Ekphrasis

A woman emerges from a Brownstone building, which is comfortably nestled within the row of homes on the block where she lives. She has been a resident here for her entire life. The neighborhood of Yorkville, in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, has not changed very much since her childhood. This tenacious old woman is nearly as old as the building she resides in.  However, flesh and bone are not stone, and she bears the signs of age.

It is a sunny morning in late Spring, and there is much to be thankful for. There is a lot to do, and she has adequate energy within her little frame to accomplish her goals. The flowers need watering, and the steps require sweeping.

This is a somewhat lonely old woman, but she does have family members scattered throughout the country. Some of them occasionally call her and less frequently pay her a visit when they are in town. Most importantly, she has many memories that comfort and sustain her.

The ability to tell a story through an image in paint is a special talent, and Varriano here demonstrates how it is done. He applies the paint with various textures that reflect the subjects in the work. We can visually feel the roughness of the concrete sidewalk, the worn, yet smoother texture of the Brownstone building, and the sagging skin of the old woman.

The morning sun washes the scene in strong contrasts of light and shadow. The colors in this painting are bold and decisive, and there is a beautiful play of the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue.