Hope (The Guiding Light)

Vivian Cavalieri

Mixed Media
14 x 14 x 4 in

2023

“Two Tarot cards to highlight the plight of refugees. The sadness inspired by the hunched figure of the Six of Swords is balanced out by the Hermit, who holds a source of light, here symbolizing the possibility of a brighter future. The cards are placed against scrapbook paper showing old maps to indicate the problem exists worldwide. A necklace I previously designed with citrine, Murano glass and freshwater pearls represents the sea, with a fish swimming beneath, suggesting danger lurking beneath.”

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“I am a conceptual artist whose three-dimensional mixed media scenes unexpectedly prompt conversations on topics such as immigration, climate change, and social justice. While my international upbringing predisposes me to select universal topics, my palette and sense of design derive from my Venetian heritage.

I incorporate a segment of a necklace I designed into a scene crafted with commercially manufactured items such as dollhouse miniatures, fabrics, and mirrors. While seemingly impersonal, the items selected are symbolic, the mix is eclectic, and the resulting perspective subjective. Just as the assemblage incorporates various components, construction of the scene necessitates a variety of techniques including sewing, painting, photography, and woodworking.

My assemblages do not criticize or preach; rather, they invite dialogue to foster awareness and empathy. I encourage viewers to approach with an attractive, small-scale scene. The custom wood frame reaches outward to embrace the viewer. I frame using museum glass because its clarity creates the illusion that the viewer is present at the scene, further encouraging dialogue.”

Website: Vivian Cavalieri
Instagram: @vc_artworks_

Vivian Cavalieri

I grew up in Manhattan with my American-born mother and my Venetian father, speaking both English and Italian at home (with an occasional bit of Venetian dialect). Many childhood summers were spent in Venice, at the beach, visiting churches and museums, and spending time with relatives, particularly the painter Laura Padoa. Only years later did I realize how much that formed my taste and sense of style.

Loving art, I majored in art history while at Harvard. But thinking I had no artistic talent because I could not draw or paint well, I veered left and enrolled in the New York University School of Law. I spent the next 20 years at firms in New York and Washington representing museums and nonprofit foundations. During those years, I honed my writing skills and learned to create order from chaos, just as I now do in my art. Throughout those years, I continued to visit museums and galleries and discovered the art of Joseph Cornell.

Eventually leaving the practice of law, I began designing multi-strand necklaces, unconsciously mirroring the opulent and joyful Venetian style. I sold these necklaces primarily through boutiques and trunk shows. Ten years later, large necklaces were no longer in style. Feeling unsatisfied creating simpler single strand necklaces, I began using segments of necklaces still in inventory along with other components to create surrealistic miniature scenes.

Though I live in Washington, DC, USA, my studio is at our oyster farm on Chincoteague Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. It is a lovely, remote area with much natural beauty. Living there, I am increasingly aware of human encroachment on natural habitat and the effects of climate change —themes that often find their way into my work. So do themes stemming from my experiences as a woman and growing up as the daughter of an immigrant.