The inside and the outside of the body, the inside and the outside of the mind – a family, a neighborhood, a political system, and system of ideas – DNA. all of this and more. My work mines the connections, the frustrations, the definitions. Life redefines itself yet we always come back to who we are. Who are we? And we keep asking ourselves that big annoying question “WHY?” as we keep forging on because life itself makes its own demands and we answer to those demands. There is an outer self, an inner self and damn it if we don’t really seem to know any of them very well. Then, on top of everything else, is the universe, the world, it’s questions, its dilemmas. Unpacking all of this can often be the unravelling of one’s self.
I am a re – emerging artist, I am coming back out. Unpacking who I am right now into the world at large. I am a mature artist who has gone through the real life shit like divorce, bankruptcy, running a business to be able to pay the mortgage and send my kids to college while all the while trying to continue the inner and outer life of an artist. None of the gritty, dirty nasty stuff has disappeared, none of it has become softened with the years. Living has only reinforced my edge. It’s given me a huge wealth of experience and knowledge with which to create these new and powerful images. The inner animal is forcing its way back out into the world with a fervor, and intensity. At 55, I am taking charge and creating new work that reflects the power of a life lived without compromise, without apology.
The “Inner Animal” is a narrative that will continue telling stories through a series of illustrated chapter books. There is a conversation between the narrative books and the paintings. They will continue to evolve together as a body of ongoing work.
Val Sivilli 