ABOUT
THE ARTIST
Starr
Abbott was born into an artistic family. Her
grandfather was the famous sculptor, Pietro
Cartaino di Sciarrino, known as C.S. Pietro. His brother was sculptor Paolo Cartaino di Sciarrino, known as C.S. Paolo. Her maternal uncle was
Salvatore Scarpitta. His son, Sal Scarpitta, was a modern artist of increasing renown.
Starr Abbott's paintings are produced in an undercurrent of respect that
she has for her grandfather's masterful work. This also causes
her to apply constant pressure to herself and to refine all aspects of her
paintings with her natural ability, training, and a perfectionist
nature. It is understandable that she produces such masterful Victorian
style work.
However, only a handful
of people understand that Starr Abbott's realism
paintings are her own emotional locution. This parlance is the soul
of her art and is embodied in the totality of her artistry
assimilated in: colors, objects, subjects, foregrounds, and backgrounds.
This stealthy quintessence is woven into her realism
paintings without causing ripple in the proper composition of the
work, deceiving the most trained observer to see only a beautiful artistic
picture.
To assist in understanding this embodiment in her realism paintings, parts of Starr's background are given.
Starr Abbott's mother, Maria Cartaino
Abbott, was divorced when Starr was a toddler, causing Starr and her
mother to live with Starr's grandmother, Stella Cartaino. Together
they frequented Italy and toured all the great art museums of
Europe. It was a family tradition to convey intimacy in art to
their children. Starr's mother and grandmother took great
pleasure in exposing little Starr to the beauties of art. It
was during this period that Starr gained her lasting love for Pre-
Raphaelite Victorian art and the great masters' work.
Starr was five years old when
she was diagnosed with polio. The progression of this disease
required extensive surgery when she was ten years old, causing her
to spend the next year in a body cast.
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The resulting pain,
loneliness and related emotions introduced her to seek a friend --
one she could confide her most intimate feelings to. Starr
found this companion in her artistry and developed a secret way to
tell her friend everything.
To maintain absolute veracity
with her companion, Starr Abbott is truthful, bold, and consistent. Starr
does not use pastel colors. The meanings she attaches to segments of
her art do not deviate from
one artistic picture to another. When one gains
knowledge of the lures, mysteries, and meanings found in her
realism
paintings, an elaborate consistent map of the thoughts and soul of a
creative and complex
realism
artist is exposed. Starr finds this not
as an intrusion but as an inclusion into her beautiful world of art.
She states, "I feel we all have the need to be understood; we also
guard who we tell our secrets to."
An examination of two paintings "Little Apprentice" and "Three
Graces" are explored to illuminate this aspect of her art.
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