One of the best parts about living in Ithaca, is the constant inspiration in the nature surrounding Cornell. Coming from a city with limited seasons and not much of scenic nature, Ithaca has been such a pleasant view. I have never experienced Fall, and watched the plants change color with such amusement.

In the art show, the theme was plants. This art prints was based on a book about poisonous plants. I enjoyed the art show because I saw plants in a way I had never seen before. The plants had vivid and life-like characteristics as if they were going to come out and attack me. All of the art’s subjects were straight from the Cornell Plantations. I constantly visit the plantations whenever I am stressed and enjoyed seeing the artistic perspective during this art show. I would definitely recommend stopping by Flora Rose and seeing the prints.

After a time intensive lab I headed over to the Rose dining hall to enjoy some mixed media by Nicholas Lawson Carbanaro. This is the first time I have been to an art show out of my hometown where the artist was present. I love that the art came to us. This concept definitely makes art more accessible to active college students. I took little time to appreciate this anomaly while at the event.  Instead, I roamed around aimlessly for about six minutes before I took the time to dissect the art work. By far my favorite piece of art at the event was “Fat cat”.

I really enjoyed this piece because I felt like it was a play on the cat lady. Even though cats are not present I already get the vibe of a cat lady. I was fascinated by how her right false eyelash fell on her chest. I still do not really understand what that represents, but it is captivating. At first I assumed that this woman was sitting on her couch, but after I while I noticed that there were more than clouds in the background. There seems to be a sliver of green and brown, so may be the cat lady is one with the Earth.  This piece took me back to my Greek mythology days. Is this piece trying to convey that the cat lady is like Gaia? Does the cat lady care for her cats just as Gaia cares for the planet?

I wasn’t expecting too much from an art show in the Rose dining hall, but I’m really glad I went to this one. I assumed beforehand that the gallery would just be a conglomerate of random works from various artists, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the artist himself (Nicholas Carbonaro, a graduate of Ithaca College) was present. He answered our questions, guided us through his thought process behind every piece, and talked a little about his early life (and how it influenced his artwork).

I learned that he grew up in New York City, which he didn’t seem to particularly enjoy (“all of you people who want to move there after graduation, good luck,” he quipped). Nevertheless, he was influenced by a number of NYC-esque things, such as the colorful graffiti in subway stations.

The pieces are arranged in chronological order, starting with works from the late 90’s and ending with a 2013 painting of the artist’s grandmother. The part of the art show that really made an impression on me was when Nicholas talked about the piece entitled “Welcome to My Home.”

Welcome To My Home

For “Welcome To My Home,” he painted over an antique screen door that he found in town. I was surprised because it was such a polished piece from a distance that I hadn’t even noticed the old door until he mentioned it. Other surprising media that he’s used in his artwork: chili pepper seeds and makeup (lipsticks/pigments). He ended by saying that he hopes to experiment with more mixed media in the future, so I’m looking forward to what he’ll work with next.

Unfortunately I am not as cultured as I appear to be, so this was my first art show and reception ever (yes I have been to art museums).  It was a pretty cool event.  I mean, I guess anything can be pretty cool when there’s free wine involved, but that’s not the point.

I didn’t really know what type of art to expect when I got there, so I was pretty impressed to see some of the details in Nicholas Carbonaro’s work, especially his artistic style.  The vibrant colors definitely add emotion to all of the pieces.  I’m intrigued by the different emotions present in the different faces.  Most of them resemble exactly how I feel now that it’s prelim season.  Maybe that’s why…

Check out the dopeness of some of this work below:

This lady is a bit scary.  I can’t tell if she’s angry, or just finished an intense pilates workout.

I asked Nicholas about this picture in particular.  His response wasn’t really what I expected.  He said some of the inspiration behind the work was the many different directions that students go after they graduate.  I didn’t really get it.

She looks like she’s not in the mood to be bothered.

This guy.  He looks really worried or scared.  He’s also making the same face that I do when I call Wings Over Ithaca just to find out that they are closed.  Why answer the phone?!

I guess he (or she?) is sitting on top of the world.  Boss status!

I am really impressed by this sculpture.  The detail is impressive, especially the contrast with the face on the bottom right that’s upside down.

I don’t really like this one.  It’s weird and scary.

