By
Johanna Silver

All images courtesy of the artist.

CONIE VALLESE


Process is just as important as product when it comes to art, but the work that goes into it is often overlooked. Every creative has their own routine that compels their craft, and Conie Vallese’s happens in her Brooklyn studio, which can be chaotic or organized depending on what she’s working on.

The Buenos Aires-born artist is known for her black-and-white patterned prints and fluid sculptures. Early pieces range from angular interpretations of still life to bold, evocative, and sexual sketches. Meaningful shapes play heavily into the pieces, requiring repetition and thought before they’re materialized. “I organize the elements of the painting meticulously,” she explains. “I [puzzle] the compositions in my head and also the choice of color palette before I make the first sketch.”

Though past prints have been monochromatic, her present work has bold pops of color. This is “a new romance” for Vallese, who explains that the color signifies an emerging, playful point of view. “My work a few years ago was all black and white. Color has definitely changed how I feel about my work. Color built a good strong relationship with what I do, something like it brought a special happiness, or happiness brought color.” The positive air is apparent in her current compositions, two of which can be seen here. New hues add a pleasing sense of balance to the dynamic shapes while giving them a sense of movement. This energy makes the work feel like somewhat of an adventure, as the eye travels from one element to the next.

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She is also exploring new techniques with her sculptures. The flowing faces are usually small in scale and made using plaster. Now, she is experimenting with sculpting in stone and creating larger models than usual, which obviously takes a considerable amount of time to map out the desired design and carve it out. It also takes a lot of strength to work with stone—another aspect of sculpting that many may not consider.

In terms of inspiration, Vallese draws from scads of sources. Growing up in a creative family, she enjoyed her grandmother’s oil paintings, her father’s sculptures, and her mother’s interior designs. She even got artistic urges from her grandmother’s big, beautiful garden. She’s also a big film buff and regularly starts her day with a movie. Having studied film in school, she immerses herself in compilations of different directors’ work and lets the emotion of the movies inform the day. Along with film and family, she is influenced by places with strong ancient culture and history: “I am attracted to art with dust and old architecture.”

When asked about future plans or showings, Vallese implies that she’s currently content with creating and figuring out how to make her work exactly how she wants it—for now, her artistic process takes precedence. “I like things to be how I want them to be,” she laughs, while ruminating on what the future has in store. New creations, collaborations, and endeavors are inevitable, but she seems to be enjoying the journey in the meantime.

For more information, please visit ConieVallese.com.

Conie Vallese, Composition No. 14, 2017
By
Johanna Silver

All images courtesy of the artist.

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