Clarissa Colletti, Gonz Jove & Robert Hunter – Midwest vs West Art Exhibition

Artist Portfolio Magazine

Clarissa Colletti – Wood Dale, IL

C {see}

              1. to perceive with the eyes

However, can you always trust what your eyes see? Can you tell if an image is a reflection? In some ways, this is the entire basis of photography as a medium: to reflect back an image.

As an artist, I am always asked for my “artist statement”. I have written many statements explaining my approach and inspiration over the years. These statements have changed and evolved as my art practice has changed and evolved; there is always room for growth. Who am I as an artist? I am a photographer. My photography and art constantly challenge me. Why am I an artist? I am an artist because art is important. Photography matters. I create art to see things differently. You may have walked by the same object in my photograph a million times and may have never seen it the way it is in the photograph. Now you may never see it quite the same way again.

George Steinmetz said it well when he said, “My job is to open people’s eyes to all the amazing things they didn’t know existed.” Or Lynn Johnson who said, “ You want to reveal what life is like – show things we may never fully understand.”

Now, an artistic photographer and native-born Chicagoan, I never imagined being an artist. As a shy and introverted girl, art was not on my radar. Luckily art found me. While in college, I took an art class on whim and never turned back. Studying different forms of art, I discovered my passion for photography and alternative processes. I graduated with a degree in art and am constantly challenged and inspired by nature and the abstract. To put it simply, the physicality of creating art and seeing things differently makes me  happy.

To view more of my work, take a look at my online portfolio on Behance. All fine art prints are for sale as well as more on Etsy. I also teach unique photography lessons to children. Please contact me for more information regarding commissioned work.

Gonz Jove – St. Louis, MO

WHAT IS ART TO ME? WHAT IS ART? DOES IT HAVE A SPECIFIC DEFINITION OR IS IT DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY? I BELIEVE THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF ART. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC DEFINITION.

Art has an infinite amount of meanings – like our universe. To me Art is the elixir of life; it gives me the joy to live. Art is the essence of my existence; my constant companion that I can confide in, it nags and comforts me. It is a perfect mate.
In my younger years I believed emotions were the catalyst of my expressions but as I matured I realized that was emotional conclusion, an erroneous assumption. Today as I discover more about us human beings, in particular our beginnings, I see how insignificant we are in the whole scheme of things but yet follow an evolutionary universal law. The grandeur of the universe has left me in awe – questioning our perception of a three dimensional world.
Today I have been immersed in other possibilities, like different planes of existence, parallel universes, the relevance of infinite space with the inner space, black holes that exist not only in outer universe but also in our immediate space. The order in the universe is so exact and precise and expressed in such detail that there are definitely rules that are working here and those rules also apply to the art that is being carried out by this body. I believe there are specific rules in creating art no matter how abstract they are expressed. These rules are mathematical in every sense of the word; there is no randomness or emotion. Art is an exact science and to understand it one must acquire knowledge. This knowledge we are required to learn in order to express ourselves as human beings is processed through the brain in a very logical sequence. Therefore it follows an order, an order of events, a universal law of deduction. Art is no longer an emotional outlet. To me, Art is a science that has specific rules like the rest of the universe.

Robert Hunter – Olympia, WA

Painting in the Abstract Expressionist style for the last forty years, I continue to enjoy the challenges faced in arriving at solutions and resolutions to completing a composition. Nature, travel, introspection, humor, and social issues are all subject matter for my canvases.
My adventures with abstraction began in the 1970’s with an introduction to my mentor, Rob Sterling. A retired WSU Art professor, Rob was a contemporary of Clyfford Still, Richard Diebenkorn, and other Abstract Expressionists to come out of California during the 1950’s through the 1960’s. He was a great artist and friend. To this day I will forever appreciate the direction and the knowledge he imparted.

Currently I enjoy a fantastic studio (boat house) in Olympia, Washington. Filled with natural light from skylights and banks of windows on two sides, this space provides ample opportunity for creativity, reflection, and inspiration. For the last two years I have seen my artistic production increase considerably with new directions in subject matter, techniques, and more shows.

During my career as an Art Educator, of note is the fact that Kurt Cobain was one of my students at Aberdeen High School from
1983-1985. His untimely death generated an arts scholarship that provided financial help to dozens of students since 1994.

Today an ideal day for me includes playing guitar for two hours, painting in the studio for four to five hours, taking a walk,
reading, and enjoying a semi-retired life with my wife.