The Village 1985

Daryl Trivieri made this drawing, The Village, with pencil on paper. Look at this fantasy world come into being, shifting and emerging through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine Trivieri teasing out these strange hybrid creatures. What might he have been thinking? Maybe about the way our bodies and minds are always transforming, like the way a tadpole becomes a frog. The graphite is layered to create tonal contrasts, and emphasize the physicality of the medium. See the hatching around the head of the bird-like creature, how those lines create a sense of volume and texture, and how that gesture communicates intention and meaning. Trivieri’s work reminds me of other artists whose practices invite us to imagine alternative realities. He is in conversation with many artists across time, inspiring creativity. Painting is an embodied expression that embraces ambiguity. It allows for multiple interpretations, and offers freedom from fixed or definitive readings.