember really liking the feeling I got from achieving a likeness. After that I was hooked.
There’s something that comes over you after creating something. It’s pretty euphoric, and that’s what inspired me to do more.
What do you love about the process of painting and drawing?
It’s actually that, the process; getting an idea, writing about it, working with people and settings, drawing and painting studies, more writing, creating a finished work, discovering it’s ideal scale, showing it. I love the challenges, and that the whole thing is like an exploration.
My next solo exhibition is actually about that. I wanted to have a show that lets people see the other pieces that create a painting. For me, that preliminary work is been something I’ve always loved about art. The show will be at Haynes Galleries in Nashville, April 24, 2015.
What do you want your audience to experience when they see your work?
There’s a beauty, or power, or interest that drew me to paint something. I like for them to share in the feeling.
My work often has an element of narrative to it. I enjoy that it creates an interaction with my viewer, and engages them.
Seeing my work in person is best because up close you can appreciate that it’s not tightly painted, and then stepping back you get a strong illusion of reality.
As a realist painter what is it you are looking for in subject matter?
I look for something that engages me on a number of levels; emotion, beauty, shapes, color, idea, composition, mood, light, staging.
How do you determine when a painting is done? How finished is finished?
I’m big on planning my work. I’m open to things that happen during the process, but I run fairly close to my original expectations. Before starting a piece, I decide how I’m going to paint it, and that impacts greatly on the time for painting it. If I want the piece to be more loosely painted, I would have in mind a shorter working time.
Where do you sell your work?
I have several galleries, sort of spread across the country, and a couple overseas in the UK and Paris.
http://www.galleryhenoch.com/index.html
http://haynesgalleries.com/hgSite/pages/index.html
http://www.artnet.com/gallery/181897/susan-powell-fine-art.html
http://www.waterhousegallery.com/
http://www.thompsonsgallery.co.uk/
http://galerie-l-oeil-du-prince.com/en/
Name two of your artistic heroes (one living and one dead)
Tough to pick just two. I’d say Anders Zorn is one of my big favorites. His work is just amazing. There’s so much I’ve learned from studying him.
As for contemporary artists, I love Golucho. His work is wonderfully painted, strong content, great compositions, he’s an incredible Realist.
What advice would you give an aspiring artist?
I’d suggest they write and plan. That’s helped me quite a bit. Also get into the business aspect as much as the creative side. You’re actually a small business, and you should treat it as such.
Where can we find and follow you in the world?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vincent-Giarrano/280605502005902
http://instagram.com/vgiarrano
http://www.saatchiart.com/www.giarrano.com
