Il Mondo di Putti

Buster Levi Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition, Il Mondo di Putti by Maria Pia Marrella, opening July 5 through July 28, 2019. A reception for the artist will be held Friday, July 5th from 6 to 8:30pm. The exhibition will be the 14th solo show for Ms. Marrella, who is a member of the Buster Levi Gallery located at 121 Main Street in Cold Spring, New York.

A broken light fixture of a cherub (putto), cast in antique bronze, sits in a small flower garden outside Marrella’s home in lower Hudson Valley. This setting, in which recently bloomed flowers frame a traditionally classical cherub figurine, was the inspiration for Marrella’s humorous narratives of renaissance-based putti in the local landscape. The paintings in Il Mondo di Putti are derived not only from direct observation but also interpretations of themes familiar in mythological compositions by Renaissance painters such as Antonio da Correggio.

The first painting in Marrella’s series, Putto Watering, o/c, 30” x40”, is the one most directly based on observation. Painted with vivid colors and energetic brushwork, the canvas captures the riotous hues of flowers and the circular rhythmic forms of pots, leaves, and waterspouts. This work contrasts dramatically with Putto -Over -Hudson, o/c, 14” x18”. Although both paintings share similar processes, the later work is a purely imaginative synthesis of a familiar locale, juxtaposed with a classical image borrowed from the Rococo artist, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

Marrella’s previous show at Buster Levi explored darker themes, notably, the absurdity of the current political climate, reflected in her paintings of (tortured; suffering, tormented) cartoon characters. In her current show, which embodies more whimsical subject matter, she experiments with non-traditional painting surfaces, such as glass, to enhance visceral paint textures.

Marrella’s return to figurative painting is celebrated with vibrant color and crafted compositions, creating a playful, light-hearted, imaginative world.

Buster Levi Gallery is open Friday through Sunday from 12-6 pm.

For more information: busterlevigallery.com

To directly contact the artist: mariapia.marrella@gmail.com

Cell: 914 382-9270

Website: mariapiamarrella.com