The exhibition “Into Purer Light” at Creighton University presents Jeremy Caniglia’s figurative work and portraiture from the last two years. “Into Purer Light” is an explorative visual journey into Elysium, the ancient Greek conception of the afterlife.
The idea of Elysium as written about by Virgil and Homer gave entrance to the Elysian fields. Those who stood up for others and suffered in death were given a special place in the afterlife where they could find joy and bliss.
From the organizers:
Caniglia’s work invites the viewer to travel down the desolate path of the human condition and experience grief, love, birth, and death through his symbolic narratives. His paintings and drawings give a first-hand glimpse behind the veil.
“My work is a new form of imaginative realism full of unflinching observations of life mixed into timeless storytelling,” Caniglia said. “My work invites the viewer to travel down the visual path that transcends the boundaries of classical figuration and experience love, birth, and death through symbolic narratives. The paintings and drawings in this exhibition give a first-hand glimpse behind the veil and into a world with purer light.”
Descended from both the Caniglia and Haller families, both of which have deep and long-running ties to Creighton, Jeremy Caniglia’s work has appeared both locally at the Joslyn Art Museum, and nationally, including at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Salmagundi Gallery in New York City, and in private collections around the world.
Caniglia’s work as an illustrator has landed him more than 120 appearances in books and movies produced by Random House, the Folio Society, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Warner Brothers, among many others. His illustrations have appeared in the works of Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, William Peter Blatty, and the band Blink-182. He is the recipient of the 2004 International Horror Guild Award for Best Artist in Dark Fantasy and the 2018 NC Wyeth Merit Award from the Salmagundi Gallery.
Caniglia will discuss his latest figurative narrative paintings as well as his latest Caravaggio research that he did on his visit to Italy and Sicily. Caniglia will also have a portrait workshop at Creighton University on February 11 in the Creighton University Fine Arts Center.
“Into Purer Light” is on view February 1 through March 8 at the Lied Art Gallery, Creighton University (Nebraska).
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ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMING PORTRAITURE…..HE IS A MODERN DAY CARAVAGGIO.