For David D’Alessandris, different is the goal.
“As an artist, I cannot stay with just one genre. I must explore new things and new attitudes,” reveals David D’Alessandris, whose newest show, Beat & Path, will run December 7-29 at Brick City Center for the Arts. “I never want to be bored or stale with what I am doing. I get an artistic ‘rush’ exploring something new.”
D’Alessandris believes that art should not necessarily be confined to a canvas or exist merely under glass. His works are an exploration of materials, color, texture and subject matter, presented with a touch of humor.
“Sometimes I will get a ‘high’ by using a newly found surface or a new type of application,” D’Alessandris explains. “I will not settle for that ‘just another painting’ mentality. Using other materials is also a great inspiration for me, be it painting on a mannequin form or a horse (as he did for Ocala’s public art project Horse Fever). I take the challenge and move straight ahead. If I do fall down, I get up and try again. I really think this is what makes me an artist.”
D’Alessandris is a prize-winning artist who has become deeply immersed in the community.
“The local art scene is ever changing, as is the actual art scene,” D’Alessandris asserts. “I have seen Ocala grow by leaps and bounds in the arts—and not only the visual aspects but all of the arts. We have one of the best symphonies around and a great place in the Reilly to hear them. The performances at the Ocala Civic Theatre are top notch. The visual arts have grown tremendously because of the Marion Cultural Alliance (MCA) and the Brick City Center for the Arts. The special events MCA puts together are a team effort and attract many of Ocala’s art enthusiasts.”
For the third time in three years, D’Alessandris will present a one-man show at The Brick. The title of his most recent exhibit seems to be a mash-up of two popular idioms, ‘off the beaten path’ and ‘march to the beat of a different drummer.’
“I am off the beaten path with my artistic journey,” D’Alessandris offers. “A lot of the pieces are ‘inner visions’ and a lot are from nature. The pieces that are ‘mixed-media’ are mainly water-based paint, with the addition of colored pencil, pen and ink or crayon. I may have some assemblages (3-D pieces), but I am mostly concentrating on pigment on various surfaces.”
Learn more › The opening reception is December 7 from 5-9pm at Brick City Center for the Arts. Visit david-d-art.com and mcaocala.com for more information on the exhibit.
