Exhibition Opening: Thursday, February 18, 2016, 6pm. On view February 18, 2016-May 13, 2016. Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm. RSVP by calling (212) 642-2094. John D. Calandra Italian American Institute - Queens College, CUNY - 25 West 43rd Street, 17th floor - New York, NY 10036

The paintings on exhibition were made in the summers of 2012, 2014, and 2015, during Vincent Baldassano's tenure as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. These works were inspired by ancient sites that he visited, such as Ostia Antica, the Pantheon, and the ruins of Mithraic temples, as well as by the city's historical churches and the visible and tangible evidence of centuries of Italian culture. Baldassano uses, among other media, acrylic on linen and canvas. His pieces, often rendered in lunette and gable-end shapes, employ bold color and vivid structural shapes in exuberant compositions. The paintings recall abstract expressionist configurations, demonstrating a deeply personal and contemporary sensibility informed by historical technique and echoes of archetypal symbols.

Source: John D. Calandra Italian American Institute