Kenneth Agnello

Take a deep breath, I thought. You can say it; you can do it, and avoid following bandwagons. They are not what you are after. The cutting edge, to speak about people, about relationships, and to comment on all we witness, fears, shame, joys, and suspicions--this is your motive. Follow social and emotional commentary, but not too directly. Avoid the pitfall of too political a stance. Generalize messages, make their meaning universal, and modify personal specifics, so that the overview triggers a wealth of possibilities and varied interpretations. Leave the photojournalist to capture the historical moment. Save one-dimensional appeal for magazine cover girls, fashion models, and moneymakers. Transcend the times as you live them. And do not fear your audience is too small. Your goal is not to humor the passive tastes of the casual masses. Remember, too, that where the art world is cold, rejection is guaranteed, but just for the moment.

So the evolutionary cell in my thought process was planted at an early age: rooted in deep ties to the classic rock music stars of the age and then carrying on to the modern artists who focused on art for ¡°people¡¯s¡± sake. A seriousness of presence is the energy¡ªa credo hungry for the narrative...

B.A. Degree, Art History, Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J.
M.A. Degree, Fine Arts, Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, N.J.

Extensive exhibitions throughout New City and New Jersey for 30+ years. Most recently and currently at Upfront Exhibition Space, Port Jervis, NY 12771.