Earth Walk exhibit celebrates nature and artistry

It was a celebration of nature and artistry this summer at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Gannett Gallery.

Earth Walk, an exhibit featuring the work of noted area artists Marietta Raposo, Stephen Perrone, and Donna Carelli ran from May 7 through June 30 in the gallery.

“When painting a landscape or portrait, I first take in as much visual and spiritual energies as possible. It seems to ‘cement’ itself in my mind,” says Donna Carelli. “Then I convent these feelings into paint and canvas. Sometimes the energy takes over and sometimes the visual. If I am fortunate, they combine into a self-redeeming painting that I hope people look at and say ‘I’ve been there’ or ‘I feel as if I am there,’ experiencing the moment. That is my reward.”

Visual and spiritual energies blend with human emotion in a showcase of portraits, landscapes, and personality that SUNY Poly is proud to host.

“I stress the importance of human emotion in my work,” explains Stephen Perrone. “The head, portrait, and human figure serve as the images and forms by which I express my reflections on life. There is a rawness to my work that I hope contributes to the nature of each ‘personality’ on display. I want a little unattractiveness in the physical sense, and I want body language to be an important consideration in trying to understand each subject. Life is both pleasant and difficult, and I’m attempting to demonstrate both possibilities with the sensitivity and compassion we all deserve as human beings.”

The exhibit drew in many at an opening reception May 16, where the artists themselves mingled with guests and had the opportunity to discuss their work and inspirations.

“When painting a figure, portrait, or landscape, I try to express the essential energy of the subject rather than a photographic representation. I usually paint over an already painted surface, frequently an unresolved painting,” say Marietta Raposo. “Usually, the previous painting becomes part of the new work, which helps to maintain a dialogue between the illusive and the concrete. I try to convey an emotion seeded in the center of the visual experience, a feeling that is both within and beyond the work itself. Ideally, I hope to evoke a corresponding recognition within the viewer.”

The Gannett Gallery is located on the first floor of Kunsela Hall on SUNY Poly’s Utica campus.