Elena Disabato

Artist Statement:

I am a painter and mixed media artist living in the Logan Square neighborhood of my home town, Chicago. Following college at Syracuse University (BFA ’00) with a semester in Florence, Italy studying Renaissance painting, I lived in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood, throwing the bi-monthly “Art & Science” events at Galapagos Art Space until 2006 when I returned to Chicago. Three of my pieces were shown in 2007 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago at the Sustainable Architecture Chicago exhibit in tandem with Bruce Mao's Massive Change exhibit.

I took a hiatus from my art to forge a career marketing for architects, which proved to only stifle my ability to create work for myself. Beginning in 2018, I reintroduced myself to my creative process and pursued securing over a dozen commissions in 2 years. In 2020 I decided to leave the architecture industry and pursue my art full time; I have been making new work weekly ever since. So far in 2021 I have exhibited at Side Street Studio Arts in Elgin, as well as Fulton Street Collective in Chicago, and have sold most of my new abstract body of work.

My style is bold and direct, depicting architecture, abstractions and figures that are aesthetically beautiful with an edge. Whether a piece is representational of a specific subject or demonstrates an abstracted concept, my goal for creating art is twofold:

1. Allow each recipient and viewer to feel connected with and understood, regardless of subject matter or technique.
2. Put something original into the world that answers subconscious questions, leaving a lasting conscious impression of beauty and satisfaction.

I work in a variety of 2D media at any scale on canvas (hand-stretched, sized, primed, prepped for hanging available) board or paper:

-Oil
-Watercolor
-Mixed media – pencil, charcoal, graphite, ink, marker, conte, pastel
-Collage + decoupage

Specialized techniques include using Swarovski crystals in patterned overlays, metallics (paint, pencil, marker), scrapbooking materials, and finishing mediums of various consistencies.

When I accept commissions, I make a point to learn what sparks that benefactor to feel like they are being true to themselves. Focusing on their story, personal style and goals for the future brings a deeper understanding and connection to each work.

Education:

SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
-Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, English minor (2000)
-DIPA Program, Firenze, Italia (1999)

LEED Green Associate (since 2014)

Awards & Distinctions:

-Certificate of Excellence, Circle Foundation for the Arts - For participation and distinction of artwork that displays excellence in the 6th international CFA Artist of the Month competition held on the Circle Arts online platform; June 2022.

-7th place overall and 4th place in Painting/Other category, "Patterns" online competition, Light Space + Time Gallery (500+ applicants).
https://bit.ly/3kx61EX

 

Exhibitions:

2022
-HAIRPIN ARTS CENTER - "Back to the Beginning" group show
Created 3 new pieces in 1 month based on selected inspirational paintings by Kandinsky, Miro and Klee

2021
-HAIRPIN ARTS CENTER - Group show
Showcase of current artwork

-RED BLUFF ART GALLERY (Red Bluff, CA)
1 piece exhibited, "Basil", in Painterly Renderings category
Oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas

-FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE
ArtWalls installation at Workbox, Fulton Market
1 piece exhibited - Oil and metallic paint on canvas

-LIGHT SPACE + TIME GALLERY
Online competition: Patterns
https://bit.ly/3kx61EX

-MATILDA/BABY ATLAS
Pop-up shop at monthly music series Activate

-FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE
ArtWalls installation at Workbox, 420 N. Wabash
1 piece exhibited - Oil and metallic paint on canvas

-FULTON STREET COLLECTIVE
Group show: Abstraction
1 piece exhibited - Oil and metallic paint on canvas

-SIDE STREET STUDIO ARTS (Elgin)
Group juried show: You Are Not the Boss of my Art
1 piece exhibited - Oil and metallic paint on canvas

2020 - MATILDA/BABY ATLAS
Pop-up shop for premier of monthly music series Compulsion

2019 - FLATSstudio
Pop-up gallery show (Group show, 6 artists)
Theme: Abstract
5 pieces exhibited - Oil and metallic paint on canvas/canvas paper

2007 - MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART CHICAGO
Sustainable Architecture in Chicago: Massive Change
Facilitated participation with Farr Associates
2 pieces exhibited - Watercolor, mixed media
Designed, managed team and constructed 3D exploded green roof

NEW YORK, NY / US
2001-2006 - ART + SCIENCE: Galapagos Art Space (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Founding member of collective; hosted bi-monthly art and music events
Exhibited 8 times - Oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas, mixed media
Curated themed shows with 10+ rotating resident and guest artists

2005 - Solo Show, West Village bar on Bleecker/Sullivan
8 pieces exhibited - Oil and Swarovski crystals on canvas

2000 - Group show (3 artists), SoHo gallery on Broadway/Grand
Opportunity won via call for artists in Art in America
6 pieces exhibited - Oil on canvas

FLORENCE, TUSCANY / IT
1999 - Group show (10 artists), DIPA PROGRAM STUDIOS (Syracuse University)
End-of-year student/faculty shows shows
2 pieces exhibited - Oil on unstretched canvas

SYRACUSE, NY / US
2000 - Group show (5 artists), SPARK ART SPACE
Theme of technology obsolescence
2 pieces exhibited - Pencil and ink on illustration board

1997-2000 - SHAFFER ART GALLERY
End-of-year student/faculty shows shows
2 pieces exhibited each year

Artistic Influences:

Kandinsky, Miro, Yayoi Kusama and Koloman Moser influence my abstract work; Renaissance paintings, symmetry and verticality inform my compositions.

Artist Tags:

abstract, chicago, logan square, oil painting, mixed media, metallic