Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees.
This charcoal drawing entitled “Broken Spirit” beautifully documents a damaged tree branch. Felled by strong winds or the weight of its own branches, the tree limb is broken and splintered, bent in half with abrupt breaks and sharp edges. The branch is drawn with sketch-like, informal linework, yet achieves effortless realism. Surdo’s skillful placement of shadow illustrates the broken branch with incredible texture, contrasting smooth expanses of bark with rough fragments of shattered wood. The intricate play of light and dark is accentuated by the stark white background, a negative space that isolates the tree in space and time.
Guided by memory, the drawing conveys the strong emotional response elicited by Surdo’s initial encounter, sketched in a loose, expressive style that enhances the tree’s tactile nature and the potency of fleeting first impressions. Touched by the poignant beauty of the fallen branch, Surdo memorializes the tree’s now-broken spirit, taking care to convey the tension and implied movement of its unnatural shape. Restricting the composition to show only the broken form, Surdo forever preserves this moment of change and loss.
Charcoal on paper. Framed.
Additional Dimensions:
Drawing: 22"W x 30"H
