By Jonann Brady
Instead of brushing off the notion as a daydream, Galasso decided to enroll in night courses in art at Hofstra University. Seven years later, Galasso is coming into his own as an original talent and gaining recognition in the art community.
The 56-year-old Baldwin resident was one of 30 artists chosen from 400 entrants to be part of an exhibit called Abstraction 2003 at The Stage Gallery in Merrick, opening on Friday, Jan. 17. Galasso's ebullient abstract painting, "Morning Glorious," was singled out by New York Times art critic Phyllis Braff as "curator's choice."
What began as a hobby has turned into a focal point of Galasso's life. "I can't stop. I dream about [painting]," said Galasso, who works out of a studio in his garage and basement, sometimes up to 12 hours a day when he's on a roll.
With the encouragement of two teachers and his wife, Michele, Galasso has produced more than 100 paintings and had pieces shown in a number of local exhibits. Galasso said that while he began with smaller, realistic drawings and paintings, his work has evolved into large-scale abstract pieces, and he counts Jackson Pollack, Lee Krasner and William de Kooning among his inspirations.
During a tour of his studio space in his Glover Place home, Galasso pointed out several paintings that illustrate this evolution. "Morning Glorious," for example, typifies his use of long, sweeping strokes that mix the colors on the canvas. "Here I'm thinking about movement, space and depth," he said.
Many people look to art for something they can recognize and identify, but for an abstract artist, the work can often be more about the process of creation.
At first, Galasso said, he didn't particularly like or understand abstract art, but over time, as he experimented, he found it was "like learning another language."
"It's instinctive, impulsive and very exciting," Galasso said. "It's very direct between feeling and putting something out there."
Galasso, who grew up in Flushing, said he wasn't exposed to art at all when he was growing up and didn't even set foot in a museum until he was in college. Coming of age in the 1960s, his first love was music, and he spent years playing in rock-and-roll bands around Long Island while earning money by doing odd jobs like driving trucks and delivering furniture.
Now the father of two sons, Galasso eventually began a career managing real estate, and has found enough success to semi-retire, leaving him more time to concentrate on his art.
With his makeshift home studio space bursting at the seams, Galasso said he is hoping to expand his work space by building an addition in his backyard. He hopes to continue exhibiting his work and perhaps even sell a few paintings someday, though his wife said she has a hard time parting with his work.
"She doesn't even let me give them away," Galasso joked.
And like many artists, Galasso still has pangs of self-doubt. "Art is subjective," he said. "I still don't know if I'm good."
Residents can judge for themselves by stopping by the Abstraction 2003 exhibit at The Stage Gallery, 2222 Hewlett Ave. in Merrick. The show runs Jan. 17 through Feb. 23. For more information, call 516-797-9115.
