Artists to Watch | Joseph Iantorno - Southwest Art Magazine

Into the light

Joseph Iantorno, Persian Vase, Egg, and Silver Dollars, oil, 11 x 14

Joseph Iantorno paints in a classical-contemporary style reminiscent of the Baroque-era Dutch painters, where dramatic contrasts of light and shadow take center stage in deftly designed compositions. Iantorno, who lives in California, recently moved into a studio with north light, which is helping him refine this approach further. “I can see the luminosity of my still-life objects much more clearly,” he says. “I can also discern more detail on my canvas, which is important because every brush stroke matters in a beautiful work of art.”

Iantorno is not only skilled at creating fine-art compositions but, as a musician, he is also familiar with song composition. Understanding the shared principles among these similar languages gives the artist a nuanced approach to line, value, and color. Additionally, he holds a degree in business, and he applies that skill set to his artistic pursuits in order to increase visibility and share his still-life, portrait, and figure paintings with a wider audience.

: Joseph Iantorno, Sun Bleached, oil, 24 x 30.

: Joseph Iantorno, Delft Pitcher With Stone Fruit and Eucalyptus, oil, 24 x 30.

: Joseph Iantorno, Woven and Maize, oil, 24 x 30.

His efforts have paid off. He won the Gold Medal in Oil Painters of America’s Western Regional Exhibition in 2019 for his painting DELFT PITCHER WITH STONE FRUIT AND EUCALYPTUS. The painting showcases his ability to pull his subject out of the shadows and into the spotlight to tell a story. “It was a challenge to balance the foreground and background elements,” the artist says. “I spent a lot of time finding that equilibrium between emerging and receding elements, creating interest through the background tapestry but not letting it compete with the play of light in the foreground.”

Looking forward to the year ahead, Iantorno plans to spend even more time in his new studio. He says he will take with him the lessons from 2020, including eliminating distractions that stifle his creativity. He also has specific goals related to his technique. “I’d like to simplify the value structure in my paintings, to make color or temperature changes rather than value changes,” he says. “I would also like to cultivate more awareness through keener perception, as paintings are a direct reflection of an artist’s perception.” –Allison Malafronte