The Vibrant Paintingsof Joseph Capicotto
By Rocco Pannese
Judging by your response, I am glad that so many of you found my 4-part series on “Canadian Art as Investment” informative and interesting. From this point on, I’d like to turn your attention to specific artists who are worthy of consideration on the topic. The first is a gifted and versatile artist named Joseph Capicotto who was born and raised in Canada and earned his double major in Fine Arts at York University. He is best known for his luminous landscapes and visionary abstracts. They are always created from memory and, although each work is unique, they commonly feature textured skies, rolling hills, fields of flowers, and meandering pathways or streams. The artist’s landscapes display a keen eye for colour and a synchronization of design. His trees, skies, and rivers form an exquisite harmony of tender hues, moving shapes, and pattern. The atmospheric effects can be described as delicate and dreamy.
Capicotto paints mostly in acrylics. He likes their versatility and faster drying time. He may thin them with water for a transparent wash or thicken them with modelling paste to add a tactile dimension. For this latter purpose, he has also experimented by adding elements such as sand and even pastas to acrylic paint in his quest for just the right effect; in fact, Capicotto doesn’t use brushes at all, he uses a palette knife to apply paint. He supplements his knife work with a ragging technique that uses fabric, such as cheesecloth, to create a broad range of textured effects from the subtle to the dramatic.
Capicotto is also known for his expertise in figurative paintings. Here he demonstrates his extensive training and ease with the human form. These works display a dedicated appreciation to the beauty and variety of the figure with which he often takes artistic licence to create an intensity that is admirable and engaging.
Unlike most artists, Capicotto declines to have his works reproduced as prints. “It’s all original...artwork loses its value when it is reproduced.” His uniqueness will appeal to those who don’t want their paintings to look overly traditional. Ranging in prices from $1400 to $3800, his paintings are reliable investments that will entice you by their price as well as by their uplifting aesthetic.
Rocco Pannese is a well-respected collector and dealer of Canadian fine art. He is well acquainted with numerous top Canadian artists and many of their works are featured in his fascinating gallery at Highway 7 and Kipling.
KIPLING GALLERY FINE ART
