Some years ago, Theresa DeSalvio endured life with a close family member gripped by a heroin addiction. Painting the allegorical Tales from 2014-2017 grounded her amid the chaos caused by the addiction. “That work saved my life,” she says. The paintings “allowed me to step outside of the situation.”
Why Pinocchio? DeSalvio, who loves folklore, sees Pinocchio as a quintessential addictive personality. “He never looked at consequences, never learned from his mistakes. You can’t reach him.” Her tableaux enabled DeSalvio to recast Collodi’s classic, “to tell it in another way, to protect identities…in an order that made sense to me.”
Like a medieval morality play, the Tales are stark and pointed, cautionary, disturbing, and sad.
All paintings are oil paint on Arches oil paint paper, 30×22 inches
See the video of Tales: https://vimeo.com/820280699
Theresa’s website is https://www.theresadesalvio.com
Click to view a larger image in a new window.
Since moving to the Hudson Valley in 2019, her images have centered on life at home.These images reflect the quiet drama of living close to nature, kitchen activities, and family life.
DeSalvio holds a MFA from the City University of New York Hunter College and a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, both in New York City.
Her Instagram is theresa.desalvio
- Tales: A Cautionary Story About Heroin Addiction - June 12, 2024