What’s ‘Spiritus Vitae’?

Legendary fantasy artist Boris Vallejo explains during his current solo exhibition at Last Rites Gallery in New York.

Only days remain before a fantastic solo exhibition dismounts in New York. “Spiritus Vitae” continues through October 21 at Last Rites Gallery and features the works of renowned artist Boris Vallejo. During the show, Vallejo “presents his own unique, personal creative vision to the public: one that features colorful, vibrant scenes of feminine mythology,” the gallery says. “The dynamic compositions created expressly for this exhibition show a wide emotional and narrative range and a soft, feminine use of color and form.

“In ‘Flower Touch,’ he depicts a dramatically lit female figure seated, encased in a flower, embracing herself in a manner that simultaneously suggests intimacy and defensiveness. One of her lower legs extends outward, toes pointed. The other is encased in the bed of the flower itself. Both female and flower are feminine motifs and they are unified here, fusing into one whole, as the muscular forms of her figure blend into the botanical forms of the flower.

“Playful fantasy themes are another aspect of Vallejo’s work for this exhibition and the piece ‘Soap Bubble’ depicts exactly that. We see a muscular, butterfly-winged fairy seated on a flower, blowing aqua colored soap bubbles toward the sky. The mood is light and fun, and evocative of the Golden Age of Illustration dating back to Maxfield Parrish.”

To learn more, visit Last Rites Gallery.

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