Exhibiting September & October, 2024: George Lupo

Exhibit Title – Critical Vision

Statement

My artistic journey has been one of constant exploration and evolution. Color plays a pivotal role in my work. Vibrant and bold hues infuse my paintings with energy, hopefully drawing the viewer into a world of exploration and emotion. Simultaneously, I am drawn to the subtlety and elegance of neutral colors, using them strategically to balance and ground the overall composition. The interplay between modern and neutral colors creates a dynamic contrast that captures the essence of the contemporary world we inhabit.

I see my artistic process as an intuitive dance between intention and spontaneity and approach each canvas with a loose plan in mind, allowing myself to be guided by my emotions and impulses as the painting unfolds. I believe that this element of unpredictability injects a sense of life and authenticity into my work and invites viewers to connect with the raw essence of each piece.

Underpainting serves as a fundamental aspect of my artistic technique. Through the layering of colors and patterns beneath the surface, I create a dynamic interplay between different hues, infusing my paintings with an inherent sense of depth and complexity. This approach adds an element of mystery, as glimpses of the underpainting peek through the final layers, encouraging the viewer to engage with the piece on multiple levels.

My large canvases serve as windows into a realm of visual expression, which allows for an immersive experience, enveloping the viewer in a world of color, texture, and emotion. Whether it’s the sweeping strokes or intricate details, I invite viewers to explore the layers of meaning beneath the surface and discover their own interpretations and connections.

I believe my paintings are invitations to experience the joy and emotion that colors can elicit, to lose oneself in the painterly textures and to discover the stories that unfold through the layers of underpainting. I hope that my work resonates with viewers on a personal level, sparking conversations and eliciting emotions that connect us all as human beings, reminding us of the shared language of art that transcends time and space.

Biography

I was born in Brooklyn, New York, graduated the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in the Bronx, and went to sea as an officer on commercial cargo ships for several years mostly in the Pacific. At the age of 28, I drove from New York to Tempe, Arizona and enrolled at Arizona State University to study art.

I have two undergraduate degrees: a Bachelor of Science in meteorology and oceanography, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing. At ASU, I was in the Master of Fine Arts program in painting for a period of time, and while living in the Los Angeles area, I attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena for photography for a year.

I have lived in New York, Arizona, Washington State, California, Maryland and Florida and my work has been exhibited in numerous shows in galleries and in other places in the cities where I lived.

For more than 21 years, I have lived in West Palm Beach, and spend as much time as I have painting in my studio, which is a short drive from my home.

At this point in my life, I realize that I repeatedly return to making art primarily for the enjoyment I get from making it – the moments that seem to make my life worth living, moments of “optimal experience,” or “Flow” as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls it.

This library has an extensive collection of best sellers, adult fiction, DVD’s, audiobooks and CD’s. It has many digital devices available for loan including Veterans HotSpots and children’s Playaway LaunchPads. Its collection includes International language materials in Spanish, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Hebrew and Russian languages.