Serafino Catallo (Kunst)

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With a romantic name like Serafino Catallo it seems inevitable that he would gravitate towards the arts. And he did. The third child and only son, Serafino was raised in a lively, Italian-Canadian family where children grew up to pursue careers such as medicine or engineering. His sisters followed these traditional paths, but not Serafino. His heart was set on the arts. To his knowledge, no one else in his family has ever chosen this direction.

The desire to be an artist has burned in him from the time he was very young, and the flame only grew stronger as he grew older. Serafino remembers the day as a child when, extremely bored, he started drawing comics that he copied from the newspaper. Finally finding an avenue through which he could express his pent-up artistic talent was very exciting. He kept a collection of his comics in a scrapbook and thought that he might become a cartoonist some day. His mother was supportive of her son's keen interest in the arts, and she encouraged him to continue. Concerned that his son might face hardship as an artist, his father was not as enthusiastic. These fears gave way as Serafino proved not only to them, but to himself as well, that his love of art could provide a pathway to a viable career.

During high school, Serafino confirmed his drive to artistry, and, while there, he learned to draw and paint studying color theory and practical applications of concepts. He credits an art teacher for anchoring him and helping him form the base from which his art has grown.

After high school, Serafino attended York University in Toronto, Canada, and graduated in 1996 with a B.F.A. College years were filled with theory and concept, unlike high school, where he had learned practical application. The university also promoted artworks that were an expression of the artist's political and social views. Not wanting his artwork to have a political agenda, Serafino learned from his university experience what he did not want to do. He felt, and still feels, that when someone hangs an artist's work on his wall, it is the greatest compliment that can be given to an artist.

Inspiration for painting came to Serafino from the Color Field painters of the mid-century (1930s-'50s.) Mark Rothko with his floating squares and Barnett Newman with his stripes are two minimalist artists that he particularly admires. In his own work, Serafino began, and remains intrigued, by breaking down and reconstructing relationships. Color, line and form are a constant fascination to him. Viewing art not only with passion and emotion, but also as a science, he orchestrates an exquisite balance of texture, proportion and color harmony often using the chevron, circle or square as themes in his paintings. Because he feels that anything on canvas is taken more seriously, he paints almost exclusively on canvas with acrylic paints.

After university, Serafino worked at several ateliers in various capacities. He says that continual exposure to the excellence in artwork he saw there helped his work to mature, and he became very dedicated to painting. At one of the ateliers, he summoned his courage to show his paintings to the president of the company and was hired as an artist. Due to the self-discipline Serafino demands of himself, he is a very prolific painter. He feels that even when a painting does not turn out the way he envisioned, he still learns something from it. And he does not quit, even on days when inspiration is more difficult, because he feels that quitting leads only to stagnation.

Serafino married his college sweetheart, and they became parents. One of his hobbies and learning experiences has been remodeling the post-war, story-and-one-half bungalow that the couple purchased two years ago. His studio has become one of the joys of home ownership. He can look out of his second floor window, and inspiration is all around him. Serafino is a poet, and he loves to play soccer. He loves the city, and he and his wife spend weekends enjoying and absorbing all of the excitement and fun that the city has to offer.

Rosenbaum Fine Art has made him feel very safe and secure although he still feels very new. He reminds himself every day how lucky he is to be doing what he loves. Serafino is very serious about his art, and he is working diligently to make certain he takes full advantage of this opportunity.

When asked what he hopes the future holds for him, this humble and somewhat reticent man says his biggest desire is a solo art exhibition. Others will be surprised only if it doesn't happen. His "hero" is Pablo Picasso, and he aspires to Picasso's greatness. "But," he laughingly says, "if not, maybe my baby will achieve that when he grows up, and I will have been his mentor."

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