Welcome to the second installment of our Virtual Art Exhibition series here at the Harry Belafonte 115th Street branch of NYPL. We are pleased to feature an old friend today, Rossella BLUE Mocerino, who has exhibited with us in the past in our First Floor vitrine as well as at our sister branches St. Agnes and Countee Cullen.

I recently had the pleasure of an edifying and enjoyable (socially-distanced!) cup of coffee with the artist against the picturesque backdrop of Gansevoort Plaza, in the West Village where Rossella BLUE resides. Our conversation meandered to topics ranging from the importance of libraries when it comes to thinking for oneself, the benefits of travel to expose the truth that "our way is not the only way," and our shared passion and enthusiasm for creating within the arts.  

One topic that came up in the course of our hour together happened to be the Edgar Allan Poe short story, The Masque of the Red Death. Poe's tale is a parable about class conflict set against the backdrop of the bubonic plague....a haunting social commentary that hits particularly close to home in these challenging times that we currently face.  In our follow-up emails post-interview, Rossella delighted me with the following revelation: 

"I want to thank you for drawing my attention to the Edgar Allan Poe short story, "The Masque of the Red Death."  It's brilliant! It's a very visual story, full of color. It sparked my interest in a future project: to illustrate the story."

In short: inspiration can truly come to you from anywhere! Stay open to the universe, and alert for its signs, for "The Muse" speaks to us through many—oft unforeseen—channels.

Q&A:

What places has your life journey taken you? How long have you been settled in your current location?

I was born in Italy but my family immigrated to New York when I was 12 years old. I have been living in the West Village for over 40 years. I live there with my wife and innumerable cats have been part of our family. I never lost touch with Italy and although I was born in Tuscany, I have fallen in love with Venice. I have visited that magical place over 40 times.

What’s your favorite book? 

My favorite book is and will always be A Room with A View by E. M. Forster. This book opened my eyes to the treasures literature offers us. Literature helps us see a wider viewpoint than the one we are used to and in doing so, it offers more options for us to choose from. I am part of an interesting book club at the moment. My wife and I are reading, in chronological order, all the books of two authors we like: Muriel Spark and Barbara Pym. Before we retire for the day, we take turns reading passages from these books. I highly recommend Memento Mori by Muriel Spark and A Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym.

What's your favorite color (#hexcode/RGB/CMYK, if you can!) or, color combination?

Blue is the only color I wear. In my paintings I use strong, bold colors. I never use green or yellow but gold, silver and bronze have been included in my palette. Purples and violets appear often in my work.

I'm frequently asked questions along the lines of, "Would it kill you to wear red or something once in a while?" My consistent reply has been: "Why, yes, probably!!"

What is your home branch of NYPL? BONUS: what's your favorite memory of the New York Public Library?

The libraries closest to me are the Jefferson Market Library and the Hudson Park Library. I have had exhibitions in both branches. What I want to feature though is my special relationship with two of Harlem’s Libraries: Harry Belafonte Library and Countee Cullen Library. I had never gone up to Harlem but when I exhibited at the 115^th Street Library (renamed Harry Belafonte) I got the chance to get to know an area of the city I have always admired. Harlem to me is synonymous with the vitality and uniqueness of Black culture. The first thing I saw on entering the Harry Belafonte Library on the way to hang my work was a collection of large photographs depicting Harlem’s greats—Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Alvin Ailey, Langston Hughes, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine. Countee Cullen Library stands on the site where A’Leila Walker threw her fabulous parties during the Harlem Renaissance. And imagine I got a chance to exhibit my work where so many of these great icons had lived and worked.

Tell us anything that would help us understand your process. Do you sketch ideas before painting? What kinds of things inspire you?

I have always been interested in depicting the human figure and when I first attended the Venice Carnival in 1993, I realized then I had found my inspiration: masked figures. I usually think of a concept for a group of paintings and then I work on a painting at a time. When I first started painting, I would draw on the blank canvas before painting but I dropped that at some point and started to paint directly on the canvas. This process has been modified a few times and today for the groups of paintings I am working on, I do a small drawing before starting the painting, but then I go straight into painting on the canvas.

What in your work speaks to any current social events?

I am a figurative painter but I do not do realism. Who wants to reflect reality? I certainly don't. We have enough reality as it is. I believe art should elevate us from the mundane. I want to put in the world beauty, passion, mystery and magic. I am at the core of my essence an individualist. Whereas many people rush to eliminate what makes them unique from others, I believe we should nurture what makes us unique. As I see it, art is about being true to one’s vision. Art is about reminding us what we are capable of. Art is about bringing us on higher ground. Art is about making us think. Art is about connecting with the viewer on a very personal level.

What can you tell us about your personality?

I have the ability to see miracles and wonder where others see the commonplace. Although highly tested within the last few years, I remain an optimist.

What or whom do you consider your influences? Feel free to drop some names of any other artists you'd like us to keep our eyes out for!

Years ago if you would have told me I would today be crazy about Francis Bacon’s work, I would have laughed at that improbability. Be in awe of those canvasses full of meat carcasses, scribbles and splashes of paint? Never. And yet, Francis Bacon is the artist I admire the most. Strolling around Venice one day, I came across a modest show of Francis Bacon’s drawings and it was then that I started to notice, not scribbles, but the beauty of his draftmanship. I wanted to see more. A few years later I went to Treviso where some of his ‘pope’ paintings were on exhibition and then I saw more of his work at the All Too Human exhibition at Tate Britain in 2018. When Centre Pompidou in Paris held a huge exhibition of the works done within the last twenty years of his life, I just had to go before the show closed in January 2020.  I spent more than four hours looking at his work, a record for me.

What would you tell your 10-year-old self, knowing what you know now?

Enjoy being 10.  You will never be 10 again.

Where can we find your work online?

I have a lot to say about art and I say it in my blog, The Painter’s Eye. In the blog, I also feature my own works and my most recent exhibitions. I am on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.