ROSEMARIE FIORE | No words, just print - Bronxfreepress review

No words, just print

New exhibit explores innovative medium

Story and video by Sherry Mazzocchi

Visitors to the Lehman College Art Gallery's upcoming show won’t find a common theme.
"That’s intentional," said Susan Hoeltzel, the Gallery’s Director. Instead, viewers will find a broad swath of new and innovative work. “We wanted to show a lot of different artists and how they were working."

"Morphology of Print" reveals a wide array of contemporary artists who are breaking the mold of traditional printmaking.

The work of nearly 30 well-known and emerging artists is on display.

The group show includes two Bronx artists. Rosemarie Fiore is an established artist, known for her fire and smoke paintings. Tammy Nguyen is an up-and-coming artist who’s also new to the Bronx. Brooklyn-based Scherezade Garcia’s work depicts water and waves, reflecting the Dominican experience of coming to the U.S. In addition, several prints in the show are borrowed from the master printmaker Judith Solodkin, who recently moved her studio to the Bronx. The Bronx Free Press talked to all four artists.

“I have to push the boundaries of the medium,” says Rosemarie Fiore.

Rosemarie Fiore

Smoke is the right dance partner

Smoke bombs and fireworks are Fiore’s tools of trade. Using a specially designed rolling mechanism, she performs a kind of alchemical dance with the elements; creating works drawn with smoke, wind and fire.

The bombs release a pigmented smoke, which is transparent. She glazes it over other colors, often going over it several times to create a depth and density of color.

She is constantly adjusting for the environment. Smoke also reacts to temperature and humidity. Wind makes the smoke dissipate quickly. "On a calm day, the smoke acts more like water and will form stream lines or river lines on the paper," she said. "It becomes heavier on days without a lot of wind."

The smoke paintings are layered with smaller smoke explosions that are cut out and put on top of the larger work, creating a topography of smoke. The process is a kind of controlled chaos. "I have to push the boundaries of the medium," she said.

Fiore said of her work, "The medium of smoke connects me very quickly and deeply into a creative place because it’s so ephemeral. You only have four seconds with the wick to put it down, contain it and move it. You’re thrown into the creative process very quickly. For me, smoke is the right dance partner."

Fiore’s work is also on display at Von Lintel Gallery in Chelsea.

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