Giovanni (John) Gelardi, Artist
(b. July 10, 1965 / Trapani, Sicily)
John arrived late to the art world but has made significant progress in a short amount of time. For the most part he is self taught. As a child he was fascinated by the works and genius of Da Vinci and greatly influenced by Van Gogh's life and paintings. John has read an endless amount of art-history books, art magazines and visited numerous art galleries and museums. As a result he is familiar with art from ancient times to the present. Through his observations John has learned that, as an artist, he should connect with the viewer; whether that connection is humorous or serious.
John creates assemblage art and that art might be considered the next generation of works akin to the Joseph Cornell boxes. Where they differ, however, is probably in the artist's message. Cornell's works were personal and introspective while John's works are broader in nature. Many of the assemblages show John's dark, political outlook of the world at large. In his other creations John covers a wide range of subjects including love, religion, astronomy, science, historical events and social problems.
The workmanship of John's boxes is meticulous and at times disturbing. Before the box doors are opened one feels calm and serene. When opened, the viewer is almost assaulted by an endless array of two and three dimensional objects that bring the box alive and give the viewer a possible look into the artist's mysterious psyche. John's ultimate goal, however, is to share his feelings and his thoughts with the viewer (whether those thoughts are happy or sad); or, at the very least, convey a sense of beauty, mystery and fantasy.
GIOVANNI (JOHN) GELARDI
Education:
Self-taught
Queens College University, Queens, NY
Selected Jury Exhibitions:
2009 "Games People Play", East End Art Council Gallery, Riverhead, NY
2008 "The Creative Process", East End Art Council Gallery, Riverhead, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions:
2008 "Soul to Soul", MicroCosm Gallery, New York, NY
2008 "3RD Outside Art", Galerie Bel Age Gallery, W. Hampton Beach, NY
2008 "Grey Gardens", The Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2007 "Original Face", MicroCosm Gallery, New York, NY
2007 "Nothing is Black + White", Art Sites Gallery, Riverhead, NY
Private Collection:
Alex Grey MicroCosm Gallery, New York, NY
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