Last week I attended the art show, which featured the work of Nicholas Carbonaro. The first piece that stood out to me was titled “Refugees”. The faces appear waxy, as if having been recently embalmed. The way in which their faces emerged from the cloth made it seem like they were pushing against a veil between the world of the living and that of the dead. The color of the plaster cloth, a faded brown and red, looked like it had been stained by blood and dirt. This piece seemed as if it had stood the test of time. This speaks to the story of refugees who endure lives of fear and hardship in order to reach safety and peace. I spoke with Nicholas who did not come from a refugee family but was inspired by their stories. Nicholas was amazed by how refugees often carried just one rucksack or bundle containing all the things they would need to survive so he showed a refugee family encased in such a bundle to show how that even in the most horrifying circumstances, the love of family is the refugee’s saving grace. The piece itself has its own story of survival after it was nearly thrown out by Nicholas’s father but saved by his brother. However, I don’t think this truly captured the spirit of the refugee because the faces appear dead, immobile and are painted a dull gray. Refugees are often on the run and live in high-stress situation with a lot of emotion involved, showing a lot of vitality and energy. I think the strength of the family plays a huge role to refugees, but I think that the message of the family being the saving grace of the life of the refugee makes it rather one-dimensional, as it doesn’t give proper due to the more predominant features such as the prevailing fear and lack of freedom, autonomy, and power.

Another piece that caught my eye was “Fat Cat”. Nicholas spoke to the crowd about being around transgender people in his community as he was growing up. This piece shows an androgynous figure with the left half of the person’s body presented as a woman and the right half presented as a man. The left side shows thicker, curled eyelashes and a sagging breast while the right side does not share these features. The right side is also partly hidden within the shadows so its featured aren’t emphasized as much and fade into the couch and the blanket. It’s interesting because there’s nothing inherently female about thicker eyelashes or a sagging breast and you could find those features on a man but that’s where the mind goes when comparing it to the right side of the body. This makes the audience aware of our need to identify and classify others because we try to distinguish the male or female characteristics when gender identity is fluid. This reminded me of when Laverne Cox began to rise in the media and interviewers kept asking her about her transition and surgeries. While being interviewed by Katie Couric, who asked a series of invasive questions, she talked about how the preoccupation with the physical transition process objectifies trans people. I’m not sure if this was the intent of the artist but while viewing this piece, I think the audience is complicit in that sort of objectification.

Growing up in an Asian family, I’ve never had the opportunity to go to an art show or a museum. Unless I was required to go in order to complete an assignment, I usually looked up pictures on Google. In fact, I still remember searching up paintings by Rembrandt, or pictures from the baroque or impressionist periods. And as much as I wouldn’t like to admit, my interest at that time was to complete a graded assignment.

Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to attend my first art show ever, featuring artist Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro. Now living in Ithaca, he used to live in New York, which had influenced most of the pieces that were put on display. His works were hung along the wall opposite of the entrance to the dining hall, and interestingly enough, he told me that he had specifically chosen that place so people walking outside would be able to admire his art through the windows.

After taking a short tour along the wall, I noticed that most of the pieces were made in different years, with ones that dated from the late 1990’s to 2013. Though this collection is not representative of his whole career as an artist, Nicholas mentioned that they particularly stood out to him and he deliberately chose from different years to showcase his thoughts about the progression of life.

Personally, the highlight of the art show was to be able to strike a conversation with the artist himself. As an outsider, I can only tell so much of one’s life through art. Take the first photo on the right, for instance, which featured a portrait on a tinier canvas compared to the others. At first, I thought the woman looked like a renowned super villain who would star in a cartoon or movie. But it turned out that the person featured in the painting ‘Rose’, was actually his grandmother! Furthermore, this was created during his recovery from kidney surgery, since he couldn’t really maneuver bigger and heavier canvases. Isn’t his grandmother so cool?!

‘Rose’ – 2013

Another piece I admired was ‘Welcome to My Home’. In some museums, there’s a bit of a distance between the viewer and the canvas hanging from the wall to prevent any damages from occurring. However, Nicholas invited me to take a closer look and he later told me that the canvas for this painting was a Victorian style door that was flipped over and repainted! It was solid wood! (And upon inspection, I noticed that this painting had what I thought were pepper seeds? Though I didn’t have the opportunity to ask him about why he had decided to use them as part of his media.)

‘Welcome to My Home’ -2002

‘Welcome to My Home’ – 2002

All in all, it was incredible to meet Nicholas in person and to be able to learn about the deep connections he had with each and every one of his works. To the audience, some of them might just be a painting. But now I understand that they hold a cherished story in his life and I’m glad Nicholas had decided to share it with us.

Also, if anyone wants to get a haircut or new hairdo, you can find him at Studio 108 in College Town! He works as a hairstylist too!

In my opinion, appreciating different perspectives should be a backbone in any inclusive, respectful, and friendly community. This is why I thought it was great to be able to observe and think about the very creative and stimulating art pieces done by Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro, a local resident. He put up eight incredibly unique pieces, each one enunciating different emotions, ideas, and methods. Done throughout roughly the past two decades, one piece having been completed in 1997, the art pieces demonstrated many different ideals of the times they were created in.

For example, one painted piece, which he went into depth describing, was of a larger woman lounging in the nude on a plush chair draped in a blanket. One of her false eyelashes had fallen off as she posed and Mr. Carbonaro had insisted for them to stay where they landed on her chest and then managed to both incorporate and dignify the fallen eyelashes. In my opinion, the fallen eyelashes, although occurring by chance, add large emphasis to the overarching feeling the painting was already giving off. Many students, including myself at times, can extremely easily relate to this feeling of overwhelming laziness due to comfort after a long, difficult day. In my mind, as I looked upon the painting, I began to construct a story. This woman, whom I’ve named Fran, simply desired to come back to her cozy home after a long day of work. After watching television and getting some pottery done, she decided to sit in her most favorite lounge chair naked, enjoying this private freedom with only her two cats, Bubbles and Mr. Magic. Half an hour into this paradise, one of Fran’s false eyelashes falls and lands on her chest where she glances at it, decides it’s fine where it is, and continues to lounge. In my storyline, this is where Mr. Carbonaro comes in, figuratively, and takes a snapshot of this woman experiencing comfortable nakedness.

In conclusion, the storyline as well as the painting itself are relatable in that I personally very much enjoy comfortably lounging about every now and then and definitely do think that not everything in life has to be perfect, that that eyelash truly is where it should be. In not necessarily the exact same way, I hope everyone takes the opportunities to lounge and be comfortable in their own skin. I think Mr. Carbonaro beautifully captured this ideal and I look forward to getting the chance to see his art in the future.

On Wednesday, I went to my first Rose Scholars Event, the art show with artist Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro. Getting to individually speak to the artist was a great experience; as well as appreciating the artwork, I was able to appreciate the meaning and motivations Nicholas had for his pieces.

The show featured a set of eight different works. Many of the works were done on traditional canvas, but there was also a clay and plaster sculpture titled Refugees. Nicholas said this sculpture was inspired by the news stories regarding refugees in places like Iraq and Syria. Along with the sculpture, there was a piece composed of six masks with different faces painted on them and a painting surrounded by wooden pillars. The different mediums Nicholas used to present his art helped the different pieces in the collection to individually stand out and avoid repetitiveness.

My favorite piece of the collection was the first painting, shown above, titled Cornered. Nicholas claimed that his motivation for this work was his high school experience. Throughout high school, he felt cornered and turned to art for a relief. The painting shows the suffering he went through, and the subject of the painting was brought to life by his story.

Last Wednesday, I went to Nicholas Carbanaro’s art show. The piece that stuck out to me was the painting of the weighty wench. What initially caught my attention was the patch of hair on her left bosom. As I got closer, I realized it was a set of eyelashes, so I looked up to her face and saw that indeed her eyes weren’t equally clothed. Her false eyelashes were reminiscent of those of Alex from A Clockwork Orange. I then noticed that her skin was colored orange and thought, “All right, this is what I’m writing about.” (Cassaro, 237) From then on, I couldn’t separate the sinister vision of Alex from this woman. Although her image was intense instead of ill-meaning, her fake eyelashes, sun skin, and naked nipples kept reminding me of Alex’s perverse pleasures. The woman’s aloof and laid-back attitude made her less terrifying than Alex, but, whether supercilious or sardonic, both characters were intimidating in their own ways.

