Frank E. Ballato, III

Lives and works in Leesburg, VA, USA

Artist statement

A StateMENt… Characteristics of place develop through the layering of time. In my work many different series have emerged, causing a layered representation of development in my life. Things change, wounds heal, and new experiences build upon one another coating the surface. What lies beneath is the emotional presence of place. The everyday has become absent, and the only way to relive it or revive it, is to reconstruct it. The “things” we place importance on can impact how others react. When we have “things” in our lives that hold power and influence others will react. Once the “things” become so significant that others react, we take away. Once the “things” are removed, others react. The overall physicalness of “things” is rarely measured by what the substance is. We rather place the importance of the meaning of the “things”. When the “things” diminish importance, new “things” replace. “things” repeat. iii About the current work: reMIXed is a series based on exploration of childlike thoughts and images fused into adult concerns combining playful layers of cynicism and idealism. Each painting tells a story operating as a compressed system of meanings. Images stacked, interrupted, and recontextualized resulting in spaces where nostalgia and absurdity can co-exist. The structure of the work is intentionally overloaded. They mimic the way information, history, and identity are fragmented leaving us in a complicated resolution. skull blOOd is a family collaboration series,...

Artwork