Valerio D'Ospina

"Manhattan"  oil on panel  48" x 32"  2012

"Train Tracks"  oil on MDF  30" x 24"  2011

"Train Cars"  oil on canvas  55" x 71"  2010

"Chicago Alley"  oil on melamined MDF  24" x 17"

"Ship Under Construction"  oil on MDF  42" x 30"  2011

Valerio D'Ospina is an Italian artist currently residing in the U.S. A background studying, replicating and even restoring antique works of art lends his own work a solid academic backbone. But he plays with technique, creating a dense array of streaks, washes and scratches to build up some truly rich images. Color is only spotty if present at all. Indeed, they are more drawing than painting really, but what drawings! The technique may at times be a bit jarring and it works less well on some images than others. But for the most part it is succeeds beautifully, creating a vibrant and frenetic energy that captures the turmoil and raw energy of his urban/industrial subject matter. The artist is not commenting on all of this, as so many artists today seem to do. There is no message of warning or lament. There is a certain bleakness to the scenes, due primarily to that monochromatic pallette, but mostly he just seems to be enthralled by the whole glorious chaos of it all. And he attacks his canvases, panels and boards with the same unbridled confidence as a captain of industry.
There's lots' of work to see on his website: evdospina.com

originally seen on artistaday.com