"Passage to Town" by Bruno Surdo

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.

Depicting a stretch of road in his family’s hometown in southern Italy, this landscape painting entitled “Passage to Town” tells the story of a tree through the context of its surroundings. The landscape shows the walled entrance to a small city, centered on a bright white building surrounded by dense, dark green foliage. A beautiful blue sky envelops the scene with bright color while a yellow glow illuminates the road below. The composition was driven by this repeated contrast of light and dark, abstracting the scenery into its essential visual elements.

Countering the dazzlingly white building is an old, withered tree stump, gnarled and knotted with spindly branches of new growth. Sculpted by people and bent by the elements, the old tree measures the passing of time, a reminder of the long history that usually accompanies these countryside settings. Impressed by the starkness of the scenery, Surdo conveys this memory with soft brushstrokes and precise shading, recreating the sense of intimacy felt when lingering in this overlooked place.

Oil on board. Framed.