These five paintings are the artist's most recent works completed. I call them abstract expressionistic surrealism. The following is an exerpt of the artist's concept behind the paintings:
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The process involves stream of consciousness approaches to writing; a personal favorite writing method adopted by the artist for over 40 years. However, in visual art, juxtaposing imagery was mainly employed resulting in fantasy, and surrealism art works. Still working in this fashion, as well as illustrations for fiction, the artist began employing a sort of automatic drawing method using various materials ranging from pen and ink, graphite, then charcoals. Only later succeeding in being able to capture this ‘mystery’ of image-emergence via oils.
The auto-imagery coming into play and the suggestive imagery, which is not being dictated in the traditional conscious fashion known and used for over 2 millennium, brought on by an interaction of the artist and medium fully conscious (though) is at best described as ‘dreaming awake’. The forms begin to suggest natural and at times manmade (also alien made?) things, all of which together may serve as the starting point of stories, or myths. When we look at a medieval illuminated manuscript, or read an ancient Nordic myth, we are unaccustomed to its imagery, but are subject to certain experiences that have begun to inform Carl Jung for most of his professional career. That the symbols, which includes the handling of the art work (process and style), are more than what was intended: visual stories abstractly known by the group. The real underpinning scope of certain imagery being ‘organic history’. We are also reminded of the ‘power of myth’ as we view hundreds of years of sculpture and paintings of both mythical and religious subject matter.
For the artist the dawning of human consciousness is parallel to the birthing of ideas, and imagery begun as beautifully illustrated animals on so many caves across the globe ranging as far back in time as 40, 000 years B.C. Although one took place long before the other, the memory of matter the artist feels is drawn upon, as we know that atoms are as old as the universe and can live on billions of years after.
So the death of Adonis (who was killed for by another’s jealousy and from whom the flower anemone emerged) can be the expression of so many molecules which lived on through so many forms. The forms being plants and animals, as well as man.
Somatic architecture, geo-soma, etc are not mere anthropomorphs , but rather references to the body world, as opposed to the classical ‘dead matter’ world. Personifications of storms, etc. can make more sense in this light. Everything is alive in that they are in different degrees conscious. The recorded history of matter is also to include their experiences and when sentient beings like us come on the scene stories are inevitably to come.
Sergio Lepore MFAArtist/Instructor
Metaphysics of Love and Death. Oils on linen board, 16x20. Valued at $798. Prints w/.5in white border, 8x10 image $23. © Sergio Lepore.
The first successful of what the artist considers organic abstract art works. A previous series called Sound to Flesh done in charcoals serves as the initial starting point. In the Summer of 2016 the artist was experiencing creative block and was suggested by an artist friend to just start hitting that canvas with color regardless, to see what happens. Almost immediately the directions were showing where to go. Butterfly wings, flowers, rainbow ghosts, fish eggs/or bubbles, etc. took over the working area. An eerie profile hanging on the right from what appears to be an upside down tree trunk can only be described by the artist as alluding to one of his longtime idols, Keith Emerson (2 November 1944 – 11 March 2016) of prog rock fame, playing keyboard for Emerson Lake and Palmer ( ELP). In March 2016 the creative force to be ranked among top keyboardists of the progressive rock era took his own life due to bouts of serious depression to be compounded by nerve damage in his right hand preventing him from performing at his best. This affected the artist greatly, and he feels subconsciously to have tapped into a reservoir of memories of the great keyboardist’s passing, and also the death of a high school friend, who initially introduced the artist to the music of ELP. Basically this painting is about suicide.
Colors of Alchemy. Oils on linen board, 16x20. Valued at $798. Prints w/.5in white border, 8x10 image $23.
Death and rebirth. Suggestions of a figure writhing with right arm extended, above the precipice of a cliff with gushing water spring amidst blue trees of flame, a bird of fire (phoenix) looming over a rainbow. The contrast of lights and darks is evocative of a baroque-ness the artist wants to explore. Ides of both Christ and Prometheus came to mind as the work drew to an end. Both were punished for the sake of humanity, etc. Alchemy was outlawed in medieval Europe by orthodox religion.
Future Love. Oils on canvas11x14. Valued at $376. Prints w/.5in white border, 8x10 image $23. © Sergio Lepore.
Metal surfaces, green jade enshrined in a black vacuum is washed over by anything associated with the various blues of an alien world. The masculinity of the right forms seems to compliment the almost feminine curves and tones on the left. They are either machines or biological, or both.
Tracing Brahman to an Octopus. Oils on canvas panel,14x18. Valued at $658. Prints w/.5in white border, 8x10 image $23. © Sergio Lepore.
Starting out as purely abstract very similar to the calligraphic black stokes of a Franz Klein, the images of an underwater scene began to assert itself, as did the octopus. The spiraling passages suggests universal patterns seen in nature, resulting in the decision to add the galaxies. This transformed the octopus into an exotic god.
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