Conveying color, texture, and a dynamic energy, the paintings of Peter Fiore are magnetic representations of the artist’s search to find something eternal and more meaningful. He also extends the same invitation to you, the viewer, during his latest solo show in New York.
On view June 30 through July 29 at Alliance Gallery in Narrowsburg, New York, “Pine Variations” is a display of painter Peter Fiore’s latest body of work exploring tree “portraits.” In his pursuit of what he calls “a universal moment in our commonplace world,” Fiore has repeatedly represented a white pine tree located close to his home studio. “This work exemplifies my ongoing visual investigation,” he says. “I like to visit a motif repeatedly to learn its faceted nature throughout the year.
“I’m looking for something eternal and more meaningful. My tree portraits continue the pursuit of communicating a complexity of feelings within the works, while also seeking to display the unique character within a single tree. Featured is a closely cropped tree, its branches dancing from edge to edge, anchored by a steady central trunk — this bifurcating vertical is the dominant element. Such a design has the potential to divide the composition in a way that depletes it of energy, but that is the challenge — a command to depart from the norm. A square is stability and, as such, has no innate force.
“I paint almost exclusively in a square format, embracing the absolute symmetry and universality of the shape. Therefore, I’m tasked with infusing energy into the piece by extracting it from within the subject matter. One needs to work intelligently to make a successful composition. I relish this challenge, which forces me to rely on hand and heart to bring movement to an otherwise static shape.
“I revel in the questions, not the answers. I continue my visual journey, eager to discover the next direction. The physicality of process remains paramount to my work, as it has from the beginning. Painting is cultural. Painting is thinking. Painting is passion. Painting is education. Painting is intellectual. I am creating a poetry that goes beyond the surface, and I have questions.”
To learn more, visit Alliance Gallery.
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