Brian Cirmo and His Neato Paintings

Today in the Massry Building at the College of Saint Rose there was a closing reception for the alumni art exhibit, set up by Karene Faul . It contained work from many of the alumni students of Saint Rose including one Brain Cirmo. Cirmo is currently teaching at the college as a 2-D professor. The work he had in the exhibit was both creative and mentally challenging. One painting in particular interested me. It is a landscape, neatly placed fully in the foreground with nothing in the background but sky. In the grass, with what looks like lazer beams criss-crossing in front of them, are pillows, each curled or flopped in a different way. As your eye moves around the composition you see that the edges are blurred in what seems to be smoke giving the painting the mood of a battle ground. It is futuristic and yet realistic. It challenges the mind and encourages the viewer to find a meaning in what seems to be abstraction. The symbolism of the pillows lying in such a chaotic landscape makes one think that they might stand for fallen soldiers "resting in peace".
As far as artictic talent there is nothing to criticize about Cirmo. He lines are neat and precise; his concept is original. The color balance between the blues and the reds forces the viewer to notice the "lazers" immediately, and the cool blue of the pillows gives them a feeling of rest and relaxation.
Overall, I would definately say that Brian Cirmo is an artist to look out for. His work is interesting and intriguing. If your looking for a brainteaser in the art that you look at, seek him out.