Art Of The Matter

Karen CANTELLO

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About Karen CANTELLO

Artist Statement

CATTLE

Through paint on canvas and sometimes wood panel, I immerse myself in the subject as completely as possible, and, with very direct application of paint, work to capture the essence of my subject as it is filtered and interpreted through my emotional response.

My choice of subject is quite standard, even provincial (cattle). Rather than dismiss them as prosaic, I view these subjects as visual archetypes with direct links to subconscious. The cows exude a particular quality of being to which I am repeatedly drawn. I have come to value this revisited subject matter as a vehicle to investigate and celebrate that which connects us. It is with intention that I allude to these underlying beacons as ingress for the viewer.

For me, the painting process itself is an act not an activity. I paint in long uninterrupted sessions where I am able to give complete attention to creating a satisfying tension between what is seen; realistic moments of light or detail, what is known; thoughtful decisions based on knowledge of the effect of colour, texture, edge and what is felt; visceral mark making inspired by the subject with uncensored disregard for the above.

Ultimately, no painting is complete without the viewer, and each is uniquely completed by the individual viewing it. My intent is to compose paintings which fascinate me, are fundamentally accessible, but also leave room for the observer's singular consummation.

Cattle, or, more specifically, their ancestor, the auroch, were the subject of our earliest art making activities. While they may have formed a part of larger rituals and ceremonies, at their core, Palaeolithic cave paintings represent a recognition and celebration of the animals that were vital to our survival. In the Hindu religion darshan is a ritual of "seeing with reverence and devotion" and is performed with cows (as well as other persons and objects of devotion) The "seeing" is believed to be reciprocal and the human viewer is believed to receive a spiritual gift in the exchange.

As subjects, the cattle present a rich field of visual imagery; the uterine form of the head, open wet nostrils and angelic crucifixion of the splayed ears. These compelling individuals bestow great opportunity for projected state of mind; graceful acquiescence, defeated fatalism and, more dramatically, have the power to evoke that jolting moment when seer becomes seen and the subsequent occasion for prolonged, contemplative, mutual consideration. I feel privileged to have a subject that allows me to bring together, in a satisfying way, realistic moments of detail and intuitive mark making.

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