Asia Art Center is pleased to announce LA-based artist Ross Caliendo’s solo exhibition Dawn Chorus. This body of new works by Caliendo showcase seven large scale oil and acrylic on canvas paintings which explore the energy exchange between nature and men, beauty and brutality, life and death, growth and decay, positive and negative through his poetic and lyrical interpretation of nature and unique painting techniques.
Best known for his depictions of foliage, flora and fauna subjects painted with unusual “painting backwards” process which involves the application of thick impasto over bright monochromatic underpainting in a contrasting colour, that the artist then carves into with palette knifes, the back of brushes or other tools available in the studio to reveal the striking colours underneath. This unusual sgraffito process is instantly recognisable as characteristics of the artist. Caliendo’s highly distinctive brushworks, vibrant colours and intricate textures speak of an energy that can be transferred to and resonated by the viewers, creating a harmonious chorus and rich narrative that promise to inspire.
Caliendo’s fascination with colour theory is reflected on the hue, value and chroma of his palette, whilst the spectators’ visual response to them are also of particular interest to the artist. In order to provide the viewers with the opportunity and freedom to contemplate on the narrative as well as experiencing the ostensibly supernatural energy of the paintings, the works have been deliberately left untitled. Instead of steering the audience toward a single direction with a designated title, the spectators are reminded of the wonderment of being alive through the unity of two neural symbols – colour and the nature world, with the paintings act as power sources that recharge the viewers’ energy level, enabling them to leave the exhibition feeling energised and elated.
The vibrant and intricate application of colours found on Caliendo’s illuminous canvases echo the fashion of Neo-Impressionist paintings and techniques favoured by Divisionism supporters which were incredibly unorthodox and revolutionary in the late nineteenth century. The artist’s depiction of the wilderness reverberates the fractal architecture of nature, the respect and admiration for the natural environment and projections of his own life experiences. The presentation of the naturalistic figurations is amplified by the artist’s choice of subjects, through the seemingly tranquil compositions, the energy of the works is projected onto the audience, inviting them to immerse themselves among the mystique and magical forests as seen in the works.
The energy flow of the paintings forms a chorus for the new dawn, starting the day afresh and rejuvenated. Through the luminous leaves and branches chiselled from Caliendo’s succinct application of impasto and sgraffito techniques, the viewers are no longer considered as outsiders of the artist’s creation but embodied as part of the narrative and merged as an atmospherics presence.