Like most young children, I had a hyperactive imagination that spurred my creativity to flow in everything I did. Drawings with spectacles of colors, lines that had no clear direction, but seemed to know exactly where they were going, sculptures that weren’t just blobs of Play-Doh. I had the creative liberty to draw, paint, create anything at my will, but as I grew older, I came to be influenced by the objective perspective on life. Soon, it seemed that I had lost the abstract thinking capabilities that I had just years ago. As someone who needs to find a clear purpose to everything and physical evidence that proves this, I never really had an affinity towards the arts. Of course, I’ve been to many a museum in attempts to become culturally enveloped in the bubble that is art, but all that those trips had left me were blank stares at abstract pieces as I stood there wondering how on Earth something so simplistic could be worth millions.

However, as I have learned through not only physically seeing the pieces done by Nicholas Barbonaro, but also through personal interaction with the artist himself, I have come to a simple conclusion: The true value of art lies within the meaning of how the product came to be produced. One of his larger pieces, entitled “Welcome to my Home”, for example, held significant meaning behind the seemingly simplistic work. The work was inspired by the desire of all young adults to be free in an unjudging world and how they execute this desire upon attainment of freedom. Barbonaro compares it to the sentiment that is embodied by the independence of living as a college student, free from the watchful gaze of parental figures, where students are free to live by their own accord. The individual depicted is sassy in attitude and demeanor, gushing out an aura of “if you don’t like it, don’t step through my door”. By creating the work on a legitimate vintage door only adds to the appeal of the piece itself, making the metaphor being portrayed more literal. Within the details of the piece itself, even, the small pepper seeds incorporated throughout the piece adds a nice touch as the mixed media conjoins into something so beautiful. Truly, I have found a new appreciation for art, that would thus not have become apparent had it not been for garnering the first person perspective of the artist himself.

Before House Dinner this past Wednesday, Nicholas Carbonaro was kind enough to display his artwork on the walls.

This was my favorite piece of Carbonaro’s (pictured above). It was called “Refugees”. It stood out to me, because of the relevance it has to the current events in the news. Many ordinary Syrians have been uprooted and forced to leave as a result of IS, and I feel like this piece represented that.

The faces in this piece appear to be floating in disorienting placeless-ness. The only color used was a dirty beige. In my opinion, Carbonaro, titled this piece perfectly. The current refugee crisis in Syria has displaced more than 4 million people. Men, women, and children have fled everything they know, and much like the faces in the piece, are floating with nowhere to call home. I took the flat color of piece as a symbol for the stripped emotions and toiling migration of innocent people.

I was unable to ask Carbonaro if the recent events in Syria influence his creation. Regardless, it speaks volumes about any refugee crisis that has happened.

Art work is usually influenced by the artist’s experiences and observations. The piece that intrigued me the most at the Rose Art Show was the sculpture with the three heads, which was chosen to be displayed because of the historical significance and relevance to events today. When I got a chance to speak with the artist, Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro, about this piece, I found myself in a thought provoking conversation about the quest for a better life.

Nicholas talked about his New York roots and how his family has lived for centuries in the city. Originally from Sunnyside, he moved to Ithaca about two years ago, returning to the area post graduation from Ithaca College. Living in Sunnyside gave him the opportunity to how both halves live; the more privileged folks he identified with, and the immigrants who moved in search of a better life.

The sculpture was almost thrown out, but luckily it was saved and transported to Ithaca. This piece was of great significance to the artist because it made him appreciate all the advantages he had in life. It represents all the struggles immigrants and refugees had to go through in order to find a happier life. Even to this day, there are still people in this world who need to escape their countries in order to attain a better life.

We also started talking about the prices we pay to live, both figuratively and literally. To live in a nice neighborhood it costs a lot. To live in a better place, sacrifices are needed. This conversation made me appreciate all that I have more and the struggles my family faced as an immigrating family. It definitely is an eye-opening piece that makes anyone reconsider just how lucky they are to be in a better position than most people other countries worldwide.

Picking the first event to attend wasn’t easy, but i’m really glad I chose this one (not just because I got to get in the dinner line before everyone else). It was held in the Rose Dining hall before house dinner and featured art from Nicholas Carbonaro, an Ithaca college graduate. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from an art show in a dining hall, but I was extremely surprised.  There was live music, food, (wine which I wasn’t allowed to have), and interesting art.

This piece was by far my favorite, mainly because I really identify with it. It was like looking into a mirror after a long day of school and a huge dinner.  One of her(?) fake eyelashes fell onto her body and i’m like I feel you girl (?). I include the question marks after pronouns because the artist stressed that his art was gender neutral after growing up in a time when changing genders wasn’t so popular. After hearing that the art made a lot more sense. That was another thing I really liked about this experience, hearing what the artist thought. you can go to museum and interpret all you want, but you can’t really know what the artist meant unless they tell you first hand.

I would sat this one was the strangest piece, probably because all the other pieces were flat and colorful and this was outward and beige. I wanted to touch this one. so. badly. I held off out of respect (and because the artist was right there).

I’m including this one because it was the largest and also to give those who didn’t go a sense of the show. I would suggest all rose scholars to go to an art show the next time it comes up, I will too.

Yesterday I attended a very interesting and informative art showing by artist Nicholas Carbonaro. As soon as I entered the Rose Hall dining room, I was immediately drawn to the paintings’ use of bright colors and interesting textures and materials. In particular, I was fascinated by the design of the piece “Welcome to my Home” which incorporated the portrait of a person on top of an upside-down screen door. I also was struck by the interesting angularities of a painting entitled “Rose” which depicted the face of an older woman.

What made my visit to the art show especially memorable for me was the opportunity to listen to Mr. Carbonaro answer questions about his artwork. From this I learned that “Welcome to my Home” symbolized for him the coming of age people experience in their twenties when they finally learn to accept their distinctive personal identities. He also revealed that the painting entitled “Rose” was a portrait of his Italian grandmother who had been an important influence on him during his childhood. This ability to have “behind-the-scenes” explanations of the artist’s use of symbolism and sources of inspiration was a new experience for me and really heightened my appreciation of Mr. Carbonaro’s work.

 Yesterday I attended my first art show ever and it was a really rewarding experience. Although I couldn’t stay for long, I had just enough time to appreciate the art characterized by vibrant colors, bold details, and an overarching theme of androgyny, and get to know the inspiration behind the artworks.

Carbonaro explained the ambiguity of sexuality and gender in his art pieces by revealing the environment in which he grew up. He mentioned that he was born in the suburban area of NYC and was surrounded by individuals who were struggling with gender dysmorphia. Many of them went through hormone treatment as early as mid 1900’s so that their appearance would reflect their inner state of mind. As a result Carbonaro said, “I grew up thinking I had to protect my sexuality.”

It’s fascinating how much you can learn about a person through the art that they create. Visuals really are worth a thousand words!

But to point out one of my favorite pieces, I’d like to mention the wall sculpture illustrating four heads of refugees. Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to ask the artist the meaning behind this piece, but nonetheless this still remains one of my favorites. I guess the meaning is up to my own interpretation!

Yesterday afternoon, I had the privilege of examining Nick Carbonaro’s works of art in the Rose Dining room. I was instantly fascinated by them; the vibrant colors, curvaceous shapes, and artfully calibrated ambiguity revealed themes of sexuality and an ongoing journey to find oneself.

One artwork that deeply resonated with me was Nick’s “Welcome to My Home.” As someone who is not an art expert, I appreciated that Nick’s art was abstract and therefore open to interpretation. I thought the piece portrayed gender fluidity because the central figure’s gender is not clearly defined. The figure possesses a combination of masculine and feminine qualities, thereby blurring gender lines. When I asked Nick about “Welcome to my Home”, he said that there is still a slight stigma against those who do not conform to traditional notions of the male or female gender. He also explained that the frame of the painting symbolized the entrance to the “home”, which he described as a haven in which one can be entirely himself or herself. One can unchain himself from society’s expectations and consequently truly understand oneself. I found the connotation of the piece very moving, and it was further compounded by its bold, red colors that implied intense, deep emotion. The area surrounding the figure is also scattered with chili peppers, giving the piece a textured, bumpy look. I believe that the uneven texture represents the obstacles that one faces on his journey to understanding himself.

Overall, I had a wonderful time looking at Nick’s paintings. It was a good opportunity for me to tap into my creative, artistic side and learn about modern art.

On Tuesday, Flora Rose dining hall was transformed into a mini art museum, complete with orchestra music and an assortment of wines and cheeses for a classy ambience.  The artist in the spotlight, Nicholas Carbonaro, graciously contributed several pieces of his artwork to be put on display until the end of October.

Carbonaro’s works consisted of a mixture of sculptures, paintings, and even masks.  There was an overall theme with humans as the focal point, but the unique pieces were created from various materials; one piece even incorporated a handmade paint paste with chilli seeds.  The piece that intrigued me the most was a mixed media work with an oil-based painting behind an actual door frame.  I was able to ask Carbonaro about its significance and he informed us that it symbolized the freedom and independence one has in his or her own home.  The figure in the painting donned an eccentric outfit and a confident expression.  Carbonaro explained that the inspiration was drawn partly from himself because in the comfort of his own home, he is able to wear and do whatever he wants without the judgment of others.  The door in the foreground seems as if to say “Welcome to my home, if you don’t like it you don’t have to step inside.”  Carbonaro also shared that the door used in the piece was an actual door from a friend’s house that he refurbished and made into a frame.  The captivating colors and background story made this piece my favorite of the evening.

Seeing this art exhibit made me reminisce about my art days in high school.  Although I mainly concentrated on photography, seeing Carbonaro’s work made me miss the creative outlet I once had.  I have been on a year-long hiatus and the art show inspired me to consider picking my camera back up.

Tonight the Rose dining hall was filled with serene music, tasteful refreshments and unique art works. One of the great aspects of the Rose dining hall is the exhibition of stimulating paintings throughout the year. The art works by Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro were revealed tonight at the dining hall.
When I walked into the dining hall, the paintings on the wall grabbed my attention instantly. The illustrations were more abstract than what I was used to, however we had the opportunity to ask the artist about his exhibition. Many of the paintings and sculptures illustrated abstract portraits of people and transgender themes. My favorite painting of the night depicted a transgender person standing proudly at a door frame, titled “Welcome to My Home,” which can be seen on the left side of the picture. The painting was very unique in many ways: the background texture, picture frame, and the painting itself were very original and something I have not seen before. At the center, a person dressed in an unconventional clothing is shown. This depicts the feelings of a person who has recently become independent, such as a college student away from their parents. When people live independently, they have the power to control how they live in their own home. This painting helps the viewers find themselves and discover what they truly are inside. Also, the texture of the background was produced with chili pepper seeds. Food spices are normally not considered to be an art instrument, but the pepper seeds in this painting brought out exceptional designs and texture to compliment the piece. I was surprised to find out that the picture frame was originally an antique screen door found in Ithaca. Home is where a person can freely express themselves and I appreciate that this piece captures the feelings very well.
Since there were a lot of people at the exhibit, I only learned about one art work, but I would love to learn more about the rest of the exhibit and the meanings behind each. It would be nice to have description boxes underneath the paintings for the future exhibits so that people dining at Rose have the opportunity to learn more about the art works.

Art Show by Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro

Although I have never been labeled as artistic, I have always appreciated looking at pieces of art. One of my fondest memories growing up was visiting the Washington D.C. museum of modern and contemporary art. I nearly suffocated from laughing at most of the work. Now I understand that these artists invested a lot of time into their craft, but when you paste essentially four white pieces of oaktag on top of each other and it ends up in a museum I just cant hold it in. (See picture below)

Tonight was different. A major reason why was because I actually got a chance to converse with the artist, Nicholas Carbanaro, so that he can paint me a picture of what he was thinking and feeling while creating his art. One question I asked Carbanaro was why is it that in every piece there was some sort of face or profile. He responded by saying that he sees different faces everyday. In the past he has worked at Madame Tussauds and was a member of the Ithaca College makeup department. Even today, he styles hair in collegetown. It is amazing the things you can learn about a person just by talking to them and the meanings you can make by examining art. It would have been interesting to see what the artist of the piece above was thinking when he was creating it.

Before dinner, I had the chance to see the art show in the dining hall where Nicholas Carbonaro answered questions about his works. In high school, I grew up taking art lessons where the teacher focused on technique and learning how to draw accurately with realistic proportions. Growing up, even paintings that were surreal was required to look realistic. Thus, at first I was slightly irked by the abstract style that Nicholas adopted: it was not a style I was used to. However, upon closer inspection of his works, I started to develop more appreciation for his style.

The first thing I noticed was his experimentation with different mediums and techniques. In one painting, he used paper maché and paint to create a very textured piece, a technique I had not thought of before. The paper maché created ridges along the canvas which he accented with black which the rest of the paper maché was painted purple.

The more surprising painting however was one where he used chili seed mixed with a clear paint as a medium. Evidently, this created a piece with a very textured and interesting background. Moreover, the colors he used very very bold, which is something that I am striving for in my own artwork. I find that I often and timid to have deep, intense, bold colors and often opt for more pastel or bright shades.

In the painting that incorporated chili seeds, Carbonaro also seemed to incorporate genderbending. This I definitely appreciated a lot. As someone who considers herself relatively liberal on gender issues, having a painting where the subject was not immediately identifiable as one of the gender binaries was nice surprise.

Fine wine, cheese platter, and fancy music complete with an upright bass, todays art gallery exhibit was among the nicer events I have attended at Cornell University.  The entire atmosphere echoed that of a nice and funky art museum that could be found in New York City instead of the Rose Dinning area.  The paintings that hung on the wall made me envious as I have zero artistic ability, unlike Nicholas Carbonaro, the creator.

The most interesting part, the part that made this experience stand out from a trip to the Johnson Museum, was that the artist was standing right there.  Not only could we ask questions about the art, questions that at other museums go unanswered to the back of our mind, but it was also nice to connect a face as the creator of these works of art.

While most of the paintings were fun and colorful, the above painting stood out from them all.  It demanded a much more serious eye when observing it.  The solemn faces that peaked out from the curtain were incredibly detailed.  For example, one appeared to have piercings.

This was the piece furthest right and thus it was the first one I saw.  I couldn’t help but find a resemblance to Cruella DeVille.

The last image I am choosing to include is the piece entitled “Fat Cat”.  It reminded me of someone waking up from a night out (it has something to do with her expression and the eyelash on her chest).

Art is new to my life; it is something that I experience with an open heart and open arms, doing my best not to include my mind. I believe that art is to be felt. Through Nicholas Lawson Carbonaro’s pieces and explanation, I felt his art.

The pieces were unlike any I have explored in the past year. They were difficult to place any one story to, yet very expressive in the stories they told.

One piece that caught my eye was “Refugees”. Three very distinct faces popping out of what appeared to be a fabric; it could have been ocean waves, when placed in context. After my interaction with the piece, I proceeded to engage in conversation with Nicholas, in order to ask what inspired the piece. He went on to explain that “Refugees” was an earlier piece of his; it was a piece that was almost a refugee itself, during his family’s moving process. Interestingly, he connected “Refugees” to a piece that was further down the wall titled “Family of Six”. He explained that both pieces were created during different periods of his life that placed the notion and experience of refugees in his face. He had gone from a piece of random people on different journeys, to a piece that consisted of a refugee family.

These two pieces have left me wondering about his interactions with refugees and what stories he may have felt. Personally, I love when recurring themes of artists’ lives are reflected through their work.

Overall, I’m grateful to have encountered Nicholas’s unique character and pieces.

It’s always a little overwhelming to enter an art gallery and have very little information about the artists or the piece (or art in general). Upon enter the dining room, i quickly noticed the abstractness of the artwork – and you always have to ask yourself, Is this good art? The answer, in this case, is yes – each piece had a story behind it that was layered with testimonial work towards identity, familial structure, current events, and general art techniques. The author mentioned the use of gender ambiguity as a coming of age identity issue and the general use of gender ambiguity as a mode of self-isolation and anti-questioning methodology.

My favorite piece was of the (gender ambiguous) woman that was situated in a window setting. The use of color within the painting automatically signaled me to see the woman as of middle eastern or Mediterranean decent. The use of vibrant reds, yellows, hues of turquoise/ other blues and greens were really the determining factor between my brain’s association of ethnicity/ race. And that is portrayed, unlike the other paints, heavily through the use of color within this particular painting. Which I thought was interesting, since I caught myself early determining such a heavily social construction based on something as subtle as color.