Vito Desalvo
People in the Know
September 8, 2017
Firecat Projects in Chicago will host an exhibition of Vito DeSalvo's work beginning May 25, 2018.
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Firecat projects welcomes an exhibition of Vito Desalvo’s colored pencil drawings from various stages of his career under the title, Back and Forth. As stated by Desalvo, “There are some new pieces but then I threw some old favorites in the mix. They meant something to folks close to me before but I’m done with them now. I still like the drawings but you have to learn when to wash up and change your clothes some time.”
Vito DeSalvo's work was featured in Esthetic Lens Magazine. Personal Dynamics: The Artwork of Vito Desalvo features excerpts from the artist's book International People in the Know, one excerpt shown below.
December 11, 2017
As these nights become truly deep in their darkness and begin before you turn to see your thoughts fade away, my mind turns inward. The comfort in this blanket of vast clear blackness frees me to mentally wander and notice nuances in myself.
Vito DeSalvo's current exhibition at John Molloy Gallery in New York City was featured in Wall Street International. The exhibition runs from February 8, 2018- March 3, 2018.
"The work utilizes many of the current social euphamisms that are used both deliberatly and unknowingly to answer a question 'no' while not saying that."
Originally from Pittsburg, Vito went through art training at Carnegie Mellon University. He lived in Chicago starting in the late 1970’s and in 1998 moved to Maine for ten years. He returned and has been creating artwork in Chicago ever since.
His current work, International People in the Know, is his reflection on interpersonal relations in today’s world. He has chosen both fictitious faces as well as actual subjects of people in his life. The backgrounds suggest no clue as to place, identity or nature of the conversation. The artist only offers the finality of the implied statement. In some of the faces is a lingering hint of relating the knowing implication of their comments. Others possess only a sense of innocent use of common use phrases. Vito has made comments related to these pieces that all serious conversations eventually lead to a confirmed answer form of ‘no’.