AQUAGLINO ART
The artwork of Andy Quaglino
This web site and all contents Copyright © 2003-2010 Andy Quaglino. All rights reserved.
Artist's Statement
Some of my favorite art was produced by Picasso, Calder, Andy Warhol, LeRoy Neiman, Peter
Max, and Matisse -- especially his work with cut paper. People have claimed to see the influence of these artists in my work. This
was not intentional, but I suppose it was inevitable considering how much enjoyment I have viewing the work of these artists.
I did, however, intentionally set out to develop a style that is original, exciting, and memorable. I desired to create very colorful
art, and I wanted different areas in each piece to be dominated by different colors. I also wanted these different areas
of color clearly and distinctly defined. The primary subject in a piece is overlaid by a set of carefully designed straight and/or
curved lines. The primary function of these lines is to define the various sections to be dominated by the different colors. Indeed,
most of the time a given section contains shades of only a single color, creating a style that I call "multi-mono" where a piece
consists of multiple sections with each given over entirely to shades of a single color. The set of straight and/or curved lines is
carefully designed to both aesthetically enhance the piece, as well as to play on the primary subject’s characteristics. The title
of a piece refers to the primary subject, while the subtitle refers to the line design. For example, in 'Revolver (target practice?)' the
set of lines overlaying the revolver forms a bull’s-eye.
It is very interesting watching
people's reactions to my art. Again taking 'Revolver (target practice?)', for example, most people see the revolver right away;
but for others it can often take several seconds, or the suggestion from a fellow observer, for the viewer, to recognize the bull’s-eye.
Some viewers don't even see the revolver at first, just a bunch of colored areas which they know form something, and it takes
a while before the parts to coalesce into a revolver. A few people even see that the various colored areas are in the shape of the
nested circles of a bull's-eye before they are aware of the revolver.
I enjoy looking at
my pieces and seeing them from different perspectives by concentrating on just the primary subject, or by concentrating on just the
set of lines, or by being fully aware of both simultaneously. It is my wish that viewers of my art experience an initial thrill that
comes with discovering something new and colorful; but then lingering, exploring the piece, and experiencing that thrill over and
over each time the piece is suddenly seen from a new perspective.