Ekphrasis

The figure emerges from the darkness and steps forth into a harsh, nocturnal light. He pauses and then begins to stare. His expression is intense but not confrontational. He appears more like a man presented with a challenge than someone intent on harming.

We sense a spirit of restlessness in this individual. His bloodshot eyes hint at intense visual work or a lack of sleep. He looks strong, not like a weightlifter, but more like a fighter. This fighter uses his mind more than his fists to overcome obstacles.

Whom is he looking at with such intensity? When Varriano arrived at his studio late one night, he was determined to resolve a struggle that he was having with one of his abstract paintings. While looking at the work, he momentarily caught his gaze in a nearby mirror. He immediately knew that he would be painting his portrait that night and that the abstract work would have to wait until another time.

This painting is powerful in its uncompromising realism and penetrating expression. Painted in a chiaroscuro manner, the artist uses the stark contrast of light and dark, to present a deeply psychological mood. We feel the internal struggle necessary in bringing forth a work of art, or any idea of substance.

After completing this self-portrait, he later returned to the abstract painting and completed it to his satisfaction.

Varriano finds that the best approach to creating art is to work on multiple pieces simultaneously. “When at times I hit a roadblock with a painting, I move on to another. In time I return to the first piece and find that my mind has somehow resolved the obstacle that was confronting me.”

Ironically, it was not this self-portrait that presented the obstacle to his creativity, but rather another painting that provided the impetus for such a penetrating work of art.