In the dark past of our cultures there lies a primal realm of typology and symbols. It haunts our dreams, fills our vision, and cuts through cultivation to remind us of the primal conditions from whence we have come. We can perceive this realm, as though through smoke and mist. Then, at times, it confronts us face to face, and draws us to realizations about the nature of our own reality that we otherwise refuse to face. Therefore, we tell fairytales and bask in make-believe, seeing in the twisted mirror a version of reality that rings truer than the realists could hope to.
I aim to depict this realm from the back of my mind and put it onto canvas through manipulation of oils and acrylics. My work conveys the essence of objects, ideas, and historical events, communicating their meaning in a way that is clouded with mystery. I am really taken with the pursuit of the raw subconscious, individual and social alike. Often exploring psychologically intense themes and taboos through the visual medium results in each viewer relating to the paintings in a personal manner, which to me is a mission accomplished. My addiction to particular periods of European culture is quite domineering in my work. I digest the Victorian and Renaissance eras into my own commentary of present day situations, images that can stylistically be described as the offspring of surrealism and post-enlightenment Romanticism. My personal desired aesthetic of the dated has driven me to personify the time period in both my art and my lifestyle.
My historical-surreal style examines the roots of modern culture. Like other surrealists before me, I strive for a high level of technical perfection while subverting the realist ideal and striving to recognize deeper truths about my subjects. I challenge artistic culture by abandoning en-vogue styles in favor of the timeless.
Pinhole Camera Nudes-I use the extreme wide angle distortions of the round oatmeal box pinhole camera and the digital colorizations of B&W negatives to create a series of visceral images that probe the unconscious, stepping away from the literal reality and choosing instead to seek expressionism. Through successive pulling of curves, B&W values are replaced with color in separate channels that ultimately create the dreamlike state in the finished piece. Industrial sites, homes, architecture, landscape or props are juxtaposed with the model in the camera and that juxtaposition triggers a response that I react to while colorizing. The resulting images range from the absurd to the profound and from gender issues to politics. This work is rooted in 16th Century with the pinhole optics and combined with the 21st Century digital print manipulations. With its solarization-like tone reversals and silkscreen-like color layering, these images are a hybrid of Photography and Digital Printmaking.
Biagio was recognized for his artistic talents at an early age. He started drawing and painting early on and continued to pursue his creative interests by further advancing his skills and knowledge at Rosa Parks High School for the Arts, where he continued to excel. He was granted a full scholarship to study Art at William Paterson University where he decided on a concentration in 3D computer animation. While attending, Biagio began creating flash sheets, pages of illustrations that could be used for tattoos. His intention was merely to sell these sheets to tattoo shops, but in attempting to do so, his passion for tattooing and in joining the tattoo industry had emerged. Biagio continued to complete his studies of 3D computer animation while working as a tattoo artist part-time. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and embarked full-time on his journey of tattoo. Over the years, Biagio opened his own "Tattoo Gallery". Biagio's Tattoo Gallery is a culmination of Biagio's passions; fine arts, tattooing and creativity. .
"Each piece of mine is an open-ended experiment. I perform as though I am painting for myself but in reality I am creating beyond what I know or think. My obsession during the painting process does not allow me to be affected by worldly concerns. I allow my art to take shape with a certain amount of freedom even as I hold the brush and confine it to a canvas. The work is complete when I no longer feel the need to change any part of it. This happens when my eye is able to move around the piece without being disturbed.
I work with a variety of media, my current medium of choice being acrylic. I do not think about color theory, rather I see only in terms of value. In fact, I try not to think at all when I paint but only to see and do."
