Today we’d like to introduce you to Agostino Vaccaro.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Agostino. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Agostino Vaccaro and I grew up in Temecula, California. At an early age, I became interested in drawing and making art. In 2015 I was accepted into Laguna College of Art and Design, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Drawing and Painting. Currently, I’m working towards earning my Master’s Degree in Painting at Laguna College of Art and Design. With a Master’s degree, I intend to teach painting at a college level.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A challenge that I’m currently facing is working in a makeshift painting studio. Because of the current COVID-19 virus, I am unable to use my studio on campus at LCAD, so I had to set up a painting studio in the corner of my shared apartment. This presents several challenges, including painting in a smaller work area as well as having to adjust to lighting changes in my apartment.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
During this past year, I’ve been making oil paintings that depict American archetypal figures within a synthetic, man-made setting of a theatrical stage. With the use of costumes and props, I aim to make these characters immediately recognizable to the viewer while attaching my own personal, allegorical significance to them. The figures are placed in front of flat backdrops, made to look as if they were painted onto, suggesting a setting outside of the theater. The synthetic settings often further the conceptual narrative of the piece, symbolically hinting at the narrative that I am trying to tell.
Conceptually, identity is a strong overarching theme of my paintings. My body of work features themes of camp, religious imagery, and sexuality. Sticking to these conceptual themes help create consistency throughout the body of work while allowing me to I explore different aspects of my identity and my current pursuit of finding spiritual truth. I use American archetypes, color, and my treatment of man-made theatrical lighting as visual personal metaphors in order to express the theme of identity.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
One of my proudest moments was my first gallery showing at Kelsey Michaels Fine Art in Laguna Beach, CA. I believe this was my first step towards being a professional in my field as a painter. This gave me the confidence and the knowledge necessary to work with galleries in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: agostinovaccaroart.com
- Email: agostinovaccaro.art@gmail.com
- Instagram: @agostinovaccaro.art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgostinoVaccaro.Art/
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