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Monarch Butterfly (oil on canvas) |
"In my paintings, I express
my love and concern for this beautiful world that we call home," says
Anna Zappoli Jenkins, the artist we are honored to focus on today. "I have worked in several different media throughout my career, water color, acrylic
and tempera; I have cast in bronze. But oils have remained my first and lasting
love. I like their smell, their smoothness, their thickness, their reluctance
to dry."
Zappoli began making art pieces
long before she came to the United States from Sicily in 1966, and her work has been
transforming ever since through many styles, subjects, and media.
She now stands as one of the most visible and celebrated creators on the San
Diego visual arts scene.
In describing her role as an
artist, Zappoli says: "In art, I am more than an artist or a woman,
mother or Sicilian."
That sentence is a great insight
into the degree of commitment Zappoli feels and acts upon towards art. Since
her early days, she was inspired by the work of Dali, Modigliani, and Morandi,
but foremost for her is the work of Pablo Picasso.
"Picasso was the one artist
that influenced my generation the most, not only for his work, but also his
philosophy about art. His influence on me came naturally, and my views on him
have not changed since."
To go any further in
understanding and appreciating Zappoli's work, it seems we must know something
about Picasso. Certainly, Picasso was an iconoclast, a man hungry for life,
love, and liberty. He is not known for any one particular style, but rather for
being unpredictable in the style of his output. The only thing that was
predictable about Picasso was that he would always be true to his far-out
visions, and fully committed to their wonderful execution.
By looking over her work, it
becomes clear that this is the essence of the philosophy that Zappoli has
gleaned from the former artist.
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Before You Knew Me (Detail - 2001) |
In her efforts to be true to her
vision, Zappoli shares with us scenes from her experience, thoughts, her
imagination, and her dreams.
"My fantasy and knowledge
are my companions when I paint," Zappoli says. "A thought comes in; it could be a dream or a concern, happiness or
sorrow, and that is how I start my work."
As well, many of her canvases are
not pre-determined as figurative or abstract, but become so after she has
already begun working, which demonstrates her close communication with the
present moment.
About her canvas, placed at the
top of the page, Monarch Butterfly, Zappoli says: "I was reading an article about the two-way migration of the
monarch butterflies, southward to Mexico in the fall and northward in the
spring to Canada. There was a concern of being an endangered species. My
painting is in their homage."
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Eastern Cradle (2001 - oil and acrylic on canvas) |
In the beautiful piece, Eastern
Cradle, we are presented with a scene that seems to depict a pregnant woman lying on her back in a cradle, while a
flock of angels stands and floats around bearing witness. Some of the coloring
and shaping of Zappoli's figures is reminiscent of Picasso's Les
Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Three Women at the Spring
(1921), but it is a light echo, as Zappoli's lines are too free-flowing to be a
copy of anyone. Part of what makes it a successful work are the wonderful
shapes and patterns created by the arrangement of the angels, as well as the
shimmering leaves in the background which places this event in
the brush and at night. The fact that such a crowded canvas can evoke such an
intimate, holy mood is a rarity and a gift.
Zappoli's My Story series,
which she created in 2009, are boldly vulnerable presentations of some
heavy-weight themes. In the piece to the left, four women, each in a different
form of movement, are shown connected by a vine of flowers. It is possible to
see this piece as a timeline of events or as a glimpse at universal sisterhood. It is
even possible to see in it a diagram of the various steps in a blooming consciousness, as the woman at
the top of the drawing is the only one who seems to have mastered flight. She
is also the only character seen in a direct act of compassion. In the piece to
the right, Zappoli has presented us with a scene of perfect harmony between the
sexes, species, and all nature. Whether it represents an autobiographical sketch, a dream she had, a goal or a prediction for the future of humanity, the fact remains that Zappoli has mined a chunk of the harmony in her own soul to share with us.
She speaks humbly about this series:
"The sketches/drawings were done for fun, and came naturally," Zappoli
says. "I wanted them to be simple and fun."
Yes, they are simple and fun, but they also have something to do with the hope Zappoli mentioned in a previous
interview: "I believe that love, eventually, will paint
The Mount of Paradise."
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Guernica (2011) |
Guernica is the Spanish city
famous for being devastated by bombs dropped by German and Italian warplanes in
1937. Picasso's acclaimed painting of the town showed the ghastly devastation
of that bombing campaign. Zappoli's painting, on the other hand, while
completely different in composition and style, is equally haunting. The glowing
white on black evokes a sort of x-ray look into Guernica's inhabitants.
The direct smiles towards the viewer gives the
piece a family photograph feel, showing the loving unity and character of the people. The scene is so full of the characters' peace and contentedness that our knowledge about the
coming catastrophe is a hard burden to bear, making this a
powerful anti-war piece. The fact that it was created on-site at a show at the Bare
Back Grill in Pacific Beach is a little incredible.
"When I
worked on this painting, the idea was to express feelings about modern times in
relation to wars we can never be too far from," Zappoli says about her Guernica.
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Waiting for birds to fly by |
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Untitled (2010) |
Among her many painterly
interests, Zappoli has been creating dozens of portraits of women's faces,
often in dramatic settings. They stand out because of their powerful evocation
of emotions, even while stylistically they present a joyous romp through the
many beautiful possibilities of figurative painting.
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Jolie (2012) |
Jolie is one of Zappoli's
newest paintings. The color palette is wider and brighter, and the detail is
deeper than most of her previous work. The eyes are just as mesmerizing as some
of her earlier portraits, but they are more awake, as if the woman is
all-seeing, even into the soul of the viewer. The textures are
classically regal, and the proportions are reminiscent of Modigliani, while the
close-up angle and beaming spirit are completely new. Judging from this piece, the outlook is certainly good for Zappoli fans.
"I am very
optimistic about the artistic soul of San Diego," Zappoli says. "And my advice to artists is to
continue to be creative and busy in life and thankful, for this world is indeed
our paradise."
[Work by Anna Zappoli Jenkins will be on exhibit at L Street Gallery. For more details, see our Events page. We will certainly keep posting on the future
amazing turns in Anna Zappoli Jenkins' art career. For more info in the meantime, feel free to visit
her website at: www.zhibit.org/annazapp]
Way to go Anna. Nice to see you getting the attention you deserve. Love the monarchs
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