Contemporary Art: Bernardo Siciliano @ Aicon Gallery New York

 (Drivebycuriosity) - Contemporary art is full of discoveries. Last weekend I spotted an amazing show with paintings by the Italian artist Bernardo Siciliano @ Aicon Gallery New York (through November 30, 2019  aicon   bernardosiciliano). They call the exhibition: "Pigs and Saints".

I love this huge canvases which remind me of Caravaggio and cinema scenes. According to the press release Siciliano also got influenced by Edward Hopper, Lucian Freud & David Hockney. But he found his own unique style and each painting seems to tell a story.

Above you can see my favorite, the wonderful "Monday Morning" (2019, Oil on canvas, 78 x 130.5 in). The painting is inspired by Johannas Vermeer’s domestic interior scenes of middle-class life (aicongallery). Similar to those scenes, Siciliano’s large-scale canvas is flooded with light pouring in through the window.

I also love this cozy painting, called "Social Network" (2019, Oil on canvas, 76 x 100 in). The image reminds me of young cats. It shows three of Siciliano’s young relatives on a couch engrossed with their phones, seemingly in another reality.

Above "Summertime" (2019, Oil on canvas, 76 x 100 in). It looks like an Italian dinner party

Above 2 glances into New York´s subways: "Pigs and Saints" (2019, Oil on canvas, 58 x 144 in.) followed by "Tender is the Night (Subway)" (2019, Oil on canvas, 94 x 71 in.)

Above  "Vincent Desiderio" (2018, Oil on canvas, 56.5 x 43 in.). This painting refers to an American realist painter who has a similar style, maybe he is Siciliano´s teacher (vincent-desiderio ) followed by "Selfie" (2019, Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 in.). Seems the artist frequents the gyms.

 

Above "Overlap #2" followed by "Overlap #3" (both 2017, Oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in.) I love how Siciliano caught the skin tones.

Above "Summer and Storm" & "Summer and Storm #2" (both 2016, Oil on linen, 20 x 28 in.)

 

To be continued