Jerry Ross Opening January 8th

Press Release:  First Friday in January Exhibit by Jerry Ross at In Eugene Real Estate 100 E. Broadway Ave Suite 100. Old and new works: paintings related to Italian history and society, Hooft family portraits, abstract landscapes, Angela portraits, abstract figurative works.   Contact: Ben Fogelson, broker

Passeggiata con Cinghiale ,  2011, Painting, 60 H x  84 W x  2  in

Passeggiata con Cinghiale (2011)  is a painting that depicts the Italian concept of “passeggiata”, the evening stroll in most Italian towns. This is a metaphorical painting making a statement about Italy's current social and political crisis. I have been reading "The Dark Heart of Italy" by Tobias Jones which describes the post-war civil war that has been going on as fascist elements have reinserted themselves into the Italian state and secret services.  Here a smartly dressed couple is out for the evening passeggiata (walk)  and they are confronted by an enormous green cinghale symbolizing all that is wrong with contemporary Italy.  Indeed, everything in this painting is a symbol.  The couple on the left symbolizes the “cittadinanza”, the ordinary citizens out on a walk.  As already mentioned, they are confronted by a large green boar, the “Cinghiale” which is a symbol for “Mani pulite” (“clean hands) also referred to as “tangentopli” a national investigation into mafia infestation and political corruption having to do with the construction of the ring-road around Milan but, more generally, to the system of bribes, kickbacks, and other corrupt practices, a vast conspiracy of Italian political parties to keep the left out of power and to ensure the continued existence of this system of corruption. The young woman on the far right symbolized the young generation of Italians with dwindling prospects for employment or a bright future given this entrenched system of corruption.

Portraits:

Fiorella                              Ciceruacchio                 Angela                                   John

Portraiture is well representated in this exhibit.  “Fiorella” is a portrait (Mayor’s Art Shw 2012). Portrait of “una vecchio donna italiano” -- a citizen of Tuscany near Montepulciano.. “Portrait of Fiorella is a depiction of a woman that defies popular femininity yet defines who she is, as a woman, boldly. It is an oil painting of an Italian nonna from Tuscany, thereby setting up the viewer to witness her as not only female but as a matriarchal figure. However, she is depicted outside of any motherly or grandmotherly setting, standing alone, with an expression that is the antithesis of the soft, submissive, and nurturing female stereotype. “ (review by Victoria Reis).  “Ciceruacchio”is a portrait of Angelo Brunetti who fought with Garibaldi during the Second Republic of Italy's defense of Rome. Captured along with his 14-year old son by the Austrians, his son was executed and then it was his turn after he pleaded with the Austrians for his son's life. In this manner the Austrians showed their contempt for Italian patriotism.

Portraits of candidates from the 2016 election:

Trump                                       Bernie Sanders                          Bernie  Sanders                 Hillary Clinton                        

Note: some of these are giclee prints as the orginal oils are on exhibit in Las Vegas.  Jerry’s sister, diane Bush, is a well-known photographer/arts activist in Las Vegas and she has created a project called “Dishing It Out 2016” creating commemorative cups and plates around election 2016 themes.  An exhibit will be held at Brett Wesley Gallery in Las Vegas featuring many artists who have contributed original artwork for this project: January 21^st, Las Vegas Art Square, 6-8:30 pm. Jerry Ross is organizing a “Bernie ReadOut” for January 14^th at Tsunami Bookstore.

Landscapes of Italy and Oregon::

“Amazon Park” oil on canvas 24” x 36”

Amazon Park                                            Tuscan Summer

Abstract Landscape                                 Oregon Forest Veduta                        Mt Baldy

The Hooft Family Portraits

Detail from 4.5’ x 6’ painting, work in progress

Jerry has been commissioned by the Hoofts to create a large family portrait featuring the Hooft chidren.  Some of the working studies and the finalized large portrait will be dispayed at In Eugene.

La Tavola Italiana, Villa Boromeo

Villa Borromeo

Jerry Ross was in Milan, Italy earlier this year to create a large 5 x 7 foot canvas for a documentary film.  He returned with his wife Angela this April for the screening of the film which was in the Villa San Carlo Borromeo near Milan.  The film "Richezza La Tavola Italiana" treats food as art and celebrates the undisputed quality of food products and handmade Italian products. "La Tavola Italiana", is also a non-profit association, which was founded with the goal of raising public awareness regarding the value locally grown products bring to the Italian food sector, which guarantees its uniqueness and quality. The association promotes the story of natural foods and traditional crafts, as well as agriculture and food processing from raw materials, analyzing the products according to the specifications of  agriculture, food, environment, fine arts, and artisan crafts. The film was recently shown at the Villa Reale's Galleria Dell'Arte and at Menfi,  a small town in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region of  Sicily.

More recently (July-Nov 2015), the film was shown at "the Tank", a special project at the train station at Milan's Porto Romana: an abandoned old station that was transformed by Politecnico di Milano for display of Italian food and artusan products by the Association La Tavola Italiana.  Other screenings are scheduled for The Museum of Art and Sciene in Milan, Pulsano, Monteprandone, Termine Imerese, Vincibando, and Prossedi.

Angela Portraits

Abstract Figurative

Ponzi’s Triumph                                                                      Martinsicuro Beach

About the artist:

Jerry Ross

A painter since early childhood, Jerry Ross attended the Art Institute of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York , the University of Buffalo, and the University of Oregon. In Italy, his work has been exhibited in Milan, Rome, Bologna, and Florence. In The United States, he has shown work in Oregon and Nevada. In 2006, he originated the "American Verismo" movement while teaching at the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene. An arts activist in his adopted city, Eugene, Oregon, he founded the popular Salon des Refuses art exhibit (in collaboration with other Eugene artists) and played a major role in the establishment of DIVA and other arts groups (DIVA Drain and Club Macchia). His movement "American verisimo", is inspired by the Italian I Macchiaioli and his own experimental work. Currently, he lives and works in Eugene and partly in Italy. His exhibit in 2002 at the prestigious Galleria d’Arte La Borgognona, Rome, Italy was reviewed by the Roman newspaper, Corriere della Serra.Recently, his paintings were featured in an Italian documentary film “Richezza la Tavola Italiana.” My Artist Statement I have a strong interest in the "poetica del vero" schools of painting, mostly derived from Italian influences. This can be translated as "the poetry of life or truth" and is associated with working directly from nature as in “all aperto” painting, namely an appreciation of the oil sketch and alla prima (a direct attack) mode of painting which I apply not only to landscape but also to portraiture and figurative work.

My Location

I am located in Eugene, OR. Contact: 541-343-5651    pittore44@yahoo.com

Galleryrepresentation: Rainbow Optics (13^th ave, campus) and Drain DIVA.