Cres D´Sylva . Poplar Grove Illinois Artist.
Artist Statement:
My art work is influenced by my various experiences of travel and study in Europe, Scandinavia, N. Africa and a few Asian countries.
I have also lived for 10 months in Denmark & more than 10 years in each of the following countries: India, Australia , Mexico & now permanently in USA since 2001
I did my schooling at the St. Bede’s Anglo Indian High School in Madras
( Chennai), India. Later, I studied for my Associates in Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, before immigrating to Australia in Jan 1991 with just US $ 8.00 in my pocket & a suitcase full of used clothes. Good friends & the St.Vincent de Paul Society helped me settle in. After I got a job, I was enjoying my stay in my new found country.
The following year I got my Australian citizenship and joined the Department of Defense in Sydney, where I was employed for more than 14 years. After working for the Australian Government for 10 years , I was able to take long service leave & LWOP, so I went to live in Copenhagen , Denmark for 10 months in 2001 to study and travel. I decided Australia was not the best place for business, so in 1986 after a visit to Mexico, I decided to go and live there for 14 years where I was in business for myself. In Feb 2001, I came to live in Illinois , to live here permanently with my 4 daughters in Illinois.
Art Studies:
I studied for my Art Diploma at the East Sydney Technical College, Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia in 1978. After that, I also did a special course on ¨Design & Decoration in Ceramics¨ at the same college under master ceramist Gillian Greg.
Besides going to ESTC, I also took a course in Ceramics at the ( then) Woollahara – Waverly Arts Center in Woollahara, a suburb of Sydney, studying under master Austrian Ceramist Trudie Albert for one year.
Photography: I took an advanced photographic course on ¨The Esthetics of Photography¨ at Sydney University – WEA
When living in Denmark, I joined the Dansk Nikon Camera Club in Copenhagen & took a few advanced photography courses at the club. I participated in our annual group photographic exhibition at the end of the year at the Galerie Gammel Strand in Copenhagen.
Exhibitions:
In Australia , I had various group exhibitions, including East Sydney Technical College Annual Art Show. The Woollahara – Waverly Annual Ceramics Show.
My first solo international exhibition was at the Galerie Gammel Strand, in Gammel Strand, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1986. Some of my recent exhibitions were a group exhibition at the Golan Liberman Contemporary Art Gallery in Rockford, Oct. 2008.
Another one of my paintings, Elton John With Piano was selected for display at the Freeport Art Museum Juried Exhibition VII , November 12th, 2010 to February 5th, 2011.
More recently my painting, Macabre Massacre With Machetes, got selected for the Freeport Art Museum 15th Annual Juried Exhibition held on Nov 17th, 2018 till Feb 15th , 2019 at Freeport , Illinois.
In April 2019, four of my paintings was selected for displayed at the Rockford Art Council Spring Art Show in Rockford City Hall, Rockford Illinois.
Two of my paintings were selected for the Rockford Art Guild – annual art show at the William Reif Gallery at Womanspace . 3333 Maria Linden Dr. Rockford Il 61114 – July 2019 through September 2019. Another one of my paintings is at the Underground Gallery , State St. Rockford, Illinois.
My paintings depict an eclectic mix of myriad colors & precisely drawn shapes that are well balanced within the painting. I use the skills I learned at engineering college when designing my shapes on the paintings. I am greatly influenced my the Mexican culture & folklore. Especially the brightly colored dresses of the Oaxaca people from Mexico.
My art work is influenced by other abstract artists like Bridget Riley, Yaacov Agam, Frank Stella , Edward Hopper and architects like Jorn Utzon, Santiago Calatrava etc,
My paintings burst out with life, vitality and excitement. They are very uplifting to the spirit & a joy to behold. The color panels in my paintings are interwoven to give a more organic, wholesome, balanced but modern touch to the art work.
My work is presented to you for your visual enjoyment.
Creswell D’sylva
High quality digital prints of all my artwork are available for sale.