{"id":237,"date":"2011-02-02T13:59:38","date_gmt":"2011-02-02T18:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vermontartguide.com\/content\/?p=237"},"modified":"2011-02-10T13:49:10","modified_gmt":"2011-02-10T18:49:10","slug":"alex-costantino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vermontartguide.com\/content\/alex-costantino\/","title":{"rendered":"Alex Costantino"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Apotheosis of Owl by Alex Costantino (mixed media, 2005)<\/p><\/div>\n

South Burlington, Vermont<\/strong><\/p>\n

Owls are a re-occuring image in Alex Costantino\u2019s work. The symbol provides the artist with fertile ground. An icon of wisdom and strength and a brutal, nocturnal hunter, the owl is at times mysterious link to mystical terrain and at other times a connection to the natural world. Depending on the context, it can be a symbol of the id, the ego, or the superego. Costantino uses the owl to explore his own psyche while making work that the viewer is able to access for themselves.<\/p>\n

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Barred Owl by Alex Costantino (ceramic, 2008)<\/p><\/div>\n

The Barn Ow<\/em>l (Tyto alba) and The Barred Owl<\/em> (Strix varia) are ceramic sculptures where Costantino presents intricate drawing patterns on the bodies of the birds. This technique gives the object a totemic quality that glorify the animal. The Great Separation<\/em> is a three-dimensional manifestation of a 2007 drawing with the same title. Here, Costantino offers the viewer an incomplete narrative\u2014the elaboratly patterned wing of the owl ripped off\u00ad\u2014that could as easily serve as a metaphor for the animals extinction as it could for the loss of power, culture, or connection.<\/p>\n

Constantino works successfully in a variety of media: ceramics, paint, pencil, print, video, and installation. His art is often in service of an idea. He explains, \u201cCreating for me is an opportunity to satisfy a curiosity- what would the world look like with this in it?\u201d \u201cIslands\u201d is a series of inverted bowls that feature patterns and map imagery. The bowls and tumblers that make up the \u201cComix\u201d series are an aggregation of comic panels that range from narrative to collage to stream-of-consciousness. His work is marked by an expert use of color, sgraffito, and wit.<\/p>\n

Costantino works as an artist and art teacher in Burlington, Vermont. He holds a Bachelors of Fine Art in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute and an Masters in Fine Art from the University of South Florida.<\/p>\n

ARTIST CONTACT<\/strong><\/p>\n

[click to email]
\n<\/a>http:\/\/costantino.jottit.com<\/a><\/p>\n