Cianne Fragione
Gate to the Sea

On view October 19 through November 16, 2019

In this new series of paintings from Cianne Fragione, the artist explores the coast of the Ionian Sea; the expanse which embraces her family’s homeland of Sicily. Infusing her works with her personal history of dance, an inspiration from poetry, and a willingness to experiment with new mediums, Fragione has transformed a striking commentary on place into a rhythmical series of reflections.

The narrative of Gate to the Sea draws from the artist residing amongst the bare remains of Magna Graecia, with ruined temples still occupying two-thousand-year-old spaces. However, “the paintings do not illustrate this story,” says Fragione, “the story might instead be described as an imaginative atmosphere, a site from which my studio process goes forward on its own journey.” ­

A mediator between physical space and the art object, Fragione combines the wistfulness of the Sicilian coast with the solidity of ancient architecture, directly involving herself in a conversation between a mythic past and an active present. She incorporates mixed media, collage, and assemblage, resulting in textures that imply the aging exterior of ancient ruins alongside the multitude of lacy fabrics once employed by her dress-making grandmother.

Recently completing a residency with Art Omi (Ghent, NY), Fragione has exhibited widely across the United States and Italy over the last 30 years. Graduating with an MFA in painting and mixed-media from John F. Kennedy University, she was a student of Jay DeFeo and also trained at the University of California, Berkeley under British sculptors Anna Valentina Murch and Brian Wall. Her work has entered many private and public collections internationally, including the Cecil H. Green Library at Stanford University